ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
Whether or not you actually knew Phil Sayer, chances are you've heard his voice if you've ridden a train in London in the last decade or two.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PHIL SAYER: Please mind the gap between the train and the platform.
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
The London Underground has many announcers, but Phil Sayer has long been one of the most ubiquitous. He passed away yesterday.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SAYER: The train now approaching platform 11 B is...
SHAPIRO: Phil Sayer wasn't born speaking in those calming, clear, deep tones. First, he had to work his way through a career in news radio, as he told the Manchester Evening News in 2010.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SAYER: I'd done 10 years at the BBC in Manchester, and that came to an end, and I thought, well, what do I do now? And the answer was voice-overs.
SIEGEL: Soon he could be heard from trains all over the U.K. asking riders to mind the gap, stand clear of the doors and, of course, forgive any delays.
SHAPIRO: Phil Sayer and his wife, Eleanor Hamilton - who was also a voice of the Tube - used to joke that they were the most apologetic couple in Britain.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SAYER: I'm sorry to announce that the 13-24 London Midland service from this station to Ponbridge has been canceled. I'm sorry for the delay this will cause for your journey.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SAYER: This is a real big problem somewhere on the network. I won't even know about it, frankly. Although I'm there saying, I'm sorry to announce that the train is delayed, well, I'm not 'cause I'm still asleep in bed.
SIEGEL: Phil Sayer was 62. His company shared news of his passing this way,
(reading) we are sorry to announce that this service terminates here. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
