Gary Owens
Gary Owens (born Gary Altman on May 10, 1936) is a disc
jockey and voice actor born in Mitchell, South Dakota.
Owens was a journeyman DJ/announcer throughout the midwest and southern U.S. in
the late 1950s, finally ending up at radio station KEWB, Oakland, California in
1959. He moved to its sister station KFWB in Los Angeles. From there, he joined
the staff of KMPC in 1962, where he remained for the next two decades working
the 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. shift, Monday through Friday. A gifted punster, Owens
became known for his surrealistic humor. Among his trademarks were daily
appearances by The Story Lady (played by Joan Gerber), the Rumor of the Day,
myriad varieties of "The Nurney Song", and the introduction of the nonsense word
"insegrevious", which was briefly included in the Funk and Wagnalls Dictionary.
During this period, Owens became more widely known as the voice of the TV
cartoon characters Roger Ramjet and Space Ghost, the excitable
narrator/announcer from The Perils Of Penelope Pitstop, and perhaps most
importantly, as the announcer on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In, all the while
continuing his show on KMPC. He also hosted the daily game show "Letters to
Laugh-In" during its brief run in 1969.
He was also a scriptwriter for Jay Ward Productions and has appeared many series
for Walt Disney and has done a few commercials. He was also a guest star on The
Munsters and McHale's Navy.
In 1976, Owens hosted the first season of the nighttime version of The Gong
Show; he was replaced by the show's creator, Chuck Barris.
Owens has also provided the voice for
* Powdered Toast Man of The Ren and Stimpy Show.
* Captain Squash on Bobby's World
* Dirk Niblick on PBS's Square One TV
* Blue Falcon in Dynomutt, Dog Wonder
* Badly Animated Man in Raw Toonage
* Commander Ulysses Feral in SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron
He has narrated or announced dozens of other cartoons, as well as the fourth and
sixth installments of the Space Quest PC game series.
Gary currently hosts a weeknight show on the Music Of Your Life radio network.
He also announces pre-recorded station IDs for Parksville, British Columbia
radio station CHPQ-FM (The Lounge).
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Trademark
When appearing "in character" on camera as Gary Owens, the announcer, Owens
holds his right hand up to his right ear while speaking into a gimbaled boom
microphone. This is done in imitation of the announcers in the early days of
radio, who had to rely upon the acoustic feedback of their cupped hand to hear
how they sounded to the audience.