Jim French (radio host)

James Rowley French (September 23, 1928 - December 20, 2017)[1][2] was an American radio personality and producer who has written and produced, as of 2011, over 803 radio shows, including The Adventures of Harry Nile[3] and The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes series.[4]

Jim French
Born(1928-09-23)September 23, 1928
Pasadena, California, U.S.
DiedDecember 20, 2017(2017-12-20) (aged 89)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
OccupationRadio presenter, voice actor
Years active1959–2017
Spouse(s)Patricia Anne Soule (1950-2017; her death)

Life and career

French became morning DJ on KIRO (AM) in Seattle in 1959.[5] He later began production of Imagination Theatre, which in 2003 moved to KIXI-AM[6] His syndicated programs are now broadcast on over 120 stations in the U.S. and Canada, and are also heard on the XM Satellite Radio system all over North America.[7]

He made an appearance on NBC's Pandora's Clock (1996) in the role of an Army non-com. He provided the voice for the Scientist in Gunman Chronicles, Father Grigori in Half-Life 2, the Fisherman in Half-Life 2: Lost Coast, Bill in the games Left 4 Dead and Payday: The Heist (as a cameo in the opening cutscene to one of the missions), and Elder Titan in Dota 2.

In late January 2017, it was formally announced via the Imagination Theatre Facebook page that, due to age and health issues, Jim French and his family would be closing down their production company, Jim French Productions, and discontinuing all broadcasts of Imagination Theatre at the end of March 2017. French died on December 20, 2017 at age 89. He was predeceased by his wife Pat, who had died earlier the same year.[8][9][1] Imagination Theatre is now produced by Aural Vision, LLC.[10]

Filmography

Video games
YearTitleRoleNotes
2000Gunman ChroniclesThe Scientist
2004Half-Life 2Father Grigori[11]
2005Half-Life 2: Lost CoastThe Fisherman
2008Left 4 DeadBill[11]
2013Dota 2Elder Titan

See also

References
  1. "Jim French Obituary". Legacy: Seattle Times. January 2, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  2. Albert, Larry (February 5, 2018). "In Tribute to Jim French". Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. SAG-AFTRA. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  3. http://www.radioechoes.com/?page=series&genre=Mystery&series=The%20Adventures%20Of%20Harry%20Nile
  4. Mclennan, Douglas (October 6, 1997) 'Retired' KIRO host French to tape 100th radio drama. Seattle Post-Intelligencer; accessed June 21, 2017.
  5. Bundy, June (January 19, 1959). Vox Jox. Billboard
  6. Virgin, Bill (January 9, 2003). 'Imagination Theatre' goes to new home at KIXI. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
  7. others, The Zen Cart™ Team and. "About Us : Imagination Theater, Jim French Productions, Radio Mysteries, Radio Dramas". Imagination Theater Mystery Radio Audio Drama. Retrieved 2017-12-29.
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-12-22. Retrieved 2017-12-21.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Voice Actor Behind Left 4 Dead's Bill Character Has Passed Away". WWG. Retrieved 2017-12-29.
  10. Lowrie, John (December 17, 2019). "The Rebirth of Imagination Theater". Imagination Theatre. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  11. "Behind The Voice Actors - Jim French". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved April 20, 2020.



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