Tony is just a good, wholesome character, Ravenscroft said, trying to explain the success of his interpretation of the cartoon character. . We welcome all users new and old. Today, Ravenscroft travels to San Diego five times a year to do new Tony the Tiger commercials, something he said he will never give up. A native Nebraskan, the 6-foot, 5-inch Ravenscroft said he had the show business drive already in him when he moved to Los Angeles in 1933 to attend art school and pursue a career in commercial advertising. They recorded under a variety of names, including Big John and the Buzzards, the Crackerjacks, the Lee Brothers, and the Ravenscroft Quartet. Ravenscroft also voiced Monstro the Whale in Pinocchio. Thurl Ravenscroft was an American voice actor who was best known for singing the song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" in Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas! Follow Artist +. Thurl Ravenscroft, The Mellomen. Hollywood (in the 1930s and 1940s) had class, Ravenscroft said. . Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Ray Romano reveals widowmaker health scare: I had 90% blockage, Column: We cant afford another writers strike. My grandfather nodded and I starting thinking, "If I don't make him say it, I'll kick myself for the rest of my life." We were flying Bob Hope and his troupe (to a military base), and we invited him up to the cockpit. ! Ravenscroft boomed as he recreated the role of Tony the Tiger, a role that the 73-year-old has performed in scores of television commercials for a cereal company for 36 years. The Tony the Tiger commercial has been done for every English-speaking (country) in the world, Ravenscroft said, relaxing in his Lawrence Welk Village home. He died in his home on May22, 2005, from prostate cancer, and was buried at the Memorial Gardens at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California. APA Style I did the commercials for Gillette during the World Series, and at one point, I had 27 different beer contracts, Ravenscroft said. This includes personalizing content and advertising. We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft (; February 6, 1914 - May 22, 2005) was an American voice actor and bass singer known as the booming voice behind Kellogg's Frosted Flakes animated spokesman Tony the Tiger for more than five decades. He formed a singing group called the Sportsmen Quartet after someone told him at a party that he had a flair for show business., We (the quartet) began to get many calls to perform, and I had to decide whether to stay in school or take all that easy money, Ravenscroft said. Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Last Edit: Oct 22, 2022 4:35:41 GMT by mikale. Thurl Ravenscrofts rich voice dipped low and deep as he began to utter what has become the trademark of his 50-year show business career. 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. With his perfectly groomed white hair, Ravenscroft considers himself a performer. Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 32 for the week ending January 2, 2021. Thurl Ravenscroft - The Salesman (MP3) Incidentally, as Dr. Demento, among others, have pointed out, this same album - in fact this same dream - contains the original performance of a blues number, "Crescent City Blues", sung by Beverly Mahr (and written by Jenkins) which would later be reworked by Johnny Cash into "Folsom Prison Blues". I never went back to school, Ravenscroft said. 16. As he told an interviewer: "I flew Winston Churchill to a conference in Algiers and flew Bob Hope to the troops a couple of times. Here are 22 essential L.A. spots for every tourist, At 19, he won a local school board seat. Geek." The group appeared on camera in a few episodes of the Disney anthology television series; in one instance recording a canine chorus for Lady and the Tramp and in another as a barbershop quartet that reminds Walt Disney of the name of the young newspaper reporter Gallegher. However, his distinctive voice ultimately provided much greater opportunity there, beginning with his membership in the male vocal quartets called The Mellomen and The Sportsmen, in the 1940s. It is no stretch to speculate that the sheer number of these roles has seared the voice of Thurl Ravenscroft in our collective consciousness, being associated with so many of our beloved memories. But commercials and backup singing have been Ravenscrofts bread and butter. Use facets below to limit or refine search. 27. In later years Ravenscroft backed artists ranging from Jim Nabors to Arlo Guthrie and was an active member of the Johnny Mann Singers. I did the commercials for Gillette during the World Series and at one point I had 27 different beer contracts, Ravenscroft said. Customcraft later released another Christian project, God's Plan for You. Ive been very lucky.. His name was accidentally omitted from the credits, leading many to believe that the cartoon's narrator, Boris Karloff, sang the song, while others cited Tennessee Ernie Ford as the song's signature voice. In the 1980s and 1990s, Ravenscroft was narrator for the annual Pageant of the Masters art show at the Laguna Beach, California, Festival of the Arts. I never went back to school., Calls from stars such as Jack Benny, Bing Crosby, Edgar Bergen, Eddie Cantor and Rudy. But he was definitely a bass. Outside of early operatic aspirations, there's no documentation for any such performance or recording. Thurl Ravenscroft was a booming bass singer and voice actor best known for his character of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes Tony the Tiger and his signature phrase "They're Grrrrreat!". Ravenscroft regularly made it down to the lowest G on the piano, whichfor those familiar with the notes on the staffis below the third ledger line under the bass clef. The Thurl Ravenscroft Singers were credited for the LP 12 Great Hits, and in 1970 he issued perhaps his most successful solo recording, the Light Records release Great Hymns in Story and Song. I also edited the song range. Theyre g-r-r-r-eat!! "[4] Singing with the Johnny Mann Singers,[5] his distinctive bass can also be heard as part of the chorus on 28 of their albums that were released during the 1960s and 1970s. He began . 72.23.147.92 (talk) 13:45, 21 December 2007 (UTC)Reply[reply], In this article it seems to say he had voiced Tony from the beginning until his death,but in the Tony the Tiger article it mentions other people as having voiced him, which is correct? Birth and Death Data: Born February 6, 1914 (Norfolk), Died May 22, 2005 (Fullerton). 1 classical album, The Sea Knows, and a member of the Grammy Producers and Engineers Wing of the Recording Academy. But then, Ravenscrofts entire career, from Tony the Tiger to singing background for Elvis Presley, has been sort of an accident, he said. He was a devoted member of the Crystal Cathedral (now called Christ Cathedral) in Orange County, California, and is buried in the cathedrals Memorial Gardens. I also edited the song range. If you sing, are interested in singing, or have questions about singing, here's the place! Disney also used recordings of Ravenscrofts voice on some of the more famous rides at Disneyland. In 1938 Ravenscroft joined fellow Taylor Choristers Bill Days and Max Smith in the Sportsmen, who quickly became one of the busiest vocal groups in radio -- at one point they were appearing on 14 different concurring programs, among Jack Benny's The Jell-O Radio Show, Rudy Valle's The Sealtest Village Store, and The Burns and Allen Show. An accomplished singer, he performed with The Sportsmen Quartet, The Mellowmen Quartet, The Johnny Mann Singers, The Norman Luboff Choir, and many major stars, including Jim Nabors . Grinch." Help us to keep our database up-to-date. After the war, he found work in both singing and speaking roles in animated shorts and feature films. [citation needed], Ravenscroft married June Seamans in 1946 and they had two children. Calls from such stars as Jack Benny, Bing Crosby, Edgar Bergen, Eddie Cantor and Rudy Vallee kept Ravenscrofts group busy doing backup vocals in the early days of radio during the late 1930s. But perhaps enough was enough. These talking ranges are very general and may not apply to some people. . Ravenscroft, a self-proclaimed ham, never imagined that the character he virtually created while fooling around in a Chicago recording studio would stay as popular as it has over the years. Thurl Ravenscroft did his share of singing in those kinds of groups, but he made his mark in the movies. After being told by one of the Kings cronies not to talk to Presley in the recording studio, Ravenscroft and his crew passed an audition by improvising with Elvis while he sang at a piano. The songs you star are added to your repertoire page. I changed the key based off this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTYcY7af7Vg karaoke track and personal memory. Date Of Death: May 22, 2005. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. His first civics lesson? New songs with Chris Cornell on the way after Soundgarden settles with Vicky Cornell, Blackpink in your area: K-pop supergroup sets Dodger Stadium concert, The actor, the hairstylist and the eye surgeon: Drugs and death in a Malibu beach house, Have guests in town? And much of that change hasnt been to his liking. As a singer, Ravenscroft has seen the music business change completely. Barbershop Melodies, Volume 3 2008. Returning from the war, Ravenscroft resumed his singing career and began a longtime association with Walt Disney. Agree? Steps to download the acapella and instrumental. You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch By Thurl Ravenscroft - Digital Sheet Music Price: $5.79 or 1 Pro Credit Pro Credits included with Musicnotes Pro Learn More Includes 1 print + interactive copy with lifetime access in our free apps. 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