David Courtney, the long-time Los Angeles sports public address announcer for the Angels and Kings and the PA voice for the Clippers since 2008, has died, the Angels announced on Thursday. He was 56.
Courtney began announcing for the Kings in 1989 and for the Angels in
1994, and he also served as the Los Angeles Rams PA announcer for three
years before the NFL team moved to St. Louis in 1995.
The cause of death has not yet been announced.
“The Angels family is deeply saddened to hear of David’s passing,”
the team said in a statement. “He was a gentle soul, a consummate
professional and an unforgettable voice tied to several professional
Southern California sports teams.
“Over the past 18 years, his
love, dedication and passion for the Angels was evident every time his
voice rang through the ballpark. Our thoughts and prayers go out to
David’s family at this difficult time.”
Born in New York City, Courtney and his family moved to Los Angeles
in 1963 when his father, Alan, a network television executive, became
president of MGM Television.
Courtney began working in pro sports when he was 14, starting as a
public relations assistant for the Kings in 1971. In 1978, at age 21,
Courtney took a full-time PR job with a hockey team in Houston, and when
that club folded two years later, he remained in Houston and began a
successful broadcasting career.
He went on to announce games for the NBA’s Houston Rockets, the USFL Gamblers and baseball’s Houston Astros. After returning to Southern California, Courtney served as the voice for the 2002 NHL All-Star Game and the 2010 baseball All-Star Game in Anaheim.
His work as an announcer led to voice roles in the movies "Tooth
Fairy", "Angels in the Outfield," "61*" and television’s "Home Improvement".
Since 1992, Courtney has worked full time for Metro Networks as a
sports, traffic and news reporter, and he recently could be heard on 710
ESPN Radio in Los Angeles and KOLA 99.9 FM in the Inland Empire.
Courtney, who lived in Mission Viejo, is survived by his wife, Janet Fisher-Courtney.
