Rod Roddy, TV announcer (
September 18, 1937 –
October 27, 2003)
Born Robert Ray Roddy in
Fort Worth, Texas, Rod Roddy was the announcer on the
CBS game show The Price is Right. He had been shouting "
Come on down!" since
1985, when the first person to yell that phrase,
Johnny Olson, died. He was known for his colorful wardrobe, much of it made of
Thai silk, as part of his role as "official ambassador of
Chaing Mai,
Thailand", according to his CBS bio. Whatever the hell that means.
Roddy had an extensive career as a radio announcer. His television debut was as the narrator on the
sitcom Soap, replacing
Casey Kasem. He went on to host a number of TV game shows, including
Battle of the Stars,
Press Your Luck, and
Love Connection.
Roddy was diagnosed with
cancer in
2001 and died on October 27, 2003, at the age of 66.