Reginald Fessenden, a Canadian inventor, was a brilliant mathematician and excelled in academics. Being enamored with the invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell, Fessenden set out on a quest to develop a means of remote communication without the restriction of wires - thusly "Wireless" as it was to be known later.
In 1900 Fessenden set out to work for the United States Weather Bureau. During this time, the first voice over was recorded in 1900 by Reginald Fessenden who reported on the weather during a test.
The First Radio Recording
Reginald Fessenden became radio's first voice during Christmas of 1906 when he broadcast from a makeshift studio in Brant Rock, just outside Boston, a program of Christmas messages and spiritual music to ships at sea. The Christmas Eve program as recounted by Fessenden consisted of:
"... first a short speech by me saying what we were going to do, then some phonograph music.... Then came a violin solo by me ... which I sang one verse of, in addition to playing the violin, though the singing, of course, was not very good. Then came the Bible text, Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will, and we finally wound up by wishing them a Merry Christmas and then saying that we proposed to broadcast again on New Year's Eve. "
Walt Disney Performed First Cartoon Voice
More familiar was the first cartoon voice over in 1928 by Walt Disney as Mickey Mouse in "Steamboat Willie." The following year, 1929, the first cartoon series produced, Looney Tunes, debuted in cinemas.
First Prominent Voice Actors
The first prominent voice actor was former radio personality, voice actor and comedian Mel Blanc who joined Leon Schlesinger Productions in 1936, a company that made animated cartoons which were distributed by Warner Bros. Mel was famous for his versatility and is still known today as The Man of 1000 Voices.
Recent History
In today's industry, the most famous person in voice-overs is Don LaFontaine, who in 1962 recorded his first voice-over for a movie trailer. He was paid $82.00, a far cry from the premium rates that professional voice over talents can command today. Throughout his long and successful career, Don was able to set the standard for how movie trailers were written and voiced, literally becoming the voice of the movies. Although his physical passing on September 1, 2008 has left a great void, his spirit remains and Don's legacy continues to grow and serve those in the voice over community.
What Are Your Favorite Moments in Voice Over History?
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David
