Trump drops inaugural parade announcer of 60 years
Brotman said he was “heartbroken” by the announcement
January 09, 2017
Washington: President-elect of the United States Donald Trump has dropped longtime inaugural parade announcer Charles Brotman.
The 89-year-old, who has announced every inauguration parade since 1957, will not be doing the announcement for Trump, CNN reported.
"I've been doing this for 60 years," he told a local Washington TV station, adding that he was “heartbroken” by the announcement.
Replacing Brotman will be 58-year-old Steve Ray, who has worked with various local radios stations and is a freelance announcer.
Ray said that he is merely “the guy who’s next” and that he doesn’t think of himself as filling Brotman’s shoes. "All of us think of Charlie as much of the Washington landscape as any building," Ray told The Washington Post.
Brontmon will be honoured as Announcer Chairman Emeritus on January 20, Trump transition spokesman Boris Epshteyn said.
"Since 1957, millions of Americans and countless entertainers have come to recognise Charlie Brotman as the voice of the inaugural parade," the statement said.
