Johnny O

One of my favorite clips from the black-and-white What's My Line is the show's announcer Johnny Olson stumping the panel with a huge array of voices.

Johnny didn't just handle announcing chores for WML, of course. As mentioned in the clip he also worked on many other Goosdon & Todman shows. Martin Gabel rightly observed: "As long as Goodson and Todman have money, you're gonna have money."

Born in Minnesota in 1910, Johnny learned his craft at local radio stations. He broke into network radio in 1944, announcing the musical game show, Ladies Be Seated. I'm not even old enough to remember that one.

Johnny moved to the box with pictures in the late forties. He first worked for the defunct Dumont Network. In 1958 he began his long and, as Martin Gabel said, lucrative association with Goodson and Todman.

Probably best remembered for his "come on down" line on The Price is Right, Johnny was also expert at warming up the audience before tapings. After a lengthy and much-honored career, Johnny died at age 75 in 1985 from a cerebral hemorrhage. Thanks to GSN and YouTube, his voice lives on.