Jane Barbe (July 29, 1928(1928-07-29) – July 18, 2003) was an American voice actress known as the “Time Lady” .for the recordings she made for the Bell System and other phone companies.
Barbe, a Florida native who grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, studied drama at the University of Georgia. After graduating, she worked as a copywriter, though due to her poor spelling, she opted to read her first commercial out loud to her boss instead of submitting it...
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Jane Barbe (July 29, 1928(1928-07-29) – July 18, 2003) was an American voice actress known as the “Time Lady” .for the recordings she made for the Bell System and other phone companies.
Barbe, a Florida native who grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, studied drama at the University of Georgia. After graduating, she worked as a copywriter, though due to her poor spelling, she opted to read her first commercial out loud to her boss instead of submitting it in writing. He was so satisfied with her performance he asked her to record the commercial herself.
In 1963, she began recording messages for the Audichron Company (now known as ETC) announcing time, temperature and weather, as well as recordings for early voice mail systems. In the ’70s and ’80s, she regularly recorded the intercept messages used when a number is disconnected, and started sharing recording duties with (AT&T; voice) Pat Fleet in 1981 who eventually took over Barbe's role.
Through the years, Barbe's voice became well-known...
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