Friday, August 22, 2008

Will the Real "Voice of Disneyland" Please Stand?

In April 2007 a tempest in a teapot was formed over an obituary in the LA Daily news. The problem was that most people were under the impression that the "Voice of Disneyland", Jack Wagner, had died back in 1995. So more than a few people were perplexed as to how Earl Raymond Jackson was also the Voice of Disneyland:


A memorial service will be Sunday for Earl Raymond Jackson, dubbed "the voice of Disneyland," who died April 30. He was 72. He moved with family to California in 1967, working in the Entertainment Division at Disneyland. After producing and announcing many live shows, including the premier of Disneyland on Parade, Jackson was dubbed "the voice of Disneyland" by Walt Disney.

Survivors include Patricia Jackson, his wife of 49 years; daughters Beverly and Catherine; son David; and four grandchildren. A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Pickwick Gardens, 1001 Riverside Drive Burbank. Memorial contributions may be sent to the HealthCare Foundation at Glendale Adventist Medical Center.



Well it turns out that Jack Wagner was not the voice of Disneyland after all according to an issue of the Disneyland Line announcing Jack Wagner's retirement in 1992! Don't believe me?



So it turns out that Jack Wagner was the Voice of Disney and Earl
Jackson was the Voice of Disneyland.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

How could he be dubbed the Voice of Disneyland by Walt Disney (as the obit states) if he didn't even come to California until 1967? Did Walt make the announcement from the crypt?

Westcot2000 said...

Leading Disney scholars think the obit had a typo and the year should be 1957...I dunno, but I figured that it must be a typo. I also wonder if any of the tracks Earl recorded are still in use; Jack Wagner is still used all over the park, including his famous Matterhorn spiel and less famous Abominable Snowman growl!