Johnny Olson
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John Leonard "Johnny" Olson (May 22, 1910 – October 12, 1985) was an American radio and television announcer.
Born in Windom, Minnesota, Olson became known for his announcer roles on television game shows from the 1950s to the 1980s. His many credits included 32 game shows -- including To Tell The Truth, Concentration, Match Game, and other Mark Goodson-Bill Todman productions -- as well as The Jackie Gleason Show.
Olson is best known for his appearance on the American version of The Price is Right from its inception on September 4, 1972, until his sudden death. More than just an announcer of prizes, Olson was a loved and valued member of the show's cast. He frequently acted in the showcases at the end of each show and helped make "Come on down!" a catch phrase that has carried on to his successors, Rod Roddy (1986-2003) and Rich Fields (2004-present). He was also instrumental in starting the career of announcer Randy West.
Olson died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 75 in Santa Monica, California.
External links
- Internet Movie Database: Johnny Olson (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0647692/)
- A Tribute to Johnny Olson (http://www.jrjgames.com/main/randy/johnny/index.html), written by fellow announcer Randy West
- http://members.fortunecity.com/jd83/tpir-75.rm (to hear the opening to this 1975 episode with Johnny O and "The Price Is Right"!)
- http://www.tpir.tv/johnny/johnnyocod.mp3 (to hear the opening of a 1976 episode of Johnny O and "The Price Is Right"