Bill Cunningham served in World War II and was the original voice of Ken all in one lifetime (Picture: Getty / CESD Talent)
Bill Cunningham, the original voice behind Barbie’s boyfriend Ken, has reportedly died aged 96.
Cunningham founded the company that became CESD Talent Agency more than 50 years ago. The agency confirmed the news to Deadline.
Originally called Cunningham & Associate’s when it first began in the 1970s, CESD specialises in commercial, voice-over, theatrical, film, TV, digital, comedy, dance, and print representation.
‘Bill set the template for client and customer service, particularly in commercial, voice-over and print,’ said CESD partners Ken Slevin and Paul Doherty in a statement.
‘He was a warm, gregarious, classy man who made a positive impact on all those he represented and employed. It was our honor to know him and to learn from him.’
Before heading to Hollywood, Cunningham – born in San Francisco in 1927 – served in the US Navy on a minesweeper in World War II.
Here, he also sang and toured with Fort Emory Drum and Bugle Corp, playing to audiences throughout the Pacific.
Once home, Cunningham pursued his passion for singing, which landed him his first gig on NBC’s Voices of Walter Schumann and The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show.
His voice can be heard on a number of movie soundtracks for Warner Bros, as well as Fox and Paramount, and he also voiced commercials.
He then became the singing voice for Barbie’s boyfriend Ken, and appeared in the 1961 album Barbie Sings.
I’m Always Chasing Rainbows was the name of his debut album, financed by Fred Astaire.
It was in 1963 Cunningham decided to invest his savings into a startup called Pacific Artists Agency, which was one of the first of its kind in LA.
This then eventually morphed into CESD Talent Agency, which now has 32 agents in two offices, covering New York and Los Angeles.
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RIP.
