Rod Roddy, former Price is Right announcer has died after a 2-year battle with cancer.:( :( :(

I am so bummed now!!!!
TPIR will never be the same.
The fill in that they have used in the past just does not have the same pazazz!
Christal

WOW! Very sad news...he was a legend on that show. :( :( :crying: :crying:

'Price Is Right' Announcer Rod Roddy Dies

By Ryan Pearson
The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - Rod Roddy, the flamboyantly dressed announcer on "The Price is Right" whose booming, jovial voice invited lucky audience members to "Come on down!" for nearly 20 years, died Monday. He was 66.

Roddy, who suffered from colon and breast cancer, died at Century City Hospital, according to his longtime agent, Don Pitts. He had been hospitalized for two months.

"He had such a strong spirit. He just wouldn't give up," Pitts said Monday.

Roddy had been ill for more than two years but tried to work as long as he could, said Bob Barker, host of "The Price is Right." Roddy had been with the game show for 17 years.

"The courage he showed during those difficult times was an inspiration to us all," Barker said in a statement Monday.

Barker recounted a recent visit to his friend: "I went to the hospital and sat on the edge of his bed and we laughed the whole time we were talking. He was still having fun."

Roddy's announcing stints included "Love Connection" (1981-85) and "Press Your Luck" (1983-86), but "The Price is Right" earned him his greatest fame. "The Price is Right" remains one of television's most popular game shows, and Roddy, with his flashy sport coats and booming voice, was a big part of the success.

"He started wearing those jackets when he joined the show," Barker said. "He was quite a character. He was important to the success of the show. He had the spirit of `The Price Is Right.' It's a fun show. We did it with the hope people will forget their problems for awhile."

Roddy, whose real name was Robert Ray Roddy, was born Sept. 18, 1937, in Fort Worth, Texas, Pitts said.

He was a graduate of Texas Christian University and a popular disc jockey in Texas when he decided to expand his career in Hollywood, his agent recalled.

Roddy's versatility made him a popular voice-over artist for commercials in Los Angeles, Pitts said. He got his big break in television with the 1977-81 satire "Soap."

Disc jockey Casey Kasem, who was the first announcer on the risque series, decided he did not want to stay with it and asked Pitts if he knew someone who could take over.

"I said, 'I've got a guy who's terrific,'" Pitts said. "Rod started with 'Soap' and then his career took off."

Roddy, who taped his last show about two months ago, had colon cancer surgery on Sept. 11, 2001, and his left breast removed last March.

The diseases appeared under control following chemotherapy but flared up again, Pitts said. The two cancers, which Roddy had said were unconnected, prompted him to become a spokesman for early detection.

"I could have prevented all this with a colonoscopy and, of course, that's the campaign I've been on since I had the first surgery," he said in a recent interview on a CBS Web site.

Breast cancer, although typically associated with women, is diagnosed in about 1,500 American men a year, Roddy said in the CBS interview: "To everybody out there, 'Get a mammogram!' It can happen to men, too."

Roddy was single. The only family member he talked about was his mother, who died several years ago, Pitts said.

Private funeral services will be held in Texas, with a memorial service planned in Los Angeles in several weeks, CBS said.

_____
Associated Press writers Jeff Wilson and Lynn Elber in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

WHAT?!?!? OMG, I love Rod!!! His jackets were amazing!

:( RIP Rod!

RIP Rod :crying:

That's so sad. RIP Rod. :(

that's awful. so many lost in one year :(

Man...This is very Sad News. He was great on the Price is Right. R.I.P Rod. :(

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! :crying: I love the Price is Right! Ugh it's gonna be different not hearing his voice say "A new caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!" Wow. R.I.P :crying:

This is too much. :( :(

R.I.P. Rod:(

That's too bad. He wasn't even old. I can't place him. Does anyone have a picture of him?

Originally posted by Janice
That's too bad. He wasn't even old. I can't place him. Does anyone have a picture of him?

Another:

Originally posted by Shane West's Angel
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! :crying: I love the Price is Right! Ugh it's gonna be different not hearing his voice say "A new caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar!" Wow. R.I.P :crying:

I know! :crying: I don't watch TPIR as often as I used to, but I remember Rod well. He started on TPIR in 1986, right? So that means he's been on TPIR practically my whole life. :eek:

RIP Rod. :crying:

He was also the narrator for the tv series Soap.

Thanks for the pics guys. I recognize his face very well. It's a shame.

:(

That's so sad. I used to watch the Price is Right all the time when I was younger. He was such a big part of the show. RIP Rod:(

He was 66.:(

"A Mark Goodson Television Production" :(

RIP

I don't think he can be replaced on TPIR. :( RIP.

:crying:

A picture and tribute to Rod is on the front page of my site. This is the most recent picture that I have seen of Rod, taken on the 32nd Season Premiere of TPiR. I believe it is only 3-4 months old.

http://www.gameshowfavorites.com

That's awful :( RIP Rod

oh God, I can't believe this. This is really sad for me. :crying:

RIP Rod:(

Originally posted by wickthayer
"A Mark Goodson Television Production" :( man. this is so sad! Im gonna miss him. RIP Rod Roddy

You can share your condoliences by e-mail. The address is: pir@tvc.cbs.com

You can also read some tributes to Mr. Roddy by clicking here (http://www.cbs.com/daytime/price/community/mailbag/rroddy_tribute.shtml).

Contributions in Roddy’s memory can be made to:

Rod Roddy Memorial Fund
The Entertainment Industry Foundation’s National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance
c/o Entertainment Industry Foundation
11132 Ventura Blvd., Suite 401
Studio City, CA 91604

That's sad. I watched TPIR every day during the summer. RIP Rod. :crying: :(

Originally posted by *PinkLady*
I don't think he can be replaced on TPIR. :( RIP.

I don't mean any disrespect but anyone could do that job. :)

:crying: This is so sad. RIP Rod.