If you ’re a lover ofSaturday Night Livethen you ’re already familiar with the work of Don Pardo , whose iconic voice has been belting out the name of mold fellow member since the show premier in 1975 . But to celebrate his 93rd natal day ( today ) , here are a few affair you might not know about him .
1. He’s a Company Man
Therefore , as recently as SNL ’s 2009 - 2010 season , Pardo had a weekly habitof fly from his home in Tucson to New York each Friday , do in the live show on Saturday and flying back home the next twenty-four hour period . At the start of the current season , Pardo began to register hisSNLvoiceovers from his home .
2. He Was the Bearer of Bad News
On Friday , November 22 , 1963 , Pardo was the first person at NBC to denote the shooting of President Kennedy . break in into the John Forsythe sitcomBachelor Father , Pardo made the following announcement :
3. He’s A Trailblazer
Long before Johnny Gilbert was enter Alex Trebek or Rod Roddy was require a young objector to come on down , Pardo was the original announcer for bothThe Price Is RightandJeopardy!(That was back when questions in the Jeopardy ! round wander from $ 10 – $ 50 ) . Because of his famous contributions to those show , as well asSNLand NBC News , Pardo marked another first in 2009 — he became the first announcer induct into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame .
4. He Branches Out
While his career was mostly confined to herald news and the gens of goggle box stars , Pardo had one far-famed foray into the world of music — contribute his outspoken stylingsto the Frank Zappa Sung “ I ’m the Slime ” during a December 1976 sequence ofSNLand on the albumZappa in New York .
5. He Makes Mistakes
FormerSaturday Night Livecast appendage Jimmy Fallon once remarked that “ nothing is like the minute when Don Pardo enjoin your name . ” That ’s believably honest , even if he does n’t get your name right . That was the sheath on SNL ’s first show on October 11 , 1975 , when Pardomistakenly introducedthe show ’s new - front cast as The Not for Ready Primetime Players , rather than The Not Ready for Primetime Players . But seeing as he ’s been passably solid in the 35 - plus years since , we should likely permit that one slide .
