Gary Owens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gary Owens
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Owens in San Diego, 1982
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| Born |
Gary Bernard Altman
May 10, 1934 Mitchell, South Dakota, U.S.
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| Died | February 12, 2015 (aged 80) Encino, California, U.S.
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| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1952–2015 |
| Spouse(s) |
Arleta Markell
(m. 1956) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Inkpot Award (1981) |
Gary Owens, born Gary Bernard Altman (May 10, 1934 – February 12, 2015), was a famous American voice actor, radio personality, and disc jockey. He was known for his smooth, deep voice, which he often used to say funny, nonsensical things. You might remember him as the announcer on the popular TV show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In.
Owens was great at both serious and silly jobs. You could hear his voice on TV, radio, and in many commercials. Besides Laugh-In, he was best known for being the voice of the superhero Space Ghost in the Space Ghost cartoon and Blue Falcon in Dynomutt, Dog Wonder. He even appeared as himself on Space Ghost Coast to Coast. His first cartoon voice role was Roger Ramjet in the Roger Ramjet cartoons.
Contents
Early Life
Gary Owens was born in Mitchell, South Dakota. His mother, Venetta Clark, was an educator, and his father, Bernard Joseph Altman, was a county treasurer and sheriff.
Career Highlights
Starting in Radio (1950s)
Gary Owens began his radio career in 1952 as a news reporter in Mitchell, South Dakota. He quickly moved up, becoming a news director and then a disc jockey (DJ). He worked at radio stations in several cities like Dallas, New Orleans, and St. Louis before moving to California in 1959. He eventually settled in Los Angeles.
Radio Star and Voice Actor (1960s)
In 1962, Owens joined radio station KMPC in Los Angeles, where he worked for the next 20 years. He became famous for his funny, sometimes silly, humor. He often used made-up words like "insegrevious" and "krenellemuffin" on his show. He also created funny characters like Earl C. Festoon and Merle Clyde Gumpf.
During this time, Gary Owens became widely known for his voice acting in cartoons. He was the voice of the main character in Roger Ramjet and the superhero Space Ghost in Space Ghost. He was also the exciting narrator for The Perils of Penelope Pitstop. Most famously, he was the announcer on the very popular TV show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, where he often held his hand to his ear.
He also wrote for Jay Ward Productions and appeared in many Walt Disney shows. He lent his voice to over 30,000 commercials! He even made guest appearances on popular TV shows like The Munsters, I Dream of Jeannie, and McHale's Navy.
More Voice Work and TV (1970s)
In the 1970s, Gary Owens continued his busy career. In 1976, he became the voice of the Blue Falcon, a superhero who fought crime with his clumsy dog sidekick, Dynomutt, in the cartoon Dynomutt, Dog Wonder. This show was a funny take on superhero stories like Batman. Blue Falcon would use many "falcon gadgets" from his special belt, similar to Batman's utility belt. Owens voiced Blue Falcon for 20 episodes. He also narrated Yogi's Space Race and announced for Disney's Wonderful World.
Hollywood Recognition (1980s)
In 1980, Gary Owens received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is placed between those of Walt Disney and Betty White! He even hosted the ceremony for The Three Stooges to get their star.
He continued his voice work, narrating the World of Motion pavilion at Walt Disney World's EPCOT Center from 1982 to 1996. He was also the voice of Lt. Dirk Niblick of the Math Brigade on PBS's Square One Television from 1987 to 1992. He also guest starred on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!.
Later Career (1990s and Beyond)
In the late 1990s, Gary Owens hosted a morning radio show. From 1995 to 1997, he was the announcer for America's Funniest Home Videos.
He continued his voice acting, playing Commander Ulysses Feral in SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron and Powdered Toast Man on The Ren & Stimpy Show. He also narrated the video games Space Quest IV and Space Quest 6.
In his last years, Owens was the voice for Antenna TV, a digital network that shows classic TV programs. He would say, "Vintage...without the funny smell." In 2004, he co-wrote a book called How to Make a Million Dollars With Your Voice (Or Lose Your Tonsils Trying).
Personal Life
Gary Owens married Arleta Markell on June 26, 1956. They were married for almost 60 years and had two sons, Scott and Chris.
Death
Gary Owens passed away on February 12, 2015, at the age of 80. He had complications from Type 1 diabetes, a condition he was diagnosed with when he was eight years old.
Voice Acting Roles
Gary Owens lent his voice to many characters and narrations, including:
- The main character of Roger Ramjet.
- The narrator for The Perils of Penelope Pitstop.
- Space Ghost for the original Space Ghost (1966–1968) and on Space Stars (1981–1982).
- The announcer for Garfield and Friends.
- Powdered Toast Man of The Ren & Stimpy Show.
- Captain Squash on Bobby's World.
- The Blue Falcon in Dynomutt, Dog Wonder.
- Commander Ulysses Feral in SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron.
- The narrator for the pilot episode of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.
- The announcer for America's Funniest Home Videos (1995–1997).
- The 1950s-style Batman in The New Batman Adventures.
- The voice of Antenna TV promotions (2011–2015).
- The narrator for the Space Quest PC game series (fourth and sixth games).
Trademarks
When Gary Owens appeared on camera as "the announcer," he often held his right hand up to his right ear while speaking into a microphone. This was a funny way to copy how early radio announcers used to listen to themselves. He would give silly reasons for this pose, like saying a piece of shrapnel took off his ear during a war, or that he had a wooden ear he was keeping warm.
He also created the famous phrase "Beautiful downtown Burbank", which was later used on Laugh-In and The Tonight Show.
His unique way of introducing himself was "This is Gary Owens, friend of those who want no friends, going places and losing things." Sometimes he would say, "Hello, and also hi; but not necessarily in that order."
Blast from the Past
In 2001, TV Land released two computer games called Blast from the Past. Gary Owens hosted these games, which featured other TV stars like Florence Henderson and Bob Denver. The games were like a spoof of a game show, and winners could get an interview with a celebrity they chose.
Images for kids
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Owens in San Diego, 1982
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Gary Owens and Jack Haley, 1979.
