Billie Mae Richards (née Dinsmore, November 21, 1921 – September 10, 2010) was a Canadian actress, voice actress and singer who also appeared onstage and on television. She was the voice of Rankin/Bass' version of the Christmas character Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer from 1964 to 1979, and of the Kid in the radio series Jake and the Kid. [biography (excerpted) from Wikipedia]