Mickey Mouse is dead. :-(

[underpants]

Sound-effects specialist Wayne Allwine, shown in this undated photograph from Disney, who followed in the footsteps of Walt Disney to provide the falsetto voice of Mickey Mouse for the past 32 years, has died, Walt Disney Co announced May 20, 2009. Allwine succumbed to complications from diabetes at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles on May 18, 2009. He was 62. He was only the third person to lend his voice to the famed rodent. Disney himself started voicing Mickey Mouse in 1928, when he made his talking debut in "Steamboat Willie." Jimmy Macdonald took over the responsibilities in 1947 and handed over the reins to his protege Allwine in 1977.

So Long From the Clubhouse - RIP Wayne Allwine, Voice of Mickey Mouse
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/05/so-long-from-the-clubhouse-rip-wayne-allwine/

Wayne Allwine may not be a name that means a lot to you, but my six month old son loves the sound of his voice. For the past 30-odd years, Wayne had been the voice of Mickey Mouse, starting with The New Mickey Mouse Club in 1977 and most recently on the Disney Channel’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. His famous falsetto appeared wherever the mouse did - from the Kingdom Hearts games, to television and film to material for the Disney theme parks. Sadly, Allwine passed away on Monday from complications related to diabetes. He was 62, and is survived by his wife and five children.

Allwine started in the mailroom at Disney in 1966, working his way up (in that great way we all dream of) to the sound department. He was only the third person to voice Mickey - the first was Walt Disney himself, the second was Allwine’s mentor Jimmy McDonald, himself the voice of Mickey for 30 years. Allwine once recalled that McDonald described the job as “only filling in for the boss,” and treated the job as that.

[MrSlayer]

1. Mickey will live forever.

R.I.P. to Mr. Allwine. Love his work.

[L. Coyote]

6. 1928 - 2009 The Three Voices of Mickey Mouse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eQ1R9zQ4Rg

[MrSlayer]

10. Thanks. I found a longer interview with Wayne here.

Along with Russi Taylor who voices Minnie. Kind of cool that they were a real life couple as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSa1FlrTINg&feature=related

[ccharles000]

2. ....

:cry:

[Sebastian Doyle]

3. got kicked in the head

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIcczlCTEU0

[anigbrowl]

4. -1

[cwydro]

5. That is young to die.

Diabetes is a horrible disease.

[jehovas_waitress]

7. That's very sad. Thoughts and prayers up to the family.

[Iwillnevergiveup]

8. I doubt very much that Wayne

did the voice in this Mickey Mouse South Park episode. Absolutely hysterical.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w5Le0w4pQ8

[Q3JR4]

9. Long live Mickey Mouse.

:hide:

Q3JR4

[Motown_Johnny]

11. Maybe they can freeze his head and bring him back when they find a cure