Clarence Nash Clarence `` Ducky '' Nash ( December 7 , 1904 – February 20 , 1985 ) was an American voice actor , best known for providing the voice of Donald Duck for Walt Disney Studios . He was born in the rural community of Watonga , Oklahoma , and a street in that town is named in his honor . Biography Beginning his Career Nash made a name for himself in the late 1920s as an impressionist for KHJ , a Los Angeles radio station , on their show , The Merrymakers . He later was employed by the Adohr Milk Company for publicity purposes . Dubbed `` Whistling Clarence , the Adohr Bird Man '' , Nash rode the streets with a team of miniature horses and gave treats to the children . In 1932 , Nash happened by the Disney Studio with his team of horses , and decided to leave a copy of his Adohr publicity sheet with the receptionist . As it turns out , his name was recognized from a reprise appearance on The Merrymakers a few days previous , and Walt Disney himself had been impressed by Nash 's vocal skills . He was asked to make an informal audition . Donald Duck Nash went through several of his voices , and Walt Disney happened by when Nash gave his impersonation of a family of ducks . Disney declared Nash perfect for the role of a talking duck in their upcoming animated short , The Wise Little Hen . The duck , of course , was Donald Duck , who Nash went on to voice for more than 50 years , in over 120 shorts and films . The last film to feature Nash 's famous voice was Mickey 's Christmas Carol , released in 1983 . Donald Duck went on to become one of the most famous cartoon characters in the world , and a great part of this was due to Nash 's distinctive voice . It may well be one of the most recognizable character voices in history . The voice is distinctive both for its ducklike quality and the fact that it is often very difficult for anybody to understand , especially when Donald flew into a rage ( which happened fairly often ) . To keep Donald 's voice consistent throughout the world , Nash voiced Donald 's voice in all foreign languages the Disney shorts were translated to , meaning Donald retained his same level of incoherency all across the globe . Other Disney Characters In addition to Donald 's voice , Nash also voiced Daisy Duck ( in her earliest appearances , when she was little more than a female version of Donald , temper and all ) , as well as Donald 's nephews Huey , Dewey and Louie . Nash also provided the meows of Figaro the kitten in a handful of shorts . Later Years Macho Duck When Disney shut down their shorts department in 1965 , Nash continued to voice Donald in various projects over the next two decades , notably performing the song `` Macho Duck '' on the Mickey Mouse Disco album in the 1970s. ( Contrary to popular belief , however , Nash did not perform the duck voice for Rick Dees 's `` Disco Duck `` ) Mickey 's Christmas Carol Nash 's final performance as Donald in Mickey 's Christmas Carol made Donald the only character in the film to be voiced by his original actor . Death Clarence Nash died in 1985 of leukemia and was interred in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hills , Los Angeles , California . The tombstone of the grave he now shares with his wife Margaret Nash ( who died in 1993 ) , depicts a carving of Donald and Daisy Duck holding hands . After Nash After Na sh 's passing , Donald 's voice has been taken up by Disney animator Tony Anselmo , who was trained under Nash personally . Anselmo is also among the many voiceover artists to have also voiced Huey , Dewey and Louie over the years . Later characters whose voices owe considerable credit to Nash 's duck voice have been voiced by actors such as Jimmy Weldon , Frank Welker and Luba Goy . The most prominent of these is Weldon 's Yakky Doodle for Hanna-Barbera . Categories : 1904 births | 1985 deaths | American actors | Voice actors | People from Oklahoma | Disney Legends | Donald Duck In other languages : Français | Português | Svenska 