AceShowbiz -

Don Pardo, best known as the voice of "Saturday Night Live", has died at 96 years old. The veteran television and radio announcer's daughter Paula confirmed the sad news to CBS Radio on Monday, August 18. Other info including the cause of death and funeral plan is not available yet.

Pardo introduced the "SNL" line-up every week since the first episode in 1975. He only missed one season of the show, the seventh installment in 1981-1982. He officially retired from NBC in 2004, but continued to provide the introductions for the sketch series through last season, pre-recording them from his home in Arizona.

"SNL" creator Lorne Michaels once said, "I can't imagine the show without [Don], and as long as he's there, I stay young." He said that the show would present a tribute to Pardo next season. "It was a happy accident and in some great way our lives intertwined," Lorne said. "It was always exciting. Whatever montage we did to open the show, whatever pictures we used it didn't really come alive till you heard him say it."

Don also lent his voice to game shows "The Price Is Right", "Jackpot" and "Jeopardy!". He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2010. He is survived by daughters Dona and Katherine in addition to Paula, sons David and Michael, as well as five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.