Don Pardo, the legendary Saturday Night Live announcer, who announced the start of the NBC sketch show for more than three decades, has died. He was 96.

'SNL's Don Pardo Dies

Pardo died on Monday night, according to NBC spokesman Rich Licata, who did not give a cause of death. However, it’s possible that a broken hip the announcer suffered last year could have been a factor.

Saturday Night Live was Pardo’s longest-running announcing gig, beginning in October of 1975 and continuing till his death. For the first ever NBC’s Saturday Night show, Pardo announced from backstage: "NBC's Saturday Night. Starring George Carlin. With Janis Ian and Billy Preston. A film by Albert Brooks. Jim Henson's Muppets. The Not for Ready Prime Time Players. And comedians Valri Bromfield, Andy Kaufman. Ladies and gentleman, George Carlin!"

With the exception of Saturday Night Live’s seventh season, Pardo was the voice of SNL. Even after he retired as an NBC staff announcer – which he’d served as since 1944 – and moved to Tucson, he continued to announce for SNL at creator Lorne Michaels’ request. The cast celebrated the beloved announcer’s 90th birthday on stage following a show in 2008, where he received a kiss from Tina Fey and successfully blew out all 90 candles.

During his long tenure at NBC, Pardo announced radio shows Front Page Farrell and Pepper Young’s Family and went on to announce for the original The Price is Right and Jeopardy. He also read off the first news bulletin on NBC that announced President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963.

Pardo was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 2010. He celebrated his 70th anniversary with NBC this past June.

Pardo was predeceased by his wife, Kay, in 1995.