PHONE RECORDING VOICE DIES

The New York Post ^ | 7/28/03 | AP

[Hatteras]

July 28, 2003 -- Jane Barbe, whose voice was familiar to millions of telephone users across the country who ever dialed a wrong number or had to "Please listen to the following options" in a voice-mail system, died July 18 in Roswell, Ga., of complications from cancer. She was 74.

[Hatteras]

Somehow, "You have mail..." could never compete with "The number you have dialed is not in service..."

There's nothing like 'the original'. Another candle light from my childhood, extinguished. R.I.P.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Bob Hope and now this woman passing into eternal life. Americana is being lost.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

James Earl Jones is really gonna have to pick up the slack now.

[rabidralph]

My favorite is the clipped, staccato tone of her reciting phone numbers.

[Rodney King]

Can you imagine have been her husband. "I'm sorry, I have a headache right now, please try again later."

[Rodney King]

having been her husband, that is

[Semper Paratus]

She must have had fun with telemakers who called her.

[tubebender]

Did she do the "Please hang up and dial again"...

[Semper Paratus]

She must have had fun with telemakers who called her.

Not to mention telemarketers.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Her human voice will probably be replaced by a computer-generated one.

[zeugma]

...whose voice was heard an estimated 40 million times a day in the 1980s and early 1990s ...

Imagine the residuals!

It's sad to hear of anyone's passing who has touched all of our lives, but she'll live on probably forever in the telco world.

[Maceman]

Americana is being lost. I;ve been taking a totally unscientific informal survey among people I meet who are under 30. You would be amazed at how many of them have no idea who King Kong is.

[Nick Danger]

She must have had fun with telemakers who called her.

Heh. She could probably tell people any damned thing over the phone, and they'd believe it. "Thank you for calling the Federal Trade Commission's consumer telemarketing hotline."

"The number you have reached, two... three... two... seven... one... nine... five... has been changed. The new number is none of your damned business. Press pound-sand now to be disconnected, or hang up."

[azhenfud]

I'm sorry her number is no longer in service. RIP.

[commish]

Another little piece of Americana lost. Oh well, she will live on in those little ways. "your call can not be completed as dialed". "All circuits are busy, please try again later". "Press one to continue". "The party youhave dialed is unavailable, please leave a message at the tone".

I have wanted to strangle the person behind that voice so many times LOL - now I will miss her. :-(

[Wright is right!]

Ms. Barbe was, at one time, billed as the world's most-heard "recording artist." She lived most of her life in "Et-LAY-un-ta" Jawjuh.

Ms. Barbe also had an unusual affliction - a constant and heavy watering of the eyes, and a staple of every recording session she was booked for was the ever-present box of Kleenex she used to constantly dab her eyes. There is a name for the disorder but I forget.

During the days where every city had a sponsored number you could call for the Time and Temp ( a service of AudiChron Company), Jane Barbe's was the voice that told you the time and temp. Up to a million times a day.

Michael

[tophat9000]

King Kong ... Wasn't he the King of the Viet Kong ?

[tracer]

I think so. Did she also do the ear-piercing DOO-DEEE-DOOOO!!!?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Did she also do the ear-piercing DOO-DEEE-DOOOO!!!?

You mean these tones?

Does anyone have any .wav files or .mp3 files of Jane Barbe's dulcet tones?

[ffusco]

"no idea who King Kong is."

I know Mighty Joe Young. Any relation?