This is so sad!!! I used to watch this in the early 80s when I was still young and had school vacations. ha ha.

'Price Is Right' Announcer Rod Roddy Dies
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By RYAN PEARSON, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES - Rod Roddy, the flamboyantly dressed announcer on "The Price is Right" whose booming, jovial voice invited lucky audience members to "Come on down!" for nearly 20 years, has died. He was 66.

Roddy, who suffered from colon and breast cancer (news - web sites), died Monday at Century City Hospital, according to his longtime agent, Don Pitts. He had been hospitalized for two months.


"He had such a strong spirit. He just wouldn't give up," Pitts said Monday.


Roddy had been ill for more than two years but tried to work as long as he could, said Bob Barker, host of "The Price is Right." Roddy had been with the game show for 17 years.


"The courage he showed during those difficult times was an inspiration to us all," Barker said in a statement Monday.


Barker recounted a recent visit to his friend: "I went to the hospital and sat on the edge of his bed and we laughed the whole time we were talking. He was still having fun."


Roddy's announcing stints included "Love Connection" (1981-85) and "Press Your Luck" (1983-86), but "The Price is Right" earned him his greatest fame. "The Price is Right" remains one of television's most popular game shows, and Roddy, with his flashy sport coats and booming voice, was a big part of the success.


"He started wearing those jackets when he joined the show," Barker said. "He was quite a character. He was important to the success of the show. He had the spirit of `The Price Is Right.' It's a fun show. We did it with the hope people will forget their problems for awhile."


Roddy, whose real name was Robert Ray Roddy, was born Sept. 18, 1937, in Fort Worth, Texas, Pitts said.


He was a graduate of Texas Christian University and a popular disc jockey in Texas when he decided to expand his career in Hollywood, his agent recalled.


Roddy's versatility made him a popular voice-over artist for commercials in Los Angeles, Pitts said. He got his big break in television with the 1977-81 satire "Soap."


Disc jockey Casey Kasem, who was the first announcer on the risque series, decided he did not want to stay with it and asked Pitts if he knew someone who could take over.


"I said, 'I've got a guy who's terrific,'" Pitts said. "Rod started with 'Soap' and then his career took off."


Roddy, who taped his last show about two months ago, had colon cancer surgery on Sept. 11, 2001, and his left breast removed last March.


The diseases appeared under control following chemotherapy but flared up again, Pitts said. The two cancers, which Roddy had said were unconnected, prompted him to become a spokesman for early detection.


"I could have prevented all this with a colonoscopy and, of course, that's the campaign I've been on since I had the first surgery," he said in a recent interview on a CBS Web site.


Breast cancer, although typically associated with women, is diagnosed in about 1,500 American men a year, Roddy said in the CBS interview: "To everybody out there, 'Get a mammogram!' It can happen to men, too."


Roddy was single. The only family member he talked about was his mother, who died several years ago, Pitts said.

Private funeral services will be held in Texas, with a memorial service planned in Los Angeles in several weeks, CBS said.

thats very sad...

seems these people have been around forever...i think everyone knows that voice...

Peace to his soul.

rest in peace, Rod Roddy

The phrase "come on down" seems way too ironic now.

Rest in peace, Mr. Roddy.

This is sad - Rod Roddy's voice used to crack me up, he always sounded like he was having a blast.

R.I.P., Rod. I wonder who could replace a guy like that? Er... Does the show even still come on?

Lammastide said:

Yep. It's been on like thirty years. It's funny cuz Rod used to sound a lot like Johnny Olsen, whom he replaced. I used to like watching what loud suit Rod would have on for the day and seeing him report how much weight he had lost. I'm really gonna miss him.

And my Lord said... "Rod Roddy come on up!"

UptownDeb said:

What a lousy year for celebs to croak

Aw shit...why does it seem like everytime you turn around a celeb is dying? R.I.P.

did they pull his feeding tube?