posted 06-27-2005 03:21 PM                       

With Mr. Winchell, lots of voices have been silenced. RIP.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0934593/

http://www.paulwinchell.com/

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December 21, 1922 - June 24, 2005

Paul Winchell had a lifetime of achievements however I was most impressed with what he was doing right up until his passing. At 82 Paul was still active and was working on streaming video that would showcase full half hour children shows from the 50's and 60's. Not just his shows, but as many performers as he could get that had wholesome children's programming. He wanted it all to be free to the public.

He knew more about and better understood the technology of the Internet than most people one quarter his age and often compared the spread of broadband to the early days of television when he could judge the spread of television by the number of rooftop antennas. Paul had a dedicated media server that was streaming some of his early work for a while (Paul Winchell Kids Network) but put the project on hold for a year until technology could catch up, broadband had a greater saturation, and he could get the rights for the shows he wanted to broadcast over the Internet.

I will greatly miss my long conversations with him and his desire to push the boundaries of "what's next" rather than living in "what was". As was often the case he was a little ahead of his time.

For recent radio interviews with Paul click here.

Michael Sowers
webmaster
www.paulwinchell.com

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posted 06-27-2005 05:50 PM                    

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John Fiedler, voice of Piglet, dies

Actor also starred in 'Bob Newhart Show'

Monday, June 27, 2005; Posted: 8:02 a.m. EDT (12:02 GMT)

NEW YORK (AP) -- John Fiedler, a stage actor who won fame as the voice of Piglet in Walt Disney's Winnie-the-Pooh films, died Saturday, The New York Times reported in Monday editions. He was 80.

Fiedler served in the Navy during World War II before beginning a stage career in New York. He performed in supporting roles alongside Sidney Poitier on Broadway, John Wayne in Hollywood and Bob Newhart on television.

With Newhart, on "The Bob Newhart Show," he was Mr. Peterson, the meek patient who was often a target for Jack Riley's sarcastic Mr. Carlin.

Fiedler also appeared in the films "12 Angry Men," "The Odd Couple," "True Grit," "The Fortune" and "Sharky's Machine," and was a cast member on the TV show "Buffalo Bill."

But he was best known for the squeaky voice of the ever-worrying Piglet that he landed when someone noticed his naturally high-pitched voice.

"Walt Disney heard it on a program and said, 'That's Piglet,' " his brother James Fiedler told The Times.

In addition to his brother, Fiedler is survived by a sister, Mary Dean, The Times reported. The newspaper did not report the cause or location of his death.

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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