The NBC announcer who introduced Saturday Night Live died today. Don Pardo’s daughter Paula confirmed his death to CBS Radio News. He was 96. Pardo was NBC’s staff announcer for more than 60 years. His exuberant, booming voice was familiar to generations of Americans on radio and TV, commercials and game shows, news and sports: His was the voice that announced, in November, 1963, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. On the original version of Jeopardy!, host Art Fleming would start the show with “Thank you, Don Pardo” and tease winners with, “Don Pardo, tell him what he’s won!” His game show credits also include The Price Is Right, 
Jackpot and Three On A Match. In 1984, he was introduced to the MTV Generation with a memorable voice cameo on “Weird Al” Yankovic’s parody song “I Lost On Jeopardy.” Fleming appeared in the popular video.
He began his announcing career at NBC Radio as a war reporter during World War II and remained at the network his entire life. He worked the radio sci-fi programs X Minus One and Dimension X and called baseball games in New York. But he probably is most famous for booming “It’s Saturday Night Live!” after the cold open and before introducing the host, guests and cast each week. The show made its debut in October 1975. A broken hip in 2013 forced Pardo to miss two episodes of the late-night staple, and he skipped Season 7 when series creator Lorne Michaels was away, making for a remarkable 38-year tenure on the program. A member of the Television Academy Hall of Fame, Pardo said he and Bob Hope are the only people awarded a lifetime contract at NBC. He finally retired from NBC in 2004 and considered retiring from SNL too, but Michaels successfully kept him on the show until last season’s finale. SNL will celebrate its 40th anniversary next season, and Pardo likely will be recognized in a major way during the planned anniversary special. In a recent interview with Deadline, Michaels was asked about Pardo’s longevity on the show. “My lighting director, Phil Hyms is 91, and he’s out there every night for the warmup, and he’s not lost a step,” he said. “So, maybe there’s something healthy in the studio. I don’t think it’s Shangri-La, but maybe there’s something.”
In a 2009 interview with the TV Academy, Pardo recalled landing the Peacock gig in 1946. He was a 26-year-old born in Westfield, MA, who’d grown up primarily in Norwich, CT, and was making his first trip to New York City. He had been working at NBC Radio affiliate WJAR in Providence for two years and had come to the big city to see NBC. Patrick Kelly, who oversaw the network’s announcers, took an interest in the kid. “In order to even audition,” Pardo told ATAS, “you had to have five years’ experience and a college degree. I had neither. But (Kelly) said, ‘Why don’t you come to the studio and I’ll record you, in case you want to consider it in the future.’ So I went to the studio and read something for about a minute or so, and he said, ‘All right, that’s enough.’ All I could think was, ‘Boy, I must have really stunk.’”
Great S.N.L., voice since 1975…… sadly missed, but what a career :)
SNL won’t be the same w/o him!
I would have to agree, because Don Pardo helped make SNL what it is.
As for Pardo’s successor (since Pardo is irreplaceable), I’m left to assume that SNL could audition potential announcers. Names I’ve seen being suggested… current Tonight Show announcer Steve Higgins, former Late Night with Conan O’Brien announcer Joel Godard, former SNL cast member Darrell Hammond, former The Price Is Right announcer Rich Fields… and a few other names, like Burton Richardson and Jeff B. Davis. EP Lorne Michaels will have final say who gets SNL announcer job… and hopefully Pardo’s family blesses the decision.
A class act all the way and a touchstone of familiarity in a medium that changes too fast to follow.
The first performer ever to get a lifetime contract from NBC was Milton Berle.
Thank you, Don Pardo! Truer words were never spoken.
I grew up listening to Don Pardo while he was the staff announcer on NYC’s flagship WNBC. When I moved away to go to college, the local NBC announcers just weren’t the same. So I was thrilled when he started with SNL nationally in 1975.
Without Don, an important piece of SNL has gone forever. Sure, maybe there’ll be another announcer, or maybe they can digitally recreate his voice (bad idea), or maybe they won’t have any announcer at all.
Don was definitely part of the show and his influence over 39 years will not be replicated . Don he had occasional rare on-camera SNL appearances, but his voice WAS the show.
We’ll miss you, Don.
Don Pardo was the last of a very special trio (3) of men from the golden age of broadcast radio and television – each of whom received the only lifetime contracts ever issued by NBC (Milton Berle was the 1st, followed by both Bob Hope and Don Pardo). With Mr. Pardo’s passing, this is truly the end of a special era, one that will be sorely missed. I agree with the importance of this sites Comment Requirements instructing those posting to “don’t get your facts wrong” when commenting, as doing so reduces the integrity of the honor being bestowed upon each of these three (3) great men and their shared mutual achievement by association. This is especially important in tribute to Mr. Pardo at this moment in time – as this site removed him within their article from being properly associated with “both” of these other two (2) great men – thereby reducing further tribute and accolade due to Mr. Pardo and his amazing legacy. Too bad this site overlooked its own comment reporting requirement when researching this tribute article by miss stating the facts about how many people actually received lifetime contracts from NBC – as Mr. Pardo truly was running with a very elite group, and deserves to have his name stand proudly alongside each of them in tribute. But that’s ok. There are still those of us out there who really did love and respect the man for all of his associated achievements – so we’ll help them get it right for you Don. Many blessings to you old friend! Say hello to Uncle Miltie and Brother Bob from all of us! :)
I’ll never forget the SNL sketch about Don Pardo’s life story. It begins with the proud parents fussing over an unseen baby in his bassinet. The father says something like, “I guess I’ll have to send out those birth announcements tomorrow” and then that unmistakable and fully adult voice booms from behind the hood, “No you won’t, Dad! I’ll take care of it myself.”
And a legend was born.
If there’s one thing I’ll always remember Don for, it was the night he got to recite some of the lyrics to the song “I’m The Slime,” under the able direction of Mr. Frank Zappa. That was Frank’s only appearance on SNL, but hearing Don say lines like “You will obey me while I lead you/Eat the garbage that I feed you!” was a moment in TV history that redefined the term SURREAL. So many great memories of this great man, with the distinct, immediately-recognizable voice. As many are already saying, SNL won’t be the same without him.
Rest in peace, big guy.
I’ll miss hearing the warm resonance of your voice, Mr. Pardo. Rest in peace.