Career
Ryan is well known for singing about the American West. In late 1970s he teamed up with Phil Baron as Willio and Phillio. They had regular gigs on television, radio and comedy clubs and universities throughout the U.S.. They later paired up again voicing characters of best friends Teddy Ruxpin (Baron) and Grubby the Octopede (Ryan) in the Teddy Ruxpin book and tape series as well as the 1987 television show The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin. In August 2002, Willio and Phillio returned to Cleveland for two performances, at historic Cain Park and two days later at the famed Beachland Ballroom. At the Cain Park show, friend Alec Nordstrom of Hudson was invited onstage. Cleveland's revered rock critic and "world's oldest teenager," Jane Scott, attended and reviewed the Beachland performance for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Willio and Phillio act brought Ryan back into music and after moving to California, he began to write and record songs for The Walt Disney Company. He provided the voices of Rabbit and Tigger, and the singing voice of Eeyore in the Disney Channel's long-running series Welcome to Pooh Corner and in many other Pooh cartoons. He also provided the voice of Barnaby the Dog on the popular series Dumbo's Circus.
Will's earlier band, Wead, played a gig in Wellington, Ohio during the summer of 1966. Appearing on the same bill was Akron-based girl-group The Poor Girls, featuring 17 year old Chrissie Hynde. It is not known whether Will has since been in touch with the Pretenders.
In 1987, Ryan became a fixture of the radio drama Adventures in Odyssey, playing Eugene Meltsner, Harlow Doyle, David Harley, Patrick O'Ryan and nearly 100 one-shot characters. He voiced Rabbit in Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore, Digit in An American Tail, Petrie in The Land Before Time with the current voice of Willie the Giant, started voicing the character from Mickey's Christmas Carol and continues to do voice work. In 2009 he was working on the third season of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, the 21st season of Adventures in Odyssey, and the new radio series of Will Ryan's Cactus County Round-Up. In the Family Guy episode "Road to the North Pole", he provided the voice for Winnie-the-Pooh.
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