Gary Owens (born Gary Bernard Altman; May 10, 1934 â€" February 12,
2015) was an American radio personality, announcer, disc jockey, voice
actor and actor. His polished baritone speaking voice generally
offered deadpan recitations of total nonsense, which he frequently
demonstrated as the announcer on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Owens was
equally proficient in straight or silly assignments and was frequently
heard on television and radio as well as in commercials.He was best
known, aside from being the announcer on Laugh-In, for providing the
voices of the titular superhero on Space Ghost and of Blue Falcon in
Dynomutt, Dog Wonder. He also played himself in a cameo appearance on
Space Ghost Coast to Coast in 1998. Owens' first cartoon-voice acting
was performing the voice of Roger Ramjet on the Roger Ramjet cartoons.
He later served as announcer of Antenna TV.Owens was born in Mitchell,
South Dakota, the son of Venetta (née Clark), an educator and county
auditor, and Bernard Joseph Altman, a county treasurer and
sheriff.Owens started his radio career in 1952 as a news reporter at
KORN, Mitchell, South Dakota, and two years later was promoted to news
director. In 1956, he left KORN for a newscaster job at KMA,
Shenandoah, Iowa, before moving on to a disc jockey job at KOIL,
Omaha, Nebraska. He also worked in Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis, and
at KIMN in Denver before relocating to California in 1959, working at
KROY in Sacramento and KEWB in Oakland before finally settling in Los
Angeles.
2015) was an American radio personality, announcer, disc jockey, voice
actor and actor. His polished baritone speaking voice generally
offered deadpan recitations of total nonsense, which he frequently
demonstrated as the announcer on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. Owens was
equally proficient in straight or silly assignments and was frequently
heard on television and radio as well as in commercials.He was best
known, aside from being the announcer on Laugh-In, for providing the
voices of the titular superhero on Space Ghost and of Blue Falcon in
Dynomutt, Dog Wonder. He also played himself in a cameo appearance on
Space Ghost Coast to Coast in 1998. Owens' first cartoon-voice acting
was performing the voice of Roger Ramjet on the Roger Ramjet cartoons.
He later served as announcer of Antenna TV.Owens was born in Mitchell,
South Dakota, the son of Venetta (née Clark), an educator and county
auditor, and Bernard Joseph Altman, a county treasurer and
sheriff.Owens started his radio career in 1952 as a news reporter at
KORN, Mitchell, South Dakota, and two years later was promoted to news
director. In 1956, he left KORN for a newscaster job at KMA,
Shenandoah, Iowa, before moving on to a disc jockey job at KOIL,
Omaha, Nebraska. He also worked in Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis, and
at KIMN in Denver before relocating to California in 1959, working at
KROY in Sacramento and KEWB in Oakland before finally settling in Los
Angeles.
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