Draft:Bill Brooks (voice actor)

  • Comment: Too many primary sources are cited. Discogs and random blogs are not reliable sources and do not count towards notability. C F A 💬 03:34, 8 August 2024 (UTC)

Bill Brooks
Born
William Arthur Brooks

(1950-03-23)March 23, 1950
Occupations
  • Voice actor
  • Audiobook narrator
  • musical artist
Years active1966–present
Spouses
  • Shirley Black Brooks
    (m. 1969; div. 1976)
  • Sarah Freeman Brooks
    (m. 1978; deceased 1989)
  • Leslie Stephens Brooks
    (m. 1990; div. 1993)
  • Terri Carter Brooks
    (m. 2001; div. 2010)
Children4
Websitewww.ibrooks.com

Bill Brooks is an American voice actor and musician known for his work in audiobook narration, radio, theater, production, and music. Over a span of six consecutive years, he was voted Entertainer of the Year in Texas by the Country Music Revue Association.[1][2][3][4][5]

Career

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Brooks began his career in broadcasting at the age of 16, after a local radio station offered him a job as an announcer while he was recording a radio commercial. He subsequently held various positions in management, marketing, and sales at radio and television stations across several states including New Mexico, North Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, and Missouri. He also served as Chief News Anchor and investigative reporter for a CBS television affiliate in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and worked as a Radio Personality at KXOL Radio, currently known as KMNY in Fort Worth, Texas.[6]

At 16, Brooks developed an interest in theatre, participating in musical and theatrical productions such as "Bye Bye Birdie," "Annie Get Your Gun," Man of La Mancha, The Music Man, South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof, and The Promise.[6]

Brooks is also known for performing with his brother Randy in their musical group, The Brooks Brothers, which gained international exposure through television and live concerts. In the 1980s, they became the official production group for American Airlines, producing over 700 shows and events worldwide. The Brooks Brothers have recorded three Top 40 hits in gospel and country music and have released 25 albums.[6][7]

He played Peter and the Narrator in The Promise. He was voted Entertainer of the Year in Texas for six consecutive years by the Country Music Revue Association and taught Leann Rimes his arrangement of "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow," which she later recorded.[6][8][9][10]

From 1990 to 1994, he was Director of Marketing at Kingdom Development Company, overseeing sales and marketing for The Promise in Glen Rose, Texas. Between 1989 and 1996, Brooks worked with Bob Hope as a Producer of Charity Events, featuring stars like Garth Brooks and Barbara Mandrell. He was also Master of Ceremonies for various events including the Miss Universe Pageant preliminaries and the Grand Millennium Celebration in Branson, Missouri.[6][10]

Brooks holds an honorary Doctorate of Theology and is a published author. He served as CEO/Executive Director of Promise Entertainment Group, L.L.C., and was President of the Branson Theatre Association. He also spent six months in Ghana launching FM radio stations for StarCom Broadcasting.[6]

In 2004, he was Project Director of "The Promise" in Seoul, South Korea. He was President of Promise Productions International, Inc., producing music and theatrical entertainment from a Judeo-Christian perspective. His recent productions include His Life – The Musical in New York City, Ethiopia, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[6][10][11]

Brooks helped found the Carlsbad, New Mexico's Hall of Fame in 2018.[12][13][14]

Voice acting

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Brooks has performed a variety of roles as a voice actor across most commercial genres and is particularly celebrated for his role as an anime voice actor.[15][16][17]

Audiobooks

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Brooks is a veteran audiobook narrator, mentor, and coach.[18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]

Personal life

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Brooks currently resides in Texas, where he is Co-Managing Partner of Word Power Productions alongside Meritt North, specializing in voice over services and production. He is recognized as a leading expert, coach, and mentor in the voice over industry. He also currently serves as a News Anchor/Traffic Reporter for Audacy at KRLD (NewsRadio 1080 KRLD) Dallas and multiple other markets.[27][6][22]

References

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  1. ^ "Mayor's Cultural Development Council - Carlsbad, New Mexico - Official City Website". 2018-12-23. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  2. ^ Jinkins, Shirley (2017-03-17). "Chisai Childs of Branson fame built Fort Worth opry scene". Fort Worth Star Telegram. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  3. ^ Guy, Staci (2016-08-01). "The Voice, The Promise, The Fame" (PDF). Focus on Carlsbad. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  4. ^ "Religion-based musicals continue at Shipshewana". Macomb Daily. 2009-07-12. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  5. ^ Polen, O. W. (2017-09-13). "They Took Their Song Behind Prison Walls". Evangel Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "Bill Brooks - Bill's Bio, Credits, Awards, and more". Stage 32. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  7. ^ "Bill Brooks Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  8. ^ "The promise | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  9. ^ "The Promise in Glen Rose". The Promise in Glen Rose. 2016-05-27. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  10. ^ a b c yeriel. "Bill Brooks, Randy Brooks 형제". Promise Church (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  11. ^ Clark, Joshua (2015-04-03). "Easter weekend shows reunite 'Promise' cast". Branson Tri-Lakes News. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  12. ^ "Update 12-4-23". Carlsbad, New Mexico - Official City Website. 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  13. ^ Janway, Dale. "Carlsbad: Home of exceptional men and women". Carlsbad Current-Argus. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  14. ^ "Carlsbad Museum Hall of Fame". Focus NM Daily. 2022-09-11. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  15. ^ "Bill Brooks". Kinorium. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  16. ^ "Bill Brooks Visual Voices Guide". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  17. ^ "Bill Brooks Anime Planet". Anime Planet. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  18. ^ "AudioFile Guide Listing: BILL BROOKS". AudioFile Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  19. ^ "Audiobooks narrated by Bill Brooks | Audible.com". www.audible.com. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  20. ^ "Voice Artist, Audiobook Narrator, and Podcast Host & Producer Meritt North". Meritt North. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  21. ^ "About Me". sarahjanerogers.com. 2023-02-25. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  22. ^ a b Brooks, Bill (2016-07-21). "The VO Professional: Why Improv Voice-Over?". Such A Voice. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  23. ^ Nextory. "Bill Brooks – All Audiobooks & E-books". nextory.com. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  24. ^ "Listing by Narrator". University Press Audiobooks. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  25. ^ "Lawless Waters Publishing Co". OverDrive. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  26. ^ "Narration Demo Female North American eLearning Audiobook". Voices. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  27. ^ "Dallas: Woman hospitalized after being broadsided by 16-year-old carjacking suspect". www.audacy.com. 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
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