Larry Kenney

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Template:Use mdy dates Template:Short description Template:For Template:Infobox person Larry Kenney (born August 5, 1947) is an American voice actor and radio personality.<ref name="msnbc-imusbio">Template:Cite web</ref> He is best known for voicing Lion-O in ThunderCats and being the second voice of Count Chocula after Bob McFadden and the original voice of Sonny the Cuckoo Bird.

Early life

Larry Kenney was born August 5, 1947 in Pekin which is south of Peoria, Illinois,<ref name="msnbc-imusbio"/> the son of George and Joyce Kenney.<ref name=obit>Template:Cite web</ref> He has a brother, Steven, and a sister, Jody.<ref name=obit/> He graduated from Pekin Community High School in Pekin.<ref name=peoria>Template:Cite web</ref> He attended Western Illinois University in Macomb, northwest of Springfield, Illinois but did not graduate.<ref name=adams/>

Career

In 1963, Kenney began his radio career at the age of 15 as a disc jockey at WIRL in Peoria.<ref name="msnbc-imusbio" /><ref name="newsarama">Template:Cite web</ref> After WIRL, he worked at WOWO in Fort Wayne, Indiana;<ref name="msnbc-imusbio"/> WKYC (AM, now WTAM), Cleveland, Ohio (1970–1973); WHN, New York City;<ref name="newsarama"/> WYNY, New York City; WJJD (now WYLL), Chicago; and WKHK (now WLTW), New York City<ref name="msnbc-imusbio"/> until 1972.<ref name="newsarama"/>

Kenney was part of the regular cast on the Imus in the Morning<ref name="newsarama"/> radio show from 1973 to 2007, where he recorded impersonations of dozens of characters including General George Patton,<ref name=stlouis>Template:Cite news</ref> Andy Rooney,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Ross Perot.<ref name=stlouis/>

In 1973, Kenney joined 1050 WHN (now WEPN), a country music station in New York City.<ref name=adams>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He originally announced for the afternoon drive-time show, before taking over the prestigious morning drive-time in 1974.<ref name=whnfired>Template:Cite news</ref> His program was a hit, not only for the music, but also for his comical characters who "joined" him while he performed as a dj. Billboard named him Best Country Disc Jockey "at a station in a metropolitan area of one million or more" in 1976<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Best Country Music Personality in 1978.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He stayed at WHN until the fall of 1979, when he moved to WYNY to host the morning slot for a year<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> before moving to WKHK's (now WLTW) morning show.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was the host of the New York edition of the television show Bowling for Dollars on WOR-TV (now WWOR-TV) from 1976 to 1979.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Kenney is also known for his voice work as Lion-O on the 1980s Rankin/Bass cartoon ThunderCats, and Karate Kat, a martial arts blackbelt cat featured as part of The Comic Strip. He was the voice of Bluegrass in SilverHawks and Dolph in TigerSharks.<ref name="imdb-larry">Template:IMDb name. Retrieved October 22, 2009.</ref> He did voice work for several breakfast cereal characters such as Count Chocula and Sonny the Cuckoo Bird.<ref name="msnbc-imusbio"/><ref name="newsarama"/> Kenney reprised the role of Lion-O in Family Guy, and voiced the character's father Claudus in ThunderCats (2011) and his mentor Jaga in ThunderCats Roar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Kenney provided voice-overs for The State, the 1990s sketch comedy cult classic which featured his daughter, Kerri Kenney.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was also the announcer for VH1's Best Week Ever during its run from 2004 to 2009;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> he provides introductions for Westwood One's radio coverage of Monday Night FootballTemplate:Citation needed and various other commercial work including for Skittles and Campbell's soup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was the announcer for The Beat 102.7 in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV and K.T.I. Radio in the L.A. Noire. He did the voice for JB Cripps in Red Dead Online, the online component of Red Dead Redemption 2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2008, he was hired to do an impersonation of Mark Twain for a gala held by the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Connecticut.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Personal life

He and his wife Carol Ann Jacobs Kenney<ref name="imdb-larry"/> have three children, daughters Kerri and Ashley, and son Tanner.<ref name="msnbc-imusbio"/> Kerri, the eldest, is an actress, best known for her work on the series Reno 911! and The State. Ashley works in the nonprofit sector and is the bassist and singer for the band Witch Hair from New Haven, Connecticut.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tanner was the voice of Agenda Caller in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV.<ref>Template:IMDb name. Retrieved October 22, 2009.</ref> Larry and Carol Kenney live in New Canaan, Connecticut.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=peoria/>

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1982 A Star for Jeremy Voice, television film
1985 The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus Wind Demon Commander Voice, television film
1986 Light Moments in Sports 1986 Narrator Voice, television film
1987 Thundercats Ho! the Movie Lion-O, Jackalman Voice, direct-to-video
1992 Aisle Six Announcer Voice, short film
1993 The Waiters Voice, short film
1993 The Twelve Days of Christmas Sir Carolboomer Voice, television film
2005 Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story Lion-O Voice, direct-to-video
2011 Butterfly Blues Claudus Voice, television short
2015 The macabre madness of Mortulia Morose Host Voice, short film
2015 Vault of Macabre II Host Voice, short film
2015 Vault of the Macabre Presents Scary Little Christmas Host Voice, short film
2016 Vault of the Macabre Presents All Hallow's Eve Host Voice, short film
2016 Vault of the Macabre Presents: the Fright Before Christmas Host Voice, short film
2017 Vault of the Macabre: the House Upon the Hill Host Voice, short film
2017 Vault of the Macabre: Christmas Cheer Host Voice, short film
2018 Vault of the Macabre Presents the Witching Hour Host Voice, short film
2018 Vault of the Macabre Presents the Christmas Witch Host Voice, short film
2020 Unit Eleven Narrator
2020 The Bloody Man Radio DJ Voice

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1985–1989 ThunderCats Lion-O, Jackalman, Snarf Eggbert, Torr, Safari Joe, Wizz-Ra, Pilot Voice, main role
1986 SilverHawks Lt. Colonel Bluegrass, Pokerface, Buzzsaw, Moonstryker, Time Stopper, General Rawlings, Professor Power, Space Bandit, Lord Cash, Warden Lockup Voice, 65 episodes
1987 TigerSharks Dolph Voice
1987 The Comic Strip Dolph, Karate Kat, Boom-Boom Burmese Voice, 2 episodes
2011–2012 ThunderCats Claudus Voice, 4 episodes<ref name="btva">Template:Cite web</ref>
2019–present Teen Titans Go! Chief, Original Lion-O Recurring voice role<ref name="btva" />
2020 ThunderCats Roar Jaga Voice, 4 episodes<ref name="btva" />
2024 Pokémon Horizons: The Series Ludlow Voice, 8 episodes, English dub<ref name="btva" />

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Grand Theft Auto IV The Beat 102.7 Announcer
2010 Mafia II Frank Vinci <ref name="btva" />
2011 L.A. Noire K.T.I. Radio Announcer
2012 Alan Wake's American Nightmare Eddie Rodman <ref name="btva" />
2018 Red Dead Redemption 2 JB Cripps Red Dead Online only<ref name="btva" />

References

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Interviews

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