I’ve always loved Boris Karloff’s narration of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. For years, I thought he also sang the song You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch. At some point though, I began to realize the voice was too low to be Karloff. I finally did a little research and learned that the rumbly bass voice belonged to voice actor and singer Thurl Ravenscroft.
There are many reasons to love this man:
• His name is Thurl Ravenscroft. You don’t mess with a guy who has a name like that. You just bow down.
• It took one audition at Paramount Studios for him to break through as a studio singer. He received so many job offers that he had to abandon his studies at the Otis Art Institute and take up singing full time.
• He was the voice of Tony the Tiger for over five decades.
• Out of all the things there are to love in The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Thurl steals the show with that song.
• He was in singing groups called the Sportsmen, the Metropolitans and the Mellomen. This man attracts cool names like a magnet.
• Thurl worked with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Elvis Presley.
• Since he was a bass, he rarely faded into the background, even though he was often a backup singer.
• One of his solo records (pictured above) was simply titled Ravenscroft. Do you think he ever answered the phone like that? “Ravenscroft” or “Ravenscroft here”? Can you imagine having a phone conversation with this man? Swoon.
• And once again, his name is Thurl Ravenscroft
For more information about this magnificent singer: All Things Thurl
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