Al Jones, a former disc jockey, was the first man to be chosen as the voice of Big Tex, but would fill the role for only one season. A second deejay, Jim Lowe, took over in 1954 and went on to fill the position for a total of 39 years (1954-1981, 1988-1998). Others have stepped in to provide the tall Texan's booming voice, but it is with Jim Lowe, who for so long served as Big Tex's proud alter ego, that they have all been compared. Thousands were saddened to hear of his passing in May 2000, less than two years after his final season. Although his voice has remained the same for most of his reign, Big Tex has changed quite a bit physically since his early days. The first model had even been considered a bit unattractive. Jack Bridges, the man who created Big Tex's original papier-mache head (and later, the fiberglass replacement), said in a 1997 interview that he had taken the faces of himself, Will Rogers and a rancher named Doc Simmons, and selected the worst features from all three to form Tex's initial visage. After just one year, though, changes were already being made. When Big Tex was given the ability to speak, he had his nose straightened and his eyes refashioned to remove a "lascivious wink." In 1958, Tex underwent further cosmetic surgery, bringing him closer to the handsome host we know today. The next year, a mechanism was incorporated that allowed his mouth to move automatically to sound.