James Earl Jones, the beloved stage and screen actor who lent his iconic, deep voice to Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King, has died at 93.
Regarded as one of the best actors of his generation, Jones’ career spanned Shakespeare to Hollywood hits. He is one of the few actors to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony Award.
The actor’s death was reported by Deadline, via his representatives at Independent Artist Group.
James Earl Jones was born January 17, 1931 in Arkabutla, Mississippi and raised by his grandparents in Dublin, Michigan. While he would later become one of the most famous voices in the world, he says he suffered from a stutter in his youth.
“I was a stutterer. I couldn’t talk,” Jones recalled in a 1996 interview. “So my first year of school was my first mute year, and then those mute years continued until I got to high school.” A teacher encouraged him to overcome his stutter by reading poetry aloud.
Jones served in the US Army during the Korean War, and after decided to pursue a career in acting. He studied at the American Theatre Wing, working as a janitor to support himself. By the 1960s, Jones was establishing himself as one of his generation’s great Shakespearean actors, playing roles like Othello and King Lear. He also made his film debut in Stanley Kubrick’s classic 1964 comedy Dr. Strangelove, as bombadier Lt. Lothar Zogg.
In 1967, he played a boxer in The Great White Hope, winning the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play. He reprised the role in the 1970 film version, receiving his first Academy Award nomination.
Amidst all his acclaimed acting work, Jones soon landed his most well-known and iconic role — one where he didn’t even have to appear on set: voicing the villainous Darth Vader in Star Wars. While Vader was played in costume by David Prowse, Jones dubbed over the lines with his own deep bass voice, helping to create one of the most famous characters in movie history.
While Jones originally opted to go uncredited for the role, it has become perhaps his most famous performance. He continued to voice Vader for decades, in the two sequels The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, the prequel Revenge of the Sith and the spin-off Rogue One. In 2022, Jones retired from the role, but signed an agreement for his voice to be used in future projects using artificial intelligence and archive recordings.
Jones also provided the voice of another beloved movie character, Mufasa in the 1994 Disney film The Lion King. Jones later reprised the role in the 2019 remake.
Throughout the ’80s and ’90s, Jones appeared in many Hollywood films, including Conan the Barbarian, Coming to America, Field of Dreams, and The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games and The Sandlot. He also won his second Tony Award, starring in the original production of August Wilson’s Fences.
He received eight Emmy Award nominations for his television work, winning twice in 1991: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for Heat Wave and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for Gabriel’s Fire.
Jones also continued to perform on Broadway: over the past 20 years he starred in revivals of On Golden Pond, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Driving Miss Daisy, The Best Man and You Can’t Take it With You.
Jones was the recipient of many awards and honors throughout his acclaimed career. He received an Honorary Academy Award in 2011, making him one of the only people to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award, known as “EGOT.” Broadway’s Cort Theatre was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in his honor in 2022.
Rest in peace to the iconic James Earl Jones, one of the greatest actors of our time — please share this
“Amazing Grace” performed by 200 bagpipes brings audience to tears
This rendition of “Amazing Grace” demonstrates the wide spectrum of emotions that music may arouse. People can see the light that does exist in this world and find hope again with the assistance of the video we’re sharing below.
A lone singer is the focal point of the opening scene, which features over 200 bagpipers. The quiet passages gradually give way to his solo performance of Amazing Grace, a soft, baritone song. As he sings each song into the reverberating arena, his voice is mesmerizing. Many more said that his last note chilled them to the bone and brought them to tears.
The song was resumed by a lone bagpiper after the singing finished. playing “Amazing Grace” on the bagpipes at the same leisurely tempo as the singer had adopted. Everyone’s attention moved from the vocal performance to this musical interpretation of the well-known hymn, and the spotlight beamed down.
After an enthralling bagpipe version of the song, more than two hundred bagpipers joined in for the song’s second stanza. Viewers were able to observe the pride and stoicism on each performer’s face as the camera panned between several angles of them. The song’s impact was increased by the bagpipes’ incredible volume.
And the show wasn’t finished even after all of this. The baritone voice began to accompany the bagpipes as another verse began, lending vocal accompaniment to the song’s final sections. Performers surrounded each other with brightly lighted torches as they slowly made their way inside. Amazing visual effect as the camera gave an overhanging view of the performers.
Following the performers’ performance, the audience applauded and clapped. With the same grace as when they had entered, the people holding the fiery torches turned around and left the stage. To allow the audience time to process the powerful performance they had just seen, the mood stayed solemn.
With over 1.5 million views and an abundance of positive comments in the comment box, this beloved hymn gives many people courage and faith each time it is sung. It serves as a reminder that despite our differences, solidarity is essential to navigating these unsettling times.
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