American voice actor Brice Armstrong, who was known for his work on the English dubs of shows like 'Dragon Ball' and 'Dragon Ball Z', passed away aged 84. Most of his collaborations in Entertainment was with the American media company 'Funimation'. However, he started his career in radio during the early '60s. Before retiring from voice work in 2009, Armstrong had a prolific career that spanned nearly 40 years.
Armstrong was one of the most famous clients of the talent agency, The Mary Collins Agency and had a long and successful industry relationship with them-- allowing him to rub shoulders with the likes of John Wayne, Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, Ed Wynn, and Johnny Cash among others.
"I'm sad to say we lost a dear client and friend, voice actor Brice Armstrong, on Friday, January 10th, 2020," the Mary Collins Agency posted on Facebook, the management company that the voice actor was working for. "He died of natural causes" the post explained as it continued to honor the fallen artist, considered a major figure in his circle of avid anime fans.
'Dragon Ball' and beyond
For 'Dragon Ball' he provided the voice of the series narrator that brought him into the spotlight of companies looking to dub Japanese anime shows in America. The sequel 'Dragon Ball Z' saw him return to voice two characters, Captain Ginyu and Lord Slug. His career consists of properties owned by the American Entertainment company 'Funimation'.
The inception of Armstrong's career dates back to 1964 at KRLD Radio/TV, the year in which he would become a part of the long-running 'Charlie and Harrigan Show' on KLIF Radio. In 2004, he was honored by being inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame for his radio work and his career which saw him become one of the most bankable voice actors for the Mary Collins Agency through the late '70s and '80s.
Legends pay respect to their fallen friend
"Brice was the kindest, funniest person I've ever known," said Christopher Sabat, voice actor and founder of Okratron 5000. "He was always humble, never in a bad mood-not the attitude you'd expect from such an industry legend," he concluded, eulogizing his friend. As the 'Dragon Ball' shows' English dub ran on Toonami between 2001 to 2003, Armstrong branched out providing voices for animes such as, 'Cased Closed', 'Fullmetal Alchemist' and 'Yu Yu Hakusho'.
James Earl Jones, Darth Vader himself, spoke about the fact that he envied Armstrong's voice control. 'BloodRayne 2', 'Dragon Ball Z: Budokai' and 'Dragon Ball Z: Sagas' were the few games on which Armstrong provided voices work. After Armstrong's retirement, he gifted Mary Collins his entire Hollywood Book Library with the office having a plaque that reads "I have to Sally Forth", his signature phrase. Armstrong is survived by his six children and nine grandchildren.
