R.I.P. Tony the Tiger

[Toirtis]

FULLERTON, Calif. -- Thurl Ravenscroft, who provided the rumbling "They're Grrrrreeeat!" for Kellogg's Tony the Tiger and voiced a host of Disney characters, has died. He was 91. Ravenscroft died Sunday of prostate cancer, said Diane Challis Davy, director of Laguna Beach's Pageant of the Masters. For more than 50 years, Ravenscroft was the affable voice behind Tony the Tiger, TV's popular cartoon pitchman for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes. "I'm the only man in the world that has made a career with one word: Grrrrreeeat!" Ravenscroft told the Orange County Register in 1996. "When Kellogg's brought up the idea of the tiger, they sent me a caricature of Tony to see if I could create something for them. After messing around for some time I came up with the 'Grrrrreeeat!' roar, and that's how it's been since then."

[fishyrican]

Sad

He had a great talent for making a character come alive through voice.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0712391/

[Jchillin]

His history of work is indeed impressive. To think that he portrayed so many characters and provided many songs that "stick" in your mind is truly a credit to him.

If you follow fishyrican's link, you will see that a number of his performances and voice-over's were "uncredited", which means that he was possibly paid a one-shot stipend for the work, if at all.

Truly amazing.

[fishyrican]

One of the glaring omissions is the Grinch song in the original animated movie. I think I read somewhere that the omission was a "mistake." I've had that song in my head all morning since I read the obit.

[lmw80]

oh wow! A lot of voices! RIP!!

[Meredith]

Oh no! Thats really sad!

[Toirtis]

Ravenscroft was also integral to a number of Disney productions, most memorably the Pirates of the Carribean and Haunted Mansion rides, both of which featured his voice work.

[oscarbreeder]

Thats such sad news.

R.I.P.

[Fluff]