Don Pardo, the voice behind Saturday Night Live for 38 seasons, passed away on Monday, according to his daughter.
He was 96 years old.
Pardo broke into broadcasting at a small radio station in Providence, Rhode Island and moved to New York City in 1944 to begin his six-decade tenure as a staff announcer at NBC.
You may not know his face, but you’ve heard his voice:
Transitioning to television, Pardo announced for such shows as Jeopardy!, The Kate Smith Evening Hour, NBC Nightly News, The Price Is Right, Three on a Match and Winning Streak.
On November 22, 1963, Pardo delivered the audio news bulletin to NBC viewers that President John F. Kennedy, Jr. had been shot in Dallas.
Pardo – a Massachusetts native who grew up in Connecticut – lost his wife, Kay, in 1995.
He served as the sole SNL announcer for every season except one (1981-1982) and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2010.
“RIP Don Pardo. A voice that meant so much,” Tweeted Seth Meyers upon learning the news, while Bobby Moynihan added:
“On Sept 13th 2008 I heard Don Pardo say my name for the first time. I cried until the 16th. Thanks Don. I owe you a coffee.”
