Thurl Ravenscroft, pageant voice, dies

Thurl Ravenscroft, who thrilled Laguna audiences for two decades as

the voice of the Pageant of the Masters -- as well as portraying

“Tony the Tiger” and numerous other speaking and singing roles --

died Sunday at 91of prostate cancer.

For 20 years, from 1974 until his retirement in 1993, Ravenscroft

served as the narrator of the Pageant of the Masters, the annual

celebration of the arts in tableaux vivants -- “living pictures.”

His basso vocal readings were enormously popular with audiences,

and his co-workers dubbed him “the “voice of the Pageant” during his

tenure there, according to pageant officials.

The Festival of Arts board of directors, pageant director Diane

Challis Davy, staff and volunteers acknowledged that they have lost a

great friend and colleague beloved by everyone.

“My first memory of a pageant narrator was Thurl,” said Davy, who

practically grew up on the Festival of Arts grounds.

“I knew him as a Laguna Beach celebrity, not as an international

celebrity. He was the voice of the pageant for me before he was the

voice of Tony the Tiger.”

Ravenscroft’s voice came into households across the country as the

unmistakable voice of the Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes mascot, with the

signature slogan, “They’re great!”

A noted vocal artist since the 1930s, he had been living in

Fullerton since his retirement.

Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft was born February 6, 1914 in Norfolk, Nebraska. He moved to California in 1933. By the mid-1930s,

Ravenscroft was appearing regularly on radio as a backup singer for

Bing Crosby and other artists.

During World War II, he enlisted in the Air Transport Command,

serving for five years as a navigator for special missions over the

North Atlantic. It was during this time that he met his wife, June.

They were married in Virginia on July 21, 1946.

Back in Hollywood, Ravenscroft became a founding member of the

singing group, the Mellomen, performing in radio, film, television,

commercials, and backup vocals during the 1950s and early 1960s. The

Mellomen worked with such musical stars as Frank Sinatra, Elvis

Presley, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney as well as working for Walt

Disney in films, on television, and on recordings.

In 1952, Kellogg’s hired Ravenscroft to provide the voice for Tony

the Tiger. His rendering of his signature tag, “They’re Grrrrreeat!”

has endured for over a half-century.

In 1966, Thurl sang “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” for the

television special, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” for CBS, and the

success of that special led to other projects with Dr. Seuss

characters.

His singing career continued well into the 1970s. As a member of

the Johnny Mann Singers, he sang on 28 albums, appeared on television

for three seasons, and performed at the White House.

Ravenscroft became the narrator for the Pageant of the Masters in

Laguna Beach in 1974, beginning what he described as a “labor of

love” that lasted 20 years.

In 1981, Ravenscroft also began serving as narrator for the annual

presentations of “The Glory of Christmas” at the Crystal Cathedral,

in Garden Grove.

June, his wife for 53 years, passed away December 5, 1999 at the

age of 80. Ravenscroft is survived by his two children, Ron and

Nancy, and four grandchildren.

Plans for a memorial service are pending.