Stan Freberg, comedian, musician, radio host, record star, advertising pioneer, voice actor, and occasional puppeteer has passed away today at the age of 88. Freberg began his long career right out of high school in 1945 as the voice of a number of characters in the original Looney Tunes shorts before striking it out on his own with a series of Capitol Records recordings. These parodies and elaborate concept albums would later serve as a major inspiration for ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic.
His most famous works include his radio show, which was literally the last original comedy show produced during the golden age of radio, which we looked at in detail in February, and his hilarious album Stan Freberg Presents The United States of America, Part One, which we discussed in this full career retrospective.
Freberg’s unique vision and rich satire were decades ahead of their time and his influence is will continue to be felt for decades to come. Rest in peace, Mr. Freberg.
