Saturday, May 2, 2009

May 02: "This is Carlton your doorman"

On this day in 1937, Gerald David Music - an actor, voice actor, musician, writer & television producer - better known as Lorenzo Music, was born in Brooklyn, New York.
Raised in Duluth, Minnesota, he broke into the business in 1962 - providing voices for the animated TV series The Jetsons. By 1968 he was a writer and a regular performer on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Two years later he was writing for the hit series The Mary Tyler Moore Show when an opportunity came to create his own series. Music's television creation The Bob Newhart Show (which first aired in 1972) went on to run for six years and became a classic CBS sitcom. Music even wrote the musical theme for the show along with his wife Henrietta.
When a Mary Tyler Moore spin-off sitcom called Rhoda was casting, producers were looking for a voice actor to play the role of a character that would be heard - but never seen. The comedic part of Carlton the doorman went to Music because of his sleepy, husky voice. That classic role made Music one of the most recognizable voice actors in the business. His unique voice was comforting ... and yet curious.
By 1982, Music found himself as the voice of Garfield - a lazy, oafish, and demanding animated cat (first created by Jim Davis). Music's voice became an American staple and soon he was in demand by many including Hanna-Barbera ... and Disney.
Music provided the voice for Tummi Gummi in Disney's Adventures of the Gummi Bears (which first aired in 1985).
That program led to work 5 years later on Disney's TV series TaleSpin, as the voice of Sgt. Dunder.
By 1991, Music could be heard as the voice of Mole in Disney's Darkwing Duck animated series.
A two-time Emmy Award-winner, Music passed away in August 2001. But many fans of classic TV will forever remember Lorenzo Music as the voice of Carlton the doorman.

Click HERE for more May 02 Disney history.

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