Rudolph's voice, Billie Mae Richards, dies

Billie Mae Richards, widely known as the voice of Rudolph in the animated TV Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, has died.

Richards, who was 89, was a well-known voice personality at the CBC.

She died in Burlington, Ont., west of Toronto, her family said.

Richards gained fame for her work as Rudolph in the 1964 holiday production, which also featured the voices of Burl Ives and Canadian actor Paul Soles.

She was also well known in the 1950s for starring in the popular CBC radio program Jake and the Kid.