Disney Legend Thurl Ravenscroft was born February 6, 1914!

My favorite Disney voice actor is Thurl Ravenscroft, February 6, 1914 – May 22, 2005.

Ravenscroft was born in Norfolk, Nebraska. He served as a navigator in the WWII Air Transport Command (thank you for your service!).

As an accomplished singer, he performed with The Sportsmen, The Mellomen, The Johnny Mann Singers, and many major stars, including Jim Nabors and Elvis Presley. He is best known; however, for his booming bass voice and mellifluous voiceovers, particularly as the voice of Tony the Tiger in both English and Spanish commercials for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal from 1953 to 2004. He was also the singer of, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” in the 1966 Chuck Jones holiday special “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. In 1996, he and his wife June retired in Southern California, although he still did occasional voice-over work as Tony the Tiger until his death.

His voice can be heard in several Disney theme park attractions, including The Haunted Mansion (as the lead singing bust), Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room (as Fritz, Tangaroa and some of the Tiki Masks), Country Bear Jamboree (as Buff), Pirates of the Caribbean (as several singing pirates), and as a former narrator on the Disneyland Railroad. He also voiced the herald declaring Sleeping Beauty Castle open during Disneyland’s opening day.

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