Lorne Greene - "Ringo" (1964)

Lorne Greene (February 12, 1915[1] September 11, 1987), was the stage name of Lyon Himan Green O.C., LL.D., a Canadian actor.

Greene was born in Ottawa, Ontario to Russian Jewish immigrants, Daniel and Dora Green. He was called "Chaim" by his mother, and his name is shown as "Hyman" on his school report cards. In his biography, the author, his daughter Linda Greene Bennett, stated that it was not known when he began using "Lorne", nor when he added an "e" to Green.

Greene began acting while attending Queen's University in Kingston, where he also acquired a knack for broadcasting with the Radio Workshop of the university's Drama Guild on the campus radio station CFRC. He gave up on a career in chemical engineering and, upon graduation, found a job as a radio broadcaster for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Greene was assigned as the principal newsreader on the CBC National News. The CBC gave him the nickname "The Voice of Canada"; however, his role in delivering distressing war news in sonorous tones following Canada's entry into World War II in 1939 caused many listeners to call him "The Voice of Doom". During his radio days, Greene invented a stopwatch that ran backwards. Its purpose was to help radio announcers gauge how much time they had available while speaking. He also narrated documentary films, such as the National Film Board of Canada's Fighting Norway (1943). In 1957 Greene played the role of the prosecutor in the socially controversial movie Peyton Place.

The first of his American television roles was as loyal family patriarch Ben Cartwright on the long-running western series Bonanza (19591973), making Greene a household name. He garnered the role after having turned in a highly regarded performance as O'Brien in the CBS production of Nineteen Eighty-Four.

In 1973, after the cancellation of Bonanza following a 14-year run, Greene joined Ben Murphy in the ABC crime drama, Griff, about a Los Angeles, California, police officer, Wade "Griff" Griffin, who retires to become a private detective. When Griff failed to gain sufficient ratings and was cancelled after thirteen episodes, Greene thereafter hosted the syndicated nature documentary series Last of the Wild from 1974 to 1975. In the 1977 miniseries Roots, he played the first master of Kunta Kinte, John Reynolds. Greene was also popular as the spokesman for Alpo Beef Chunks dog food commercials throughout the 1970s.

Greene was also widely known for his role as Commander Adama, another patriarchal figure, in the science fiction feature film and television series Battlestar Galactica (19781979) and Galactica 1980 (1980).

In the 1960s, Greene capitalized on his Pa Cartwright image by recording several albums of country-western/folk songs, which Greene performed in a mixture of spoken word and singing. In 1964, Greene had a #1 single on the music charts with his ballad, "Ringo" (not to be confused with Ringo Starr of The Beatles who was coincidentally gaining fame and popularity at the time). In the 1980s Greene devoted his energies to wildlife and environmental issues. He was the host and narrator of the nature series, Lorne Greene's New Wilderness, a show which promoted environmental awareness.He also appeared in the HBO mockumentary The Canadian Conspiracy, about the supposed subversion of the United States by Canadian-born media personalities. For nearly a decade, Greene co-hosted the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. He is also fondly remembered as the founder of Toronto's Academy of Radio Arts (originally called the Lorne Greene School of Broadcasting).

Greene died at the age of seventy-two of complications from prostate cancer in Santa Monica, California. He was interred at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City. Only weeks before his death, he had been signed to appear in a revival of Bonanza.

Greene was married twice, first to Rita Hands of Toronto (19381960, divorced). Some reports list the start of their marriage as 1940. They had two children, twins born in 1945, Belinda Susan Bennet (née Greene) and Charles Greene.

His second wife was Nancy Deale (1961-1987, Greene's death), with whom he had one child, Gillian Dania Greene, born January 6, 1968 in Los Angeles, California. In 1993, Gillian married actor/director/producer Sam Raimi; they have five children.

In May 2006, Greene became one of the first four entertainers to ever be honoured by Canada Post by being featured on a postage stamp.

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[jimmbo13]

Really, the most tremendous voice Ive ever heard. He must have had unusual vocal chords to have such a deep rich voice

[TheBacmaster]

@jimmbo13 Lorne Greene had a speaking and singing voice range known as "heavy baritone".

He no doubt had a deep rich voice. I would say he's somewhat similar to the late Vaughn Monroe.

[backbaconnbeer]

The promo single version in Canada has Ringo in English on one side and French on the other......Lorne Greene worked for CBC radio in Canada during WW2 and was known as the Voice Of Doom because he read the names of the soldiers who were killed,

[earthjin2000]

I remember as a kid I thought he was Darth Vadar at least that is what someone led me to belive.

[chengloki]

Wow, that .44 pointed at you. It could be a .22, but pointed at you, it looks like a 16 inch gun from the "USS Missourie". =Stefan=

[oneexseal]

Lorne Greene and Bonanza, along with james Arness, Gunsmoke (Both Deceased) - the best TV series of all times....

[sadoxra]

He is singing like HE IS marshall Wyatt Earp... Very big thing...

[pirateslife78]

great video! The creepy thing is there is a pic of me in there at 1:25 taken in tombstone,az......I find it strange and great that i stumbled apon it, and glad it's along with terrific song ! thanks

[JettRink50]

I have this song, I love it, it was a joke among us Beatles fan that he came out with

this song the same year as Ringo and Beatles came to America.

[TheKennyKennyKenny]

Great video, good job!!!