Fred Travalena

How does one begin to eulogize a person who was as many people as Fred Travalena? And since he was a master impressionist, did we really ever know who he was? He even has at least three nicknames: Mr. Everybody, The Man of a Thousand Faces, and the Man of a Thousand Voices.

My first memory of Mr. Everybody with a Thousand Voices and Faces is seeing him on a game show. Which one, I'm not sure, but I do know it wasn't his 1993 show Baby Races. And it probably wasn't Anything for Money. Or maybe it was. Did you know Kirstie Alley was on Password Plus? So was Travalena. But in a twist of fate, he was also in a short-lived show with Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal called Good Sports (scrub to 2:04). So, as they're probably saying by now, there's pretty much a verifiable death curse for being on this show. Watch out, Brian Doyle-Murray.

Ready for double eerie? Here's Travalena with Ed McMahon's wife.

But I digress. Fred Travalina loved pets. It's hard to concentrate when I've got so much going on in my head. Here's how Travalena kept track of everything.

OK, OK, I have to admit that I'm not sure what my real memory is of the guy, but I remember him vaguely, very very fondly. And truth is, I hate impersonators pretty much across the board. Even Rich Little. And Joe Piscopo if you count him. But with the passing earlier this year of Danny Gans, we can't really afford to lose anyone else. In this economy, it might be worth taking up the hobby yourself.

Evidently (as of Monday night, 6/29/08) you can still book him for events. Things might get interesting.

And I just remembered Frank Caliendo and Dana Carvey, so I take it all back. There are plenty of impersonators out there, but none that could do Fred Travalena as well as the man himself.