(Newser)
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Sadly, Mickey Mouse will need a new voice. Wayne Allwine, who has voiced the character for the past three decades in movies and at Disney parks, died Monday from diabetes at age 62, the Los Angeles Times reports. Allwine is only the third person to voice Mickey, following Walt Disney himself and Jimmy Macdonald. Allwine's wife, Russi Taylor, is the voice of Minnie Mouse.
"Wayne was my hero," said Taylor, who's had the Minnie role since 1986. "He really loved doing Mickey Mouse and was very proud that he did it 32 years." Allwine always thought of his job as a great honor. "It's really not about me," he once said. "It's about Mickey, and Mickey is Walt's. So what I do is I get to take this wonderful American icon and keep it alive until the next Mickey comes along."
