Biography

Michael Magee (October 11, 1929 – July 15, 2011) was a Canadian actor, singer and author. He was known for voicing Cyril Sneer and his pet half dog/half aardvark Snag in the Canadian animated series The Raccoons and the voice for The Coach on the CBC show, Yes You Can.

He was also well-known for his alter-ego that he created in the 1970s known as Fred C. Dobbs. Dobbs first came to the public's attention when a daily telephone call from a crotchety commentator enlivened the Bruno Gerussi network radio program. In the mid-to-late 1970s, Magee starred in a series for Toronto's TVOntario called Magee & Company, in which he played numerous characters, including Dobbs.In 1973, he created the show The Real Magees, where he and his wife Duddie were the hosts of this weekday, half-hour talk show, chatting informally with non-celebrities, such as a cab driver, ambulance driver and nightclub bouncer. Bob Weinstein produced the series in Montreal for Screen Gems and CBC Television.He went on to work as a writer, producer, and commentator for the CBC racing telecasts from 1964 to 1986. The network won the Sovereign Award for outstanding film/video/broadcast in 1985. An avid racing historian, Magee authored the book, "Champions," in collaboration with Pat Bayes, which was published in 1980. He also was a renowned handicapper and one of his last official connections with racing was as the host of "Racing With Magee," a daily radio show that aired in the mid-1990s.

Magee died on July 15, 2011 at the age of 81. He had been suffering from colitis, which led to internal bleeding and heart stoppage.