Tony the Tiger dies

Downtime

Its not grrrrrrrreat any more.

Many memories "Tony help, you gotta help, we're one rider short"
"That's OK - you got a tiger on your team"

Thurl Ravenscroft, who provided the rumbling “They’re Grrrrreeeat!” for Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger ads and voiced a host of Disney characters, has died in California, at the age of 91.

Ravenscroft died on 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, or Frosties.

“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.”

He also narrated the summertime Pageant of the Masters at Laguna Beach for 20 years and lent his voice to characters on thrill rides at Disneyland, including the Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, the Enchanted Tiki Room and the Haunted Mansion.

“Disneyland wouldn’t have been, and wouldn’t be, the same without him,” the park’s former president, Jack Lindquist, told the Register. “His voice was one of the things that made it all come alive.”

Ravenscroft also did voices for the animated films Cinderella, The Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp and many others.

Born in Norfolk, Nebraska, Ravenscroft moved to California in 1933 to study art. By the mid-1930s he was appearing regularly on radio, and by the late-1930s he was singing back-up for Bing Crosby.

After military service during the Second World War, he returned to Hollywood, where he sang with the Mellomen, a group that performed with Frank Sinatra, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Elvis Presley.

In 1952, Ravenscroft’s voice appeared in the first Frosted Flakes commercial.

Ravenscroft is survived by two children and four grandchildren. June, his wife of 53 years, died in 1999 at the age of 80.

Blisterman

Are they gonna retire the "Its Grrreat slogan, now?"

Downtime

Possibly.

Might change it to "It's suggggggary"

monkeyfudge

Thurl Ravenscroft?

That is a truly outstanding name.

Cake Fiend

They left out the couple of years he took out as a barbarian:

The Adventures of Dr. Thurl Ravenscroft and the Flakes of Wrath!

mathie

Sico wrote:

They left out the couple of years he took out as a barbarian:

The Adventures of Dr. Thurl Ravenscroft and the Flakes of Wrath!

He's spinning in his grrrrave.

/obvious

monkeyfudge

I for one am off to the deed poll office as soon as possible.

tvnutz

The voice of Fred Flinstone also dies this week.

monkeyfudge

tvnutz wrote:

The voice of Fred Flinstone also dies this week.

Is that a threat on the guys life?

or a macabre prediction?

Downtime

tvnutz wrote:

The voice of Fred Flinstone also dies this week.

Someone better warn him.

Draupnir

tvnutz musta got next week downloaded from bittorrent.

tvnutz

LOL right...that was supposed to be "died". Of course I could just be saying that to throw you off course while I take him out

Glipmac

Downtime wrote:

“I’m the only man in the world that has made a career with one word: Grrrrreeeat!”

how cool is that a multi-millionaire and known around the world for one word this man is a ledged! i want his job!

“They’re SuuuuubParrrrrrrrr!” or “They’re Poisssssssonnnned"

monkeyfudge

tvnutz wrote:

LOL right...that was supposed to be "died". Of course I could just be saying that to throw you off course while I take him out

Can the guy who did the voice of Snarf in Thundercats be next on your hit list?

tvnutz

lol...ah why not? anyone else want to add to the list? how about that person that did that damn crazy frog thing :mad:

Glipmac

tvnutz wrote:

lol...ah why not? anyone else want to add to the list? how about that person that did that damn crazy frog thing :mad:

I agree

monkeyfudge

tvnutz wrote:

lol...ah why not? anyone else want to add to the list? how about that person that did that damn crazy frog thing :mad:

No. No. Having to live with the guilt of what he has unleashed upon the world is punishment enough.

tvnutz

lol really? because every time i see it and its several variations I really want to hurt someone!!!! :rolleyes:

Downtime

Add those beatches from the KFC add to the list aswell.

tvnutz

oh yes! good one,couldnt agree more. especially the one that says emergencey helpline.that noise is not human,no human could make that sounds and she must be destroyed