Voice Of Space Ghost, George Lowe Dies At 67 / Watch Pavement On SGC2C

Veteran voice actor and artist, George Lowe has passed away at the age of 67. Although the news has only been revealed today, Lowe died two days ago on Sunday, March 2nd. The official cause of death has yet to be released, but various sources suggest that it is related to him battling a “long illness.”

Best known as the voice of Space Ghost, the actor contributed his talents to animated programs like American Dad and Celebrity Death Match, along with Cartoon Network/Adult Swim programs like Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Sealab 2021, Squidbillies, Robot Chicken, and Assy McGee. He was also the uncredited narrator for The Grinch videogame released by Konami in 2000, as well as the announcer in the 2011 video game, Cartoon Network: Punch Time Explosion. According to IMDB, Lowe was set to voice the lead character, Detective David Bald, in an upcoming animated program, The Bald, which is currently in production.

“I’ll be dead long before you were born and I’ll be dead long before you’ll be dead.“
– Space Ghost

Born in Dunedin, FL on November 10, 1957, George Lowe studied radio engineering and got his first job in the field working for local Brookesville, FL station WWJB in the mid-70s. He went on to do voice-over work for TBS throughout the following decade and, even voiced the automated train announcements on Atlanta‘s MARTA transit system in the late 1990s. The success of his golden voice overshadowed the fact that he was also a self-taught pianist, as well as an accomplished artist and art collector. George‘s art is currently part of the permanent collections of Atlanta’s High Museum of Art, Florida‘s The AGB (formerly known as the Polk Museum), the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens, and the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore. His collection consisted of over 700 pieces with a particular affinity for turn-of-the-century magic posters and pop and folk art. Within his collection are works by such notable names as Picasso, Warhol, Ruby Williams. Tom Wesselmann, Claes Oldenburg, and James Rosenquis. Speaking of his obsession, Lowe has been quoted as claiming, “Connoisseur and Addict are interchangeable words where my collecting is concerned.” He further stated that, “Perhaps, one youngster staring at something in my collection, or at a work of mine, will be touched like I was staring at that De Heem work as a kid at The Ringling, and they, too, will become inspired to pick up a pencil and discover their own true voice.”

George‘s big breakthrough came with Space Ghost Coast To Coast in 1994. When the character of Space Ghost was created in 1966, he was voiced by Laugh-In announcer, Gary Owens, who reprised the role for the Saturday morning cartoon, Space Stars from 1981-92. As a kid in the 80s, I liked the original, stoic hero battling space creatures alongside his spandex-clad side-kicks and their pet monkey, but when he resurfaced in the 90s as the irreverent talk show host of Space Ghost Coast To Coast, Lowe injected the character with a whole new dimension and personality. The celebrity interviews were conducted in advance and then edited with a script written around them after the fact. This resulted in some far-out absurdist comedy and surprising results for the guest stars who generally weren’t involved with the process, especially in the early episodes. An immediate cult classic, the show ran for 6 seasons on the Cartoon Network, ending in 1999, before picking back up on Adult Swim from 2001-2004 for seasons 7-9. The show was so popular that 2 more seasons aired from 2007-2008 on the now-defunct TBS online video game service Game Tap. Throughout its life, SGC2C featured George Lowe/Space Ghost “interviewing” a broad selection of personalities including David Byrne, Dr. Timothy Leary, Bjork, The Ramones, Jonathan Richman, Elvira, Jimmy Cliff, George Clinton, Pat Boone, Chuck D, Steve Allen, Jim Jarmusch, Steven Wright, Willie Nelson, and Tommy Wiseau. The voiceover legend continued to reprise the role over the years through offshoots and various other cameos and projects.

It’s always sad when someone who left such a big impression and influence on so many passes away, but the silver lining is witnessing all of the tributes, stories, and information pou or out about them. Whether through his art and collection or as a voice behind the scenes, so many of those who have been and will be affected by his work may never even know his name. One thing that we can be positive about is that his impact will live on.

Rest well George and thank you.

The following clip epitomizes the sort of left-field lunacy we appreciate so much about Lowe and Space Ghost Coast To Coast. Featuring indie rock big shots, Pavement, this footage is taken from Season 4 / Episode 15, which originally aired on October 24, 1997. After being announced as “The Beatles,” the band is brought out to perform while Space Ghost/Lowe attempts to interview Wildcats, Laugh-In, and Overboard star, Goldie Hawn, through all of their chaotic rockin’. The song they are performing is titled “Space Ghost Theme I,” and was recorded along with  “Space Ghost Theme II” live on the Boston radio station WFNX in February of that same year. Both tracks would go on to appear on the deluxe reissue of their Brighten The Corners LP known as the Nicene Creedence Edition, more than a decade later.