Roger Ebert gets ’voice’ grandkids can recognize

Roger Ebert gets ’voice’ grandkids can recognize

CHICAGO (AP) — Film critic Roger Ebert says computer programmers have captured his voice from movie commentary tracks so he can type what he wants to say and listeners hear a voice that sounds like him.

Ebert lost his ability to speak after surgery for cancer. He wrote in Sunday’s Chicago Sun-Times that a Scottish company has helped him regain a voice his grandchildren can recognize.

Ebert recorded commentaries for DVD movies before he lost his voice. A Scottish company called CereProc blended digital recordings of Ebert speaking to make his text-to-audio voice.

Ebert writes that the voice will be heard predicting Oscar winners on a segment of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” airing Tuesday.

He says he may be able to use the voice for radio and Webcasts.

Today’s birthdays

Actor Robert Clary (“Hogan’s Heroes”) is 84. Singer Harry Belafonte is 83. Actor Robert Conrad is 75. Singer Mike D’Abo of Manfred Mann is 66. Singer Roger Daltrey is 66. Actor Alan Thicke (“Growing Pains”) is 63. Actor-director Ron Howard is 56. Country singer Janis Oliver Cummins of Sweethearts of the Rodeo is 56. Actress Catherine Bach (“The Dukes of Hazzard”) is 56. Actor Tim Daly (“Wings”) is 54. Keyboardist Jon Carroll (Starland Vocal Band) is 53. Bassist Bill Leen (Gin Blossoms) is 48. Actor George Eads is 43. Actor Javier Bardem is 41. Actor Jack Davenport (“Pirates of the Caribbean”) is 37. Guitarist Ryan Peake of Nickelback is 37. Actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar is 36. “Blues Clues” host Donovan Patton is 32. Singer Sammie is 23.