Voice Actor. Born Thurl Arthur Ravenscroft in Norfolk, Nebraska, at 19 he moved to California to study art and interior design at the Otis Art Institute. In 1937 added his distinctive bass voice to the singing group, The Sportsmen Quartet, and regularly performed on the Jack Benny radio show and in several movies such as the Hopalong Cassidy western 'Lost Canyon' in 1942.  During the Second World War he served as a civilian navigator in the Air Transport Command for special missions. After the war he returned to Hollywood, his singing group reshaped into the Mellomen who often sang  support for various stars as well as supplying vocals for radio, television, film and commercials. In 1952, with the introduction of Kellog's Frosted Flakes, Ravenscroft was asked to voice their new character, Tony the Tiger, and remained in that role for the next 53 years. He also dubbed the singing voices for numerous actors in movies such as 1955's 'Daddy Long Legs' and 'South Pacific' in 1958. Disney Studios made great use of his talents and his voice was heard in a great many of their animated features as well as in the Disneyland theme park where his voice features in attactions such as It's a Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, the Enchanted Tiki Room, he performed the voice of Fritz the German Audio-Animatronic parrot, and in the Haunted Mansion as broken bust in the graveyard. In 1966, he was invited by author Dr. Seuss and animator Chuck  Jones to showcase his voice in their project, 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas!' singing 'You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.' He would also be heard in the successive Seuss projects 'Horton Hears a Who,' 'The Cat in the Hat,' and 'The Lorax.' Although film work then began to thin, he performed 'No Dogs Allowed' in 'Snoopy Come Home' in 1972, and was the voice of Kirby in 'The Brave Little Toaster.' Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he became a fixture as the narrator for the annual Pageant of the Masters art show at the Laguna Beach, California Festival of the Arts. In honor of his contributions to the industry, he was named a Disney Legend in 1995. At 2004's Annie Awards, he received the Winsor McCay Award for lifetime achievement. Shortly after he succumbed to prostate cancer at 91, the industry journal 'Advertising Age,' ran an ad commemorating his career. Sponsored by Kellogg's it was headed:   "Behind every great character is an even greater man." (bio by: Iola) 
   
Family links: 
   Spouse:
    June Ravenscroft (1919 - 1999)* 

Burial:
  Crystal Cathedral Memorial Gardens
  Garden Grove
  Orange County
  California, USA

 Maintained by: Find A Grave
 Originally Created by: K
 Record added: May 23, 2005 
Find A Grave Memorial# 11015444

Born in 1914, raised in Norfolk, Nebraska, Thurl Ravenscroft served as a navigator in the US Army Air Transport Command in World War II before settling in Hollywood. An accomplished singer, he performed with The Sportsmen Quartet, The Mellomen, The Johnny Mann Singers, and many major stars, including Jim Nabors and Elvis Presley. He was best known, however, for his mellifluous voice-overs, and he voiced Tony the Tiger in countless advertisements for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes in both English and Spanish. In 1996 he and his wife June retired to southern California, although he still did occasional work as Tony. He died in 2005 of prostate cancer.