Raise a Glass to Paul Winfield
What a voice. Incomparable. Missed.
shareHi mvassa71,
How odd this is - exactly a week since your post. I've been watching this show for years and years, and since Paul Winfield's death I always check IMDB via the title to see if he's the narrator for the upcoming episode. I just haven't been clever enough to write down the day of his death! But this is the first day I've ever checked out the Message Board for the show. The first comment was a cry for help: "Can somebody help me .........?". The OP and many, many others had all originally thought that Winfield's voice was that of a wide variety of older white actors. These talented gentlemen range from Vincent Price to John Houseman; take a look at these posts. I haven't taken the time yet to see if his 2007 post was ever answered correctly, and will do so before the end of today.
In the meantime, I ran across your post - and it brought back so many memories for me. Stumbled across CC while channel surfing and just had to watch the entire episode because I loved the narrator's voice. Didn't know who he was, and never tried to find out - which is terribly unusual for me to avoid investigating ANYTHING. I am a black female, but never really thought that the voice belonged to Winfield - or any other black actor. But every once in a while he would utter a phrase, or there would be a certain inflection in his voice now and then that make me wonder if he was black. I always ended up saying, no - even tho I've never believed that anyone necessarily has to "sounds black". To me, every one of his episodes were just plain perfection - mainly because of That Voice. It was years before I discovered who it was. I only remember seeing him in "Sounder" with Cicely Tyson and his portrayal of Dr. King in a TV movie, but will also check this out after I complete this comment that's turning into a dissertation.
During all those years when I was so enthralled with this fantastic voice, I didn't once go thru a list of actors - white or black - to figure out who it might be. Again - so unlike me. I still try to watch every day, and for a long time I would refuse to watch the newer episodes featuring Keith David. However, I knew the director of an Off-Broadway drama, and a couple of years ago he invited me to opening nite of his show. While I was standing in the lobby of the theatre with the director's family, waiting for the show to start, who comes up to us but Keith David. He introduced himself to me, chatted for a bit, and was totally charming. I now watch "his episodes" - even though they still make my ears and my heart long for Mr. Winfield. May He Ever Rest In Peace. "Incomparable" and "Missed" are my sentiments exactly! Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to express my appreciation for his vocal talents - and to know that someone else feels exactly the same. A thanks for being so brief and to the point - something I'm just not capable of!
His voice is so distinctive. I always knew it was him. He made the stories so "gossipy" and "juicy". Loved this show. Ended up here when I started looking for the name of the show to see if Netflix is streaming it. Didn't know there were so many episodes. I would just have an orgy of watching if it were streamed.
shareI was just thinking the same thing. I remember Paul Winfield narrating a crime show I used to watch all the time, but I couldn't remember the name of it. I knew it wasn't Vanity Fair Confidential but something like that. Too bad this doesn't come on Lifetime or the I.D. Channel.
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