Obituary: James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader and Musafa

James Earl Jones was a successful actor who became known for voicing Star Wars villain Darth Vader.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersJames Earl Jones: From a childhood stammer to the unmistakable voice of Darth VaderGetty ImagesJames Earl Jones might have enjoyed an acting career that lasted nearly 60 years. But the thing he will be remembered for was that voice.

It was a deep, rolling, glorious contrabass; once described as the sound that "Moses heard when addressed by God."

He was the voice of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, summoning by speech alone the full power of the mystical 'Force'.

More recently, he could be heard growling "This is CNN", conveying urgency and bestowing gravitas on the US news channel's tagline.

James Earl Jones was born on 17 January 1931 in Mississippi, of African-American, American Indian and Irish ancestry. His father, Robert Earl Jones abandoned his family not long after the birth of his son.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c903841w145o

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