Bill Wendell

William Joseph Wenzel Jr. (March 22, 1924 – April 14, 1999), known as Bill Wendell, was an NBC television staff announcer for almost his entire professional career.

Life and career Born William Joseph Wenzel Jr. on March 22, 1924, at WHAM in Rochester, New York. He moved to WWJ in Detroit, where he worked in both radio and TV. until the show was finally canceled in October 1959. By December, Wendell had resumed his staff announcing position at NBC. His colleagues were Don Pardo, Wayne Howell, Gene Hamilton, Ben Grauer, Fred Facey, Bill McCord, Roger Tuttle, and Howard Reig.

Wendell also appeared as a TV announcer in the movie Mr. Saturday Night, which starred Billy Crystal.

He was David Letterman's announcer, beginning partway through the short-lived morning program The David Letterman Show in 1980. He continued with Letterman as the regular announcer for NBC's Late Night with David Letterman from 1982 to 1993, the entirety of the show's NBC run. In addition to his duties as announcer, Wendell occasionally participated in sketches, usually playing himself. He moved with Letterman to CBS in 1993, staying as announcer on the Late Show with David Letterman.

Wendell retired in mid-1995, with his last episode airing on August 18. Following a two-week hiatus, Alan Kalter succeeded him as announcer on September 4. Kalter had previously replaced Wendell as announcer for the final season of To Tell the Truth in 1977–78. Before he announced for David Letterman's Late Night, Wendell was announcer on Tom Snyder's Tomorrow Show when Snyder moved production from Burbank, California to New York. Snyder's time slot was later given to Letterman, who kept Wendell as announcer.

According to Robert Morton, producer of The Late Show, Bill "had a little flatulence problem" and would often fart openly in front of the production crew and audience.

It was reported at the time that Wendell's departure from The Late Show was on less-than friendly terms, with Letterman refusing comment, and Wendell pointedly saying "I’m retiring from this show", as well indicating that he hadn't talked to Letterman himself in months and that the producers "haven’t said a thing to me, either." Regarding a counteroffer he had received from NBC at the time he moved to CBS along with Letterman, Wendell said, "There were friends I had at NBC, they’re still there. I felt very badly that I didn’t go with them, and stay at NBC.”

Wendell continued to work after his retirement from Letterman's show; his last major job was as the original voiceover announcer in Old Navy's "fashion show" commercial campaign.

Death Wendell died of complications from cancer on April 14, 1999, in Boca Raton, Florida.