Alan Kalter, longtime voice of the “Late Show with David Letterman,” dies at 78

Alan Kalter, the quirky, red-headed longtime voice of the “Late Show with David Letterman,” has died at the age of 78.

Kalter “passed away peacefully” on Monday at Stamford Hospital in Connecticut surrounded by his family, Rabbi Joshua Hammerman of Temple Beth El in Stamford, Connecticut, told USA TODAY. Kalter’s wife, Peggy Masterson, also confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter on Monday. An exact cause of death was not immediately announced.

Letterman, 74, paid tribute to the announcer in a statement to USA TODAY, recalling the first time he listened to Kalter’s audition tape after his first announcer, Bill Wendell, retired from the show in the 1990s.

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“Alan’s voice was the first and only one we listened to. We knew he would be our choice,” Letterman said. “Anyway, we always had the best announcer on TV. Wonderful voice and eagerness to play a silly character of himself. Did I mention he could sing? Yes, he could. He did everything with enthusiasm. A very sad day, but many great memories.”

Kalter was born on March 21, 1943, in Brooklyn, New York. Nicknamed “Big Red” because of his hair, he hosted the opening remarks (and occasionally appeared in sketches) on CBS’ “Late Show with David Letterman” from September 1995 until the series finale in 2015.

As Letterman walked on stage, Kalter introduced him with sarcastic undertones as the “king of antisocial media,” “nocturnal rainforest mammal,” and other nicknames.

Since then, he appeared in a Letterman documentary called “David Letterman: A Life on Television” in 2015 and reprised his role as announcer for Letterman in 2017 when the former late-night host was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center.

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Before the “Late Show,” Kalter was a popular voice actor and spokesperson in commercials for brands such as Gillette, Michelin, CBS Cares, New York Mega Million and the USA Network. His other major announcing credits include “The $10,000 Pyramid,” “The $25,000 Pyramid,” “The Money Maze,” “To Tell The Truth” – where he also replaced Wendell – and the 2003 Grammy Awards.

Kalter taught English at a high school on Long Island in the late 1960s before moving into broadcasting.

He lived in Stamford, Connecticut, where he was active in Temple Beth El.

“In addition to his fame and golden voice, Alan was a former president of TBE and a genuine human being, deeply committed to Jewish values ​​and the Jewish people, and especially devoted to his home community,” Hammerman said in a statement.

A private funeral will be held Wednesday at the Stamford Synagogue and will be live streamed.

Contributors: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alan Kalter, voice of the Late Show with David Letterman, dies at 78