Lorne Greene was a Canadian. He was known to fellow Canadians as "The Voice of Doom," an epithet he acquired as the chief radio announcer for CBC radio from 1939 to 1942, the height of Canada's darkest days of WWII. He would later become a Canadian pioneer figure in early Hollywood.Greene is best known for playing the patriarchal character Ben Cartwright on the long-running western Bonanza (1959-73). Throughout the 70's Greene was also popular as the spokesman for Alpo Beef Chunks dog food commercials. Weeks before this death in 1987, he had signed on for a revival of Bonzana. Bummer... no reprisal.
In 1964, Greene had a #1 single on the charts ~ although which charts is still in question ~ with the western ballad Ringo. Growing up I had this 45 on my jukebox in the basement. I swear I could play the best pool of my life while serenaded by "The Canadian Voice of Doom."
