Letterman’s “Late Show” announcer was 78 – The Hollywood Reporter



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Alan Kalter, who was the announcer and performed hilarious comics for David Letterman during his two decades of airing on CBS ‘ Last show, is dead. He was 78 years old.

Kalter died on Monday at Stamford Hospital in Connecticut, his wife, Peggy, said Hollywood journalist.

Redhead Kalter succeeded retiree Bill Wendell as Last show announcer in September 1995 – about two years after Letterman switched from NBC to CBS – and remained until the host’s last program on May 20, 2015. On his first day on the job, Letterman threw him into a pool.

With musical accompaniment from Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra, Kalter announced the guests and cheekily featured the host at the top of each show, then voiced the comic on the Worldwide Pants title card in the end credits.

In between, Kalter often starred in fun skits that included hosting “Alan Kalter’s Celebrity Interview” after Letterman was done with the guest and speaking from his announcer’s podium as the studio lights shine. ‘toned down, trying to address lonely divorced women as “Big Red” – much to the dismay of a “shocked” Letterman.

“I’ve had 20 great years, it’s a blessing every day,” Kalter said in an interview as Letterman came to a close.

“Each of us goes through a terrible time from time to time, before 3 pm or before 4 pm. But no matter my day, from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. [when the Late Show taped], I laugh, I smile, every day.

Alan Robert Kalter was born in Brooklyn on March 21, 1943 and grew up in the New York communities of Little Neck and Cedarhurst.

In 1964, he graduated from Hobart College in Geneva, New York, and then attended New York University Law School. He taught English and public speaking at Long Island High School for about three years before starting his career as a broadcaster at WHN radio station.

Kalter was also the advertiser of game shows such as Tell the truth, The $ 25,000 pyramid – where he first met Letterman, who was a guest, – and The labyrinth of money, some of which were recorded at the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway, home of the Last show; did voiceovers for hundreds of commercials (he was the voice of the Michelin man); and expressed regular promotions for USA Network.

“When I got home and said I had been offered the job of announcer on the Last show, I told my wife I wasn’t sure I really wanted it because it would really rock the boat on these commercials that I was doing across the country, ”he recalls in 2019.“ I couldn’t. not leave for three or four days at a time whenever I wanted to, to do this job. And my kids, who were in high school at the time, said right away, “Daddy, this is the first cool thing you ever did in your life. Take it!'”

Instead of flowers or baskets of food, Kalter wanted donations in his memory to be made to Temple Beth El in Stamford.



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