Don Pardo

Don Pardo was a radio and television announcer who spent more than 60 years on staff at NBC, where his voice was heard on everything from news broadcasts, parades and game shows, to the iconic sketch-comedy franchise Saturday Night Live. As SNL's announcer for 38 seasons, he left as indelible a mark on the show as any of its renowned performers.

Born Dominick George Pardo in Westfield, Massachusetts, he grew up Norwich, Connecticut, where he developed an interest in public speaking and acting as a student at Norwich Free Academy. He began performing with theater troupes in 1938, after moving to Providence, Rhode Isand. On occasion, he participated in productions at radio station WJAR, an affiliate of NBC. Impressed with Pardo's voice, WJAR's station manager eventually hired him as an announcer.

On June 15, 1944, he joined NBC in New York City.

In the years that followed, his credits included NBC Nightly News; the variety series The Colgate Comedy Hour; the game shows The Price Is Right, Jackpot, Jeopardy! and Three on a Match; and, of course, SNL. From its inception in 1975 until 2013, Pardo announced every SNL season but one.

He was so dedicated to SNL that even after retiring from NBC in 2004, he continued to announce the show, despite having moved to Tucson, Arizona. Eventually, after years of flying to New York each weekend, he began pre-recording his portion in Tucson.

Don Pardo was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2010.