Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In star Gary Owens dead at 80

Gary Owens, the announcer for U.S. TV comedy show Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, has died, aged 80. The entertainment veteran, who also voiced cult 1960s cartoon character Space Ghost, died peacefully on Thursday (12Feb15).
Owens began his career as a voiceover artist in 1949. He also gave The Green Hornet and Batman a voice before landing a leading role on Laugh-In.
He also worked on TV cartoon shows such as Sesame Street, The Ren & Stimpy Show, and Garfield, and reprised his role as Space Ghost in Batman: The Brave and the Bold.
Among Owens’ many accolades, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1980, and became the first radio star to be inducted into the Hollywood Hall of Fame. In 1979, Billboard magazine named him the Top Radio Personality in the World.