Wayne Allwine voice of Mickey Mouse passes away at the age of 62

Wayne Allwine (Voice)
Inducted 2008

Wayne Allwine has been providing the voice of Disney's top animated star since 1977, when he officially took over for his mentor, Disney Legend Jimmy Macdonald. Allwine humbly reflects, "It's a great honor to keep alive what Walt loved so dearly and what Jimmy kept alive so well."

Born in 1947 in Glendale, California, Allwine has been active on stage and screen most of his life, making his first television appearance at age seven as one of the children interviewed by Art Linkletter on his "House Party" program. While still in high school, he formed his own acoustic music group, The International Singers, which performed in clubs and colleges all over the state. He went on to record with such singers as Dobie Gray and Bobby Vinton, and was a member of The Arrows, a musical group put together by Mike Curb.

In 1966, Allwine opted for a "normal" lifestyle and took a job in the mail room at The Walt Disney Studios. From there, he worked briefly in Wardrobe, then moved to Audio Post Production and began a seven-and-a-half year stint under Macdonald, the Studio's resident sound effects wizard.

Allwine worked in sound effects editing on Disney films and television shows including Splash (1984) and Three Men and a Baby (1987); as well as Innerspace (1987), Alien Nation (1988), and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) for other studios.

He received the Emmy® Award and the Golden Reel Award for his contributions to Steven Speilberg's "Amazing Stories," which he worked on for two years, and a second Golden Reel for his work on The Great Mouse Detective (1986).

In 1977, Allwine went to an open audition for the voice of Mickey Mouse and walked away with the part. He made his debut on "The New Mickey Mouse Club" (1977-1978), and has since provided Mickey's voice for Disney theme parks, movies, TV specials, records, and video games. In the role of Mickey, he has starred in films such as Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983), The Prince and the Pauper (1990), and Mickey, Donald, and Goofy: The Three Musketeers (2004), and the TV series "Mickey's Mouse Works" (1999-2000), "House of Mouse" (2001-2002), and "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" (2006-2008). "In time, you actually realize all of the characteristics that this character has in yourself," Allwine says of his prolific performances as Mickey. "I've got all his naïve qualities, and all of his optimistic qualities." Allwine is married to Russi Taylor, the voice of Minnie Mouse and many other popular characters. They head their own production company, Taylor-Allwine Associates, and share four children?including three who think they sound like Mickey, too.

Which is only fitting, given the admonition that Allwine's mentor gave him decades ago: "Just remember, kid," Jimmy Macdonald said, "you're only filling in for the boss." Allwine has never forgotten that. "Mickey is Walt's," Allwine readily admits. "I get to take this wonderful American icon and keep it alive until the next Mickey comes along, and it will one day. It's holding him close enough to really love him, but not so close that when he leaves, it's gonna kill me."

"But it will," Russi Taylor adds with a loving laugh.

Wayne Allwine passed away on May 18, 2009 at the age of 62.