Oh man..I liked him..he was great.
Laurie --- Charles <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > 'Price Is Right' Announcer Rod Roddy Dies > > 1 hour, 15 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. > > Roddy, who suffered from colon and breast cancer > (news > <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/*http://search.news.yahoo.com/searc > h/news?p=%22breast%20cancer%22&c=&n=20&yn=c&c=news&cs=nw> > - web > <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/DailyNews/manual/*http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search > ?cs=nw&p=Breast%20Cancer> 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 big break in > television with the 1977-81 > satire "Soap." > > > > Disc jockey Casey Kasem, who was the first announcer > on the risque series, > decided he did not want to stay with it and asked > Pitts if he knew someone > who could take over. > > > > "I said, 'I've got a guy who's terrific,'" Pitts > said. "Rod started with > 'Soap' and then his career took off." > > > > Roddy, who taped his last show about two months ago, > had colon cancer > surgery on Sept. 11, 2001, and his left breast > removed last March. > > > > The diseases appeared under control following > chemotherapy but flared up > again, Pitts said. The two cancers, which Roddy had > said were unconnected, > prompted him to become a spokesman for early > detection. > > > > "I could have prevented all this with a colonoscopy > and, of course, that's > the campaign I've been on since I had the first > surgery," he said in a > recent interview on a CBS Web site. > > > > Breast cancer, although typically associated with > women, is diagnosed in > about 1,500 American men a year, Roddy said in the > CBS interview: "To > everybody out there, 'Get a mammogram!' It can > happen to men, too." > > > > > > > > Roddy was single. The only family member he talked > about was his mother, who > died several years ago, Pitts said. > > > Private funeral services will be held in Texas, with > a memorial service > planned in Los Angeles in several weeks, CBS said. > > > ___ > > > > [>>Charles<<] > > ________________________________ > > Changes to your subscription (unsubs, nomail, > digest) can be made by going to > http://sandboxmail.net/mailman/listinfo/sndbox_sandboxmail.net ===== I wanted a perfect ending... Now, I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment, and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity. --Gilda Radner __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Exclusive Video Premiere - Britney Spears http://launch.yahoo.com/promos/britneyspears/ ________________________________ Changes to your subscription (unsubs, nomail, digest) can be made by going to http://sandboxmail.net/mailman/listinfo/sndbox_sandboxmail.net
