SOS
10-28-2003, 01:58 AM
Yahoo! news (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=494&ncid=762&e=8&u=/ap/20031028/ap_en_tv/obit_roddy)
'Price Is Right' Announcer Rod Roddy Dies
1 hour, 24 minutes ago
By RYAN PEARSON, Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES - Rod Roddy, the flamboyantly dressed announcer on "The Price is Right" whose booming, jovial voice invited lucky audience members to "Come on down!" for nearly 20 years, died Monday. He was 66.
AP Photo
Roddy, who suffered from colon and breast cancer (news - web sites), died at Century City Hospital, according to his longtime agent, Don Pitts. He had been hospitalized for two months.
"He had such a strong spirit. He just wouldn't give up," Pitts said Monday.
Roddy had been ill for more than two years but tried to work as long as he could, said Bob Barker, host of "The Price is Right." Roddy had been with the game show for 17 years.
"The courage he showed during those difficult times was an inspiration to us all," Barker said in a statement Monday.
Barker recounted a recent visit to his friend: "I went to the hospital and sat on the edge of his bed and we laughed the whole time we were talking. He was still having fun."
Roddy's announcing stints included "Love Connection" (1981-85) and "Press Your Luck" (1983-86), but "The Price is Right" earned him his greatest fame. "The Price is Right" remains one of television's most popular game shows, and Roddy, with his flashy sport coats and booming voice, was a big part of the success.
"He started wearing those jackets when he joined the show," Barker said. "He was quite a character. He was important to the success of the show. He had the spirit of `The Price Is Right.' It's a fun show. We did it with the hope people will forget their problems for awhile."
Roddy, whose real name was Robert Ray Roddy, was born Sept. 18, 1937, in Fort Worth, Texas, Pitts said.
He was a graduate of Texas Christian University and a popular disc jockey in Texas when he decided to expand his career in Hollywood, his agent recalled.
Roddy's versatility made him a popular voice-over artist for commercials in Los Angeles, Pitts said. He got his.....
'Price Is Right' Announcer Rod Roddy Dies
1 hour, 24 minutes ago
By RYAN PEARSON, Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES - Rod Roddy, the flamboyantly dressed announcer on "The Price is Right" whose booming, jovial voice invited lucky audience members to "Come on down!" for nearly 20 years, died Monday. He was 66.
AP Photo
Roddy, who suffered from colon and breast cancer (news - web sites), died at Century City Hospital, according to his longtime agent, Don Pitts. He had been hospitalized for two months.
"He had such a strong spirit. He just wouldn't give up," Pitts said Monday.
Roddy had been ill for more than two years but tried to work as long as he could, said Bob Barker, host of "The Price is Right." Roddy had been with the game show for 17 years.
"The courage he showed during those difficult times was an inspiration to us all," Barker said in a statement Monday.
Barker recounted a recent visit to his friend: "I went to the hospital and sat on the edge of his bed and we laughed the whole time we were talking. He was still having fun."
Roddy's announcing stints included "Love Connection" (1981-85) and "Press Your Luck" (1983-86), but "The Price is Right" earned him his greatest fame. "The Price is Right" remains one of television's most popular game shows, and Roddy, with his flashy sport coats and booming voice, was a big part of the success.
"He started wearing those jackets when he joined the show," Barker said. "He was quite a character. He was important to the success of the show. He had the spirit of `The Price Is Right.' It's a fun show. We did it with the hope people will forget their problems for awhile."
Roddy, whose real name was Robert Ray Roddy, was born Sept. 18, 1937, in Fort Worth, Texas, Pitts said.
He was a graduate of Texas Christian University and a popular disc jockey in Texas when he decided to expand his career in Hollywood, his agent recalled.
Roddy's versatility made him a popular voice-over artist for commercials in Los Angeles, Pitts said. He got his.....