Invoice Cunningham, the unique voice of the traditional Ken doll for Mattel throughout the early 1960s, has died. He was 96.
Cunningham’s demise was confirmed to Deadline Thursday by CESD Expertise Company, which he co-founded in 1963.
The singer-turned-businessman died on July 15 at his dwelling in West Hollywood. No different particulars have been supplied.
The founder was “among the many nice innovators and gents of the expertise illustration enterprise,” CESD companions Ken Slevin and Paul Doherty stated in an announcement.
“Invoice set the template for consumer and customer support, notably in industrial, voice-over and print. He was a heat, gregarious, stylish man who made a constructive influence on all these he represented and employed. It was our honor to know him and to study from him.”
CESD Expertise Company is now considered probably the most profitable industrial and voiceover expertise businesses in Hollywood.
With the encouragement and assist of his late pal and singer Peggy Taylor, Cunningham invested his life financial savings into founding the Pacific Artists Company in 1963.
The beginning-up company launched with simply 10 voiceover purchasers, earlier than changing into probably the most sought-after organizations for artists.
Pacific Artists turned Cunningham & Associates 4 years later, and Cunningham opened up two extra areas in New York and Chicago.
Born in 1927, Cunningham had goals of constructing it in Hollywood from a younger age.
His goals of stardom have been placed on maintain when he enlisted within the US Navy, the place he served on a minesweeper ship throughout World Conflict II.
He continued to feed his creative facet by performing with the Fort Emory Drum and Bugle Corp throughout his service.
After the warfare, Cunningham returned dwelling and determined to pursue a singing profession.
He quickly landed stints on NBC’s “Voices of Walter Schumann” and “The Tennessee Ernie Ford Present.”
He additionally sang on film soundtracks for studios together with Fox, Paramount and Warner Bros.
It was then that he landed his career-defining voice work as Barbie’s boyfriend Ken on the 1961 album “Barbie Sings.”
The next yr, Cunningham launched his debut album “I’m At all times Chasing Rainbows,” however his music profession was short-lived as in 1963 he co-founded his expertise company.
Cunningham retired in 1989 after promoting the company to T.J. Escott and Angela Dipine, who in flip offered it in 2005 to Slevin and Doherty.
His ultimate profession enterprise was releasing his autobiography, “I Marvel What Grew to become of Me” in 2014.
He’s survived by his nephews and nieces Kirk, Kevin, Kristen, Janet, Barbara, and Debbie.