[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 140 (Friday, October 28, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2211]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        ON THE LIFE, AND VOICE, OF THE LATE AND GREAT BILL KING

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. GEORGE MILLER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 28, 2005

  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, Holy Toledo, we've lost 
another great American voice.
  Sadly, I rise today to commemorate and celebrate the life of Bill 
King--a close personal friend--and his legacy as a sports radio 
personality in the San Francisco Bay Area.
  I was deeply saddened when I heard news of the death of this 
distinguished man. Over the course of the last half century Mr. King 
grew to become a regular presence in the lives of so many people in the 
Bay Area. His trademark phrase, ``Holy Toledo,'' remains a household 
expression across several generations of sports enthusiasts.
  Mr. King, a native of Bloomington, Illinois, began his broadcasting 
career with the Armed Forces Radio Network, while he was stationed on 
Guam following World War II. He came to the Bay Area in 1958 and worked 
on the San Francisco Giants broadcast team, and also for Cal football. 
Throughout his career he did the play-by-play for numerous historic 
events.
  He became the first lead broadcaster for the NBA Warriors franchise 
when they moved to San Francisco from Philadelphia in 1962. He remained 
with the Warriors until 1983 and has the distinction of broadcasting 
through the only championship season (1974-75) in the franchise's 
history since moving to the Bay Area. Starting in 1966 Mr. King began a 
16-year tenure broadcasting for the Oakland Raiders.
  From 1981 until his passing he was the lead broadcaster for the 
Oakland Athletics Baseball franchise. This era included the famous 1989 
``Bay Bridge'' World Series between the San Francisco Giants and 
Oakland Athletics. The series, which the A's eventually won, was 
delayed for 10 days after the Loma Prieta struck the region just 
minutes before the start of game 3.
  The Bay Area and the entire Nation will truly miss Mr. King. For so 
many people he was the voice that brought our national pastimes to 
life, play-by-play, one game at a time. I extend my sincere condolences 
to Mr. King's family, including his wife Nancy Stephens, his 
stepdaughter, Kathleen Lowenthal, his stepson, John Stephens, and his 
grandchildren, Julia and John Lowenthal.

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