Lee Marshall, Voice of Tony the Tiger, Dead at 64

He had lent his voice to the iconic Kellogg's Frosted Flakes mascot since 1999

Lee Marshall, one of the men who supplied the voice of Tony the Tiger, has died. He was 64.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Marshall passed away on April 26 at a Santa Monica, Calif., hospital of esophageal cancer.

Marshall first began voicing the iconic Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cereal mascot (and the character's signature catchphrase "They're g-r-r-r-e-a-t") in 1999 when he began assisting original voice Thurl Ravenscroft, who was in his 80s at the time and started having difficulty with the dialogue.

After Ravenscroft's death in 2005, Marshall took over full-time.

He began his career as a radio disc jockey at the age of 14 in Phoenix, when he lied about his age with his already developed deep voice.

Marshall later traveled around the U.S. and conducted ringside interviews with various wrestling stars.

He also voiced a number of cartoon villains.

Marshall is survived by his wife, Judie, as well as a son, a stepdaughter and a granddaughter.