By Milton Kirby – Pawling, NY – September 10, 2024

James Earl Jones, the actor whose voice was known around the world, went silent on Monday, September 9, 2024 he was 93.

Over a career spanning more than six decades, Jones became a towering figure in American entertainment. He starred in an array of memorable films, including Coming to America, Field of Dreams, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Clear and Present Danger, Claudine, and The Hunt for Red October. He was widely celebrated for his versatility and talent, described as “one of America’s most distinguished and versatile” actors, and often hailed as “one of the greatest actors in American history.”

Jones amassed nearly 200 screen credits throughout his prolific career and received numerous awards and honors. He won three Tony Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a Daytime Emmy, and a Grammy Award. Jones was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1985 and was honored with the National Medal of Arts in 1992, the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 2009, and an Honorary Academy Award in 2011.

Jones’s distinctive, commanding voice has resonated across generations and continents. To Star Wars fans, he will forever be remembered as the voice of Darth Vader, and to millions of children, he is Mufasa, the wise lion king from Disney’s The Lion King.

He achieved the rare distinction of an EGOT, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony—though his Academy Award was honorary. His Grammy came in 1977 for a spoken-word recording “Great American Documents,” adding another dimension to his multifaceted career.

Jones made his Broadway debut in 1958 in the play Sunrise at Campobello at the Cort Theatre, which has since been renamed in his honor as the James Earl Jones Theatre. Originally built by John Cort, a former vaudeville performer turned theatrical manager, the theatre became part of the Shubert Organization in 1927. It stands today as a testament to Jones’s enduring legacy in the world of theater.

At the time of his passing, Mr. Jones resided in Pawling, New York, where he lived quietly in the later years of his life.

Jones leaves behind a legacy not only of memorable performances and iconic roles but also of a voice that, for many, defined a generation of cinema and theater. He will be deeply missed but remembered for his monumental contributions to the arts.