5 Things You Never Knew About Lorne Greene, Ben Cartwright From ‘Bonanza’

Lauren Novak Yesterday, 12:19 pm

For millions of fans, Lorne Greene will forever be remembered as Bonanza‘s wise and steady Ben Cartwright. As the patriarch of the Cartwright family for 14 seasons, he brought love and authority to the role of a father raising three sons on the sprawling Ponderosa Ranch. His character became a symbol of strength and decency, and his familiar presence on Sunday nights made him feel like a member of the family for many viewers.

Greene’s own life story was filled with enough thrilling twists and turns that it could have been its own TV show: he started off in Canada with dreams of becoming a chemical engineer, but ended up becoming a trusted radio announcer, an inventor and even a chart-topping recording artist, in addition to his career as a famous actor. Here are five things you may not have known about the man who played one of TV’s greatest dads:

1 He was known as the “Voice of Doom”

CONQUEST OF THE EARTH (aka GALACTICA III: CONQUEST OF THE EARTH), Lorne Greene, 1981

Universal Television/Everett Collection

Before Hollywood, Greene’s voice echoed across Canada during some of its darkest times. During World War II, he served as a Flying Officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force, but after his service was completed, he took a job as the principal newsreader for the CBC. There, he delivered somber war updates in such a commanding tone that listeners began calling him “The Voice of Doom.”

2 He was an inventor

Everett Collection

While working in radio, he realized there was no efficient way to keep track of time during live segments. So he came up with an ingenious solution: a stopwatch that counted down to zero instead of up, making it easier for announcers to wrap up their scripts right on time. This simple but effective idea helped revolutionize broadcasting and was used in early television production as well. Greene even held the patent for the device, which gave him a bit of financial comfort in the days before digital clocks.

3 He had a surprise hit song

Even Greene probably didn’t expect to become a music star in the middle of his acting career, but that’s exactly what happened in 1964. He released a spoken-word ballad called “Ringo,” a dramatic retelling of the life of the outlaw Johnny Ringo, and it shot all the way to number one on the charts. Greene followed it with several more albums that blended storytelling with folk and country sounds, all inspired by his Bonanza persona.

4 He helped launch Canadian radio stars

Everett Collection

Long before his Hollywood success, Greene was deeply committed to building up talent in Canada. He founded the Academy of Radio Arts in Toronto, a school designed to teach the craft of broadcasting and voice performance. At the time, it was one of the only places in the country focused on helping young people break into radio. Some of his students went on to have long careers in Canadian media, and even though the school eventually closed, its impact lasted.

5 He co-hosted the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with Betty White

THE TOURNAMENT OF ROSES, from left, hosts Lorne Greene, Betty White, aired December 13, 1968

Everett Collection

For nearly a decade, he stood beside Betty White as co-host of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. From 1963 to 1972, the two beloved stars brought holiday cheer into living rooms all across America. Their chemistry was effortless, and viewers came to look forward to seeing them each November, sharing fun facts about the floats.