Will Ryan | |
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| Born | William Ryan (1949-05-21)May 21, 1949 |
| Died | November 19, 2021(2021-11-19) (aged 72) Santa Monica,California, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1966–2021 |
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William Ryan (May 21, 1949 – November 19, 2021)[1] was an American voice actor, musician and singer.[2][3] He provided the voice of Petrie in the 1988 animated filmThe Land Before Time.He was also known for his voice work as Eugene Meltsner in theChristianradio dramaAdventures in Odyssey and Grubby inThe Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin. Ryan was also the creator ofElmo Aardvark, a character that served as a pastiche of early animated cartoon stars, in 1993.[4][5][6]
Ryan was born on May 21, 1949, and grew up inCleveland, Ohio.[1][2] He became established by singing about the American West. In summer 1966, Ryan's earlier band, Wead, played a gig inWellington, Ohio.
In late 1970s, he teamed up withPhil Baron as Willio and Phillio.[7] They had regular gigs on television, radio and comedy clubs and universities throughout the U.S.. They later paired up again voicing characters of best friends Teddy Ruxpin (Baron) and Grubby the Octopede (Ryan) in theTeddy Ruxpin book and tape series as well as the 1986–87 television showThe Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin. In August 2002, Willio and Phillio returned to Cleveland for two performances at historic Cain Park and another at the famed Beachland Ballroom. At the Cain Park show, friend Alec Nordstrom of Hudson was invited onstage. Cleveland's revered rock critic and "world's oldest teenager," Jane Scott, attended and reviewed the Beachland performance for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Willio and Phillio act brought Ryan back into music and after moving toCalifornia, he began to write and record songs forThe Walt Disney Company.
Willio and Phillio performed "I Wish it Could Be Christmas All Year Long" on a Disney Christmas album in a voice similar toMicky Dolenz ofThe Monkees.
He provided the voices ofRabbit andTigger, and the singing voice ofEeyore, in theDisney Channel's long-running seriesWelcome to Pooh Corner and in many other Pooh cartoons. He also provided the voice of Barnaby the Dog on the popular seriesDumbo's Circus.
In 1987, Ryan became a fixture of the radio dramaAdventures in Odyssey, as Eugene Meltsner, Harlow Doyle, David Harley, Patrick O'Ryan and over 100 individual characters. He voiced Rabbit inWinnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, Digit inAn American Tail, Petrie inThe Land Before Time, andWillie the Giant inMickey's Christmas Carol. He continued to do voice work. In 2009, he was working on the third season ofMickey Mouse Clubhouse, the 21st season ofAdventures in Odyssey, and the new radio series of Will Ryan's Cactus County Round-Up which featured his band The Cactus County Cowboys. In theFamily Guy episode "Road to the North Pole", he provided the voice forWinnie-the-Pooh. As a side project, withAndrew J. Lederer and Michael Rosenberg (Jackie Diamond), Will Ryan briefly performed in the '20s-style music and comedy trio The Merry Metronomes. He and Lederer also appeared from time to time as a duo, usually under the name The Natty Nabobs. He and Nick Santa Maria also performed occasionally as a vaudeville-era comedy team, Biffle & Shooster (Ryan played the latter); and in 2013 they made their first film, a faux 1930s comedy short titledIt's a Frame-Up!.
Beginning on January 28, 2021, until his death Will was the co-host of the "Tell Ya Later" show onYouTube with longtime friend and co-starKatie Leigh. The final episode featuring Ryan during his lifetime premiered on November 15, 2021, 4 days before his death. There is still unreleased footage recorded before he died that will air posthumously.[8][9]
Ryan died frompancreatic cancer on November 19, 2021, at the age of 72.[10][11][12]
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