Fred Foy - December 22, 2010

[MikeBjerum]

BOSTON (AP) - Fred Foy, an announcer best known for his booming, passionate lead-ins to "The Lone Ranger" radio and television series, died Wednesday of natural causes at his Woburn, Mass., home, his daughter said. He was 89.

Nancy Foy said her father worked as an actor before landing the job as the announcer and narrator on "The Lone Ranger" radio show in 1948.

The show's live lead-in introduced its masked cowboy hero and his trusted horse with the line: "A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty 'Hi-Yo Silver!' ... The Lone Ranger!"

Foy's dramatic introduction and narration, performed in a powerful baritone, were so good it "made many people forget there were others before him," said radio historian Jim Harmon, who called him "perhaps the greatest announcer-narrator in the history of radio drama.

"He pronounced words like no one else ever had _ 'SIL-ver,' 'hiss-TOR-ee.' But hearing him, you realized everyone else had been wrong," Harmon wrote in his book, "Radio Mystery and Adventure and Its Appearances in Film, Television and Other Media."

Emphasis mine

For many years the general manager of the local radio station has referred to me as the Lone Ranger on the air.  He does it so much that I have people that will ask me during visitations and at funerals if I am really The Lone Ranger."  Tomorrow will be a day of morning at KDOM Radio, and I expect full respect from the guys for a change ... Oh hell ... Why do I think anything will change just because my announcer has passed    I will be wearing a black hat for the holidays all the same.

[ellis4538]

Black hats are for "Bad Guys"...wear your "White Hat" with a black band!

JMHO


Richard

PS:  Never listened to the radio show but did the TV show...and yes, I'm old enought to have done both!

[alfsauve]

What little Voice Over work I do, when I do get a gig, I always think of Fred's voice.   The clarity, pronunciation, the richness.  If I only came halfway to the quality of his voice, I'd be famous.

[MikeBjerum]

Black hats are for "Bad Guys"...wear your "White Hat" with a black band!

JMHO


Richard

PS:  Never listened to the radio show but did the TV show...and yes, I'm old enought to have done both!

I only have one white hat, and I hardly wear it.  It was a gift for a special ride!  All the rest are black.

[Solus]

Our work here is done, Tonto.

RIP, all of them.

[Sponsor]

[fightingquaker13]

Consider it an excuse to go shopping. To my my mind there is no better head gear made for rain or snow than a good cowboy hat. They were fashionable in Texas, not so much in Indiana or Florida. Still, when its drizzilig or snowing (Indiana not Fl., thank God), I'm sporting my 5x Bailey silver belly. I'm also dry. As someone who lives in the Gret White North, I would highly reccomend buying one. You can purchase a black leather band for the occasion. As far as the hat? I'd go 5x or better. The x refers to the amount of beaver fur in the felt. 3x to 4x is the most common (30-40% beaver). These go for about $100. 5x up to 10x are heavier and much more water proof, although a bit of silicone spray wil help. The beaver fur though is better, its kind of like coyote fur in that it is naturally water repellant. Personally, if I were getting snowed on like you, I'd bite the bullet and drop the three bills for a 10x if I found one I like. You can also get them custom made or shaped for not much more than off the rack. You just haveto find a hat maker and swing by. Just my .02, but I reccomend it without a hint of sarcasm and will wait for the pics.
FQ13

[Solus]

Speaking of Thread Drifted Hats, if you can't find something you like locally or want something REALLY custom and cost is no object check out  Baron Hats at   http://www.baronhats.com/

My favorite is found here    http://www.baronhats.com/vanhel.htm      brown or black.   Will be just the thing when we are all fighting Vampires and Zombies.

[alfsauve]

They were fashionable in Texas, not so much in Indiana or Florida.

Now wait   Ever hear of Arcadia, Florida rodeo?   Or the Gator Bar in Sarasota, where the cowboys would tie up their horses?

Florida was the largest concentration of cowboys east of the Mississippi.  Cowboy hats are quite fashionable there.

[fightingquaker13]

Now wait   Ever hear of Arcadia, Florida rodeo?   Or the Gator Bar in Sarasota, where the cowboys would tie up their horses?

Florida was the largest concentration of cowboys east of the Mississippi.  Cowboy hats are quite fashionable there.

And here I thought I was a trend setter. Actually, I spent a lot of my life around Okeechobee and twice got my ass kicked in the "kids calf roping" event at the Okeechobee rodeo. This was a great old school roman circus. The anouncer would invite kids under 12 to come into the ring. They would then let lose 50 or so terrified calves (average weight, 200 pounds, average weight of the kids, 80 pounds). The rule was if you caught one and dragged it across a line, you got to keep it. You can imagine the chaos. A good time was had by all, especially the EMTs as they were getting overtime.
FQ13