Yesterday, Lee Marshall, radio announcer and commercial voice actor of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes mascot Tony the Tiger, is revealed to have died at age 64 on April 26th at a hospital in Santa Monica due to esophageal cancer.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Marshall's son Jason Marshall VanBorssum recently announced the media personality's death.
Prior to beginning his role as the beloved cereal mascot character in 1999, Marshall worked as an announcer for World Championship Wrestling, a cartoon voice actor, a radio DJ, and a radio announcer for stations in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Windsor, Canada. Most notably, he reported on gang violenceM/a> under the persona King News for KDAY in Redondo Beach.
Like many great names in entertainment, Marshall has been the subject of conflicting views. He received the dubious honor of worst television announcer from the Wrestling Observatory Newsletter in 1998. On the other hand, he has received praise for his distinctive baritone and professionalism from others in his field. The Observer quotes former LA Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda as stating that "if God ever wanted to make a speech, Lee Marshall would get the call". Marshall is survived by his aforementioned son, his wife Judie, his granddaughter Kate, and his stepdaughter Eve Borders Ottis, ABC reports.