Darby Bailey
{{short description|American actress}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Darby Bailey
| caption = "Voice of Tellme”
| birth_place = Salt Lake City, Utah, US
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = American
| other_names = Darby, Darby McDonough
| alma_mater = Regent University, Antioch University Los Angeles, University of Utah, Western Governors University
| occupation = Voice actor, Musician, Information Technologist, Songwriter, and Businesswoman
| known_for = Voice of Tellme, Amex, Verizon and AT&T 4-1-1
| yearsactive = 1999–present
}}
Darby Bailey is an American actress, Ph.D. candidate, Information Technologist, voice-over artist, musician, songwriter, writer/producer, and businesswoman.{{cite web |title=Darby Bailey Official Site |url=http://www.darbybailey.com/ |access-date=14 October 2018}} She is most known as the 'Voice of Tellme' and the voice of Verizon{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=20060326&id=hhFPAAAAIBAJ&pg=4862,2922197&hl=en|title=Directory Persistence helps find Darby|last=Weingerten|first=Gene|work=Star-News}} and AT&T's 4-1-1 Directory Assistance.{{cite web|title=MACHINE OPERATORS|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7867888.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224214029/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7867888.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 24, 2017|publisher=The Boston Globe|access-date=January 28, 2017}} Her voice has been heard trillions of times by telephone callers in the U.S. since she first started voicing phone systems in 1999.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/09/technology/09tellme.html|title=Tellme and Cingular Plan Broader Directory Service|last=Markoff|first=John|date=October 9, 2006|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-03-16}}
Career
While most known for being the 'Voice of Tellme' and Verizon and AT&T's 4-1-1,{{cite web|title=Voices in increasing demand for phone automation; Speech recognition:Technology replaces touch-tone menus to route calls and perform other functions over the phone|url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-11058553.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224215105/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-11058553.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 24, 2017|website=Telegraph Herald|access-date=January 28, 2017|date=July 21, 2002}}{{cite web|last1=Weingarten|first1=Gene|title=Directory Persistence ... in which Gene stalks a smooth operator|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/magazine/2006/03/26/directory-persistence-span-classbankhead-in-which-gene-stalks-a-smooth-operatorspan/238f4877-2382-4017-ba71-88295e0cb523/|website=The Washington Post|access-date=January 28, 2017|date=March 26, 2006}} she is also the entry voice to various interactive voice response (IVR) systems for American Express, Fidelity Investments, United Parcel Service and inside Ford Sync enabled automobiles.{{cite web|last1=Wong|first1=May|title=Voices a growing commodity in phone automation|url=http://www.berkeleydailyplanet.com/issue/2002-07-15/article/13526?headline=Voices-a-growing-commodity-in-phone-automation--By-May-Wong-The-Associated-Press-|website=Berkeley Daily Planet|access-date=February 23, 2017|language=en}} She also voiced Utah's 511 Travel Line to coincide with the 2002 Winter Olympics.{{Cite web|url=http://www.deseretnews.com/article/880583/Punch-511-for-word-on-traffic.html?pg=all|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224213154/http://www.deseretnews.com/article/880583/Punch-511-for-word-on-traffic.html?pg=all|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 24, 2017|title=Punch 511 for word on traffic|website=Deseret News|access-date=2016-03-16}} Her voice has been heard billions of times in the United States by callers using Tellme built systems. She is known for her winsome voice."[https://darby.wordpress.com/2001/02/27/the-voice-of-the-future/ The Voice of the Future]", Peltz, Michael, 'Worth Magazine', February 2001{{cite web|title=Verizon's New 411 System: Is It a Live Operator, or Is It 'Darby'?|url=http://www.speechtechmag.com/Articles/News/Speech-Technology-Digest/Verizons-New-411-System-Is-It-a-Live-Operator-or-Is-It-Darby-32066.aspx|website=Speech Technology|access-date=February 23, 2017}}
In popular culture
On October 8, 2005, in a Saturday Night Live sketch called 'Julie The Operator Lady' her voice was parodied, as she was at the time, voicing a broad number of phone services, including being the first voice actor to voice both the 1-800-FANDANGO movie phone ticketing system and the Orbitz Travel alert systems,{{Cite web|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2002/07/15/voice-systems.htm|title=Voice technology easing transactions|website=USA Today|access-date=2016-03-16}} as well as the first voice interactive version of the AT&T, 1-800-555-1212, Directory Assistance line{{Cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2004/09/15/ok_heres_the_411/?page=full|title=OK, here's the 411|website=Boston.com|access-date=2016-03-16}}
Darby appeared as herself in a 2003 television episode of CBS news program Sunday Morning where she was interviewed by David Pogue for her work voicing speech enabled telephone systems.
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www.darbybailey.com/}}
- {{IMDb name|0047216|Darby Bailey}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Darby}}
Category:American voice actresses
Category:Musicians from Salt Lake City
Category:Actresses from Salt Lake City