The Voice of 'SNL' Has Died

The Saturday Night Live family has lost an integral member of the cast. Don Pardo died Monday night at the age of 96, confirms Mashable. Pardo was the announcer of the show for most of its 39 year run, but SNL was far from the only show to benefit from his dynamic voice and undeniable aural stage presence.

Pardo got his start in radio in 1938, but his big break came in 1944 when he joined the NBC network. He was the announcer for such daytime game shows as Jackpot!, The Price Is Right, and Jeopardy as well as a wartime radio reporter and, most notably, the first to announce to NBC viewers that President John F. Kennedy had been shot on November 22, 1963. He even worked as the announcer for the soap opera Search for Tomorrow after the departure of Hal Simms.

But to the younger generation, Pardo is best known for his work on SNL. He has been with Saturday Night Live since its first episode in 1975. He only missed one season, season 7, during which the voice overs were done by Mel Brandt or, for two episodes, Bill Hanrahan. For the most part, however, SNL fans were used to hearing Pardo's baritone voice introduce the likes of Tina Fey, Andy Samberg, Bill Murray and many more.

Pardo was retired from his NBC duties at the time of his death and had been since 2004, but he flew to New York weekly to fulfill his Saturday Night Live duties and his dedication to the show, as well as his memorable voice, will never be forgotten. According to the New York Times, he leaves behind five children: Paula, Dona, Katherine, David, and Michael.