Former Pageant of the Masters narrator Skip Conover dies at 80

Skip Conover, who narrated Laguna Beach’s Pageant of the Masters from 1994 to 2010, died June 15 at age 80, the pageant said Friday.

Conover never missed a performance during his tenure as the voice of the famed “living pictures” show, a position he took over from longtime voice actor Thurl Ravenscroft, the original voice of Tony the Tiger.

Conover, born Hugh Distelhurst, had extensive professional credits as a musician and voice artist before getting the pageant job. His resumé included work for the Academy Awards, the Olympics, Time-Life videos, movie trailers and 15 years narrating Navy training films.

After his hiring, the pageant’s narration took a more conversational and humorous turn, and the performances added elements such as singing and occasional movement to the depictions of famous artworks.

Dan Duling, the pageant’s longtime scriptwriter who has worked with Ravenscroft, Conover and current narrator Richard Doyle, said in a statement that “Skip was a pro. It was a pleasure and privilege to work with him and listen to him take our audiences on all manner of storytelling journeys.”

“Skip brought a contemporary and conversational approach to the material that drew you in,” Duling said. “And his years as a musician paid dividends as well. Where some narrators lead and expect the orchestra to follow them, Skip had a gift for picking up the rhythm of the music and marrying his narration to its tempos.”

Diane Challis Davy, who became pageant director in 1995, said she fondly remembers Conover, especially his sense of humor and work ethic.

“One of his favorite expressions,” she recalled in a statement, “was ‘illegitimi non carborundum,’ a fake Latin phrase that he translated roughly as ‘Don’t let the bastards get you down.’

“Like Thurl, Skip loved the job and hated to give it up,” Challis Davy said.

Both Ravenscroft and Conover retired when knee pain made the climb to their soundproof booth at the rear of the Irvine Bowl impossible, according to the pageant.