Don Pardo

Don Pardo is one of the best-known radio and television announcers in history, partially because of his great longevity, which continues to this day. He joined NBC in 1944, where he remains. Though technically he retired in 2004, he still flies to NY from his home in Tucson to announce Saturday Night Live, a show he has been with since it's debut in 1975 (but for one season). For over thirty years, he has been like a father (and later a grandfather!) to the entire cast, who, to a person, has loved this man, widely known as one of the nicest guys in the business. For years, he also announced the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Before SNL he was best known for his announcing chores on "The Price is Right", from 1956 until ABC. He also did the original Jeopardy!, with Art Fleming for about ten years. Fleming's retort to Don's announce, "Thank you, Don Pardo!", quickly became a catch-phrase. Don reprised that role with a cameo voiceover in "Weird Al" Yankovic's 1984 song "I Lost on Jeopardy". He also announced numerous other New York-based NBC game shows such as Three on a Match, Winning Streak, and Jackpot! (all three of which were Bob Stewart productions).

He has also worked for WNBC-TV's Live at Five news program, NBC Nightly News, and Wheel of Fortune. Don was the on-duty live booth announcer for WNBC-TV in New York and the NBC network on November 22, 1963, and it was he who first announced to NBC viewers that President John F. Kennedy had been shot in Dallas, Texas.

In December 1976 on one memorable SNL episode, Pardo participated in a musical performance by Frank Zappa, reciting a verse of the song "I'm The Slime." Pardo subsequently reprised this role on the live-recorded version of the song for the Zappa in New York album.

On February 23, 2008, Pardo was seen at the closing of SNL blowing out the candles of his 90th birthday cake. SNL alum and former writer, Tina Fey, was the host and this episode welcomed the show back from a 12 week writer's strike. Pardo looked many years younger than 90 blowing his candles out and was an amazing inspiration to all onlookers including Governor Mike Huckabee, then Republican preseidential nominee, who made a cameo appearance that evening. Pardo blew... and blew... and blew with gusto eventually getting all 90 candles out!

For 64 years and counting, thank you Don Pardo!