Alistair Cooke
 

Alistair Cooke has died last night at his home in New York. For 58 years, Cooke presented his BBC radio series “Letter from America”, the world's longest-running speech radio program.

Earlier this month, he announced his retirement following advice from his doctors. I shall miss hearing him.

Two giants in as many days. :( Distinct voices that will remain in our memories if not our lives.

Geezzzzz! I just read your thread about Ustinov...and now this? They come in 3's, it's said. It's sad...but they have made their mark and we will appreciate their legacy for time and time to come!

TY for the info jseal!

Great obits in the NY Times.

From one:

As the master of ceremonies on "Omnibus," the legendary arts and entertainment series that ran on network television in the 1950's, and later as the host for more than 20 years of "Masterpiece Theater" on public television, Alistair Cooke came to epitomize highbrow culture to a wide swath of American viewers. The role gave Mr. Cooke, an elegant and erudite transplanted Englishman, the status of a TV icon, and also made him the subject of good-natured parodies on television shows like "Saturday Night Live" and "Sesame Street."

Hey jseal,I don't know if these things come in threes or not.First Peter Ustinov and now Alistiar Cooke.Did you know that earlier this month Spalding Gray was found dead? He was a favourite to.Also a tribute to a local radio annoncer Chuck Niles on the station KLON in Long Beach CA.He was a very well known voice for jazz lovers everywhere.

lakritze,

Well, hopefully we will not have another for a while.

Well, too bad, I just saw today that we also lost Jan Berry (Jan & Dean) over the weekend...he was the one that was nearly killed in a car wreck & suffered permanant brain damage... in recent years when he & Dean Torrence went on reunion tours Jan had to relearn the lyrics to their old songs everyday before the shows