Bill Melendez, who animated Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang, has died. Melendez also did the unmistakable “voice” of Snoopy.
Sally “Lucy” Dryer, Gail “Peppermint Patty” DeFaria, Peter “Charlie Brown” Robbins, Chris “Linus” Shea, and Bill “Snoopy” Melendez.
It’s very sad to hear it. The man was a legend of animation… did really great works.
Hi, Monte. Such a shame your father couldn’t have lived to 91. When he had his coronary bypass surgery, I sent him a Peanuts get well card. That was 27 years ago! Over half my life.
The ’64 Jag XKE was one of three cars I saw as a kid that really impressed me. The others were the ’63 Corvette Stingray with the split rear window, and the gorgeous ’64 Aston Martin DB5 — the James Bond car. I saw one on display at a department store when “Thunderball” came out. The license plates turned and the ejector seat was for real.
We were very sad to hear this news. I just spoke with Bill last spring, asking him about the old XKEs he and Dad drove, way back when. He was great to talk to. Now, of the three animated shows Musketeers, only Lee is left. I’m really feeling old now. Those glory days of my Dad’s time are almost gone.
Yeah, I expect this is only place you’ll see that photo until others grab it from here. I scanned it from a book that’s been out of print for decades.
LaFontaine died young, at 68, but I’m amazed by the ages of several other recently deceased notables. Melendez: 91, Jerry Wexler: 91, and Jo Stafford: 90. They were all successful doing something they loved, and relatively few people get to do that.
I’ve long been amused by the physical similarity between Melendez, from Mexico, and cartoonist Sergio Aragones, from Spain.
Another great animator leaves us. I love the photo! I’ve never seen it before. Naturally, it’s just a promo shot, and they never do voice-overs together as a group. From reading his obit, I see that Bill was happily married as long, ten years longer than Mom and Dad! RIP to another great and condolences to his family.
My goodness! We have lost so many great people this year and so far this decade! And you notice how sometimes it does come in 3’s. In a short amount of time: Don LaFontaine, Jerry Reed, and Bill Melendez.