Don Wilson was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and his early life is somewhat of a mystery, but it is known that he played football for the University of Colorado in the 1920s. He began his radio career as a singer at Denver's KFEL in 1923 and later moved to Los Angeles, California, where he started working at KFI in 1929.
In the summer of 1932, Wilson worked as a sportscaster, covering the opening of the 1932 Summer Olympics, and in the early part of 1934, he was working as the announcer on George Gershwin's series, "Music by Gershwin". It was during this time that Jack Benny heard him on the radio and insisted that he come to work for him. On April 6, 1934, Wilson made his first broadcast as Benny's announcer in his live radio show, marking the beginning of a long-term collaboration with Benny.
Wilson was a larger-than-life figure with a deep, resonant voice and a robust physique that made him extremely popular with sponsors. In the early days of radio, the show's announcer would read commercial pitches for sponsors, and sponsors believed that a deep voice was more appealing to audiences. Wilson was a shrewd businessman who ensured that his contracts allowed him to freelance and take on other projects, which he did.
In 1946, Wilson became a regular on the daytime comedy "Glamour Manor", and he also worked as an announcer for variety shows and comedy radio programs. When Jack Benny made the transition to television in 1950, Wilson followed suit, remaining with Benny until 1965, when "The Jack Benny Program" ended.
In 1966, Wilson made his final television appearance on the "Batman" TV series in the episode "Dizzoner the Penguin", where he played the uncredited role of newscaster "Walter Klondike", a parody of Walter Cronkite. From 1968 until the mid-1970s, Wilson and his wife hosted a television show called "Town Talk" in the Palm Springs area, and he continued to do interviews on radio and television whenever the topic was about Jack Benny or old-time radio, earning himself a reputation as an authority on both.
Don Wilson passed away on April 25, 1982, at the age of 81, in Cathedral City, California, leaving behind his wife of over 30 years, radio actress Lois Corbett.
