Barbie’s original Ken voice actor Bill Cunningham dies

William ‘Bill’ Cunningham’s company confirmed that the renowned singer died in his West Hollywood home earlier this month.

The CESD Talent Agency, which he founded in 1963, announced the devastating news over social media with a snap of a cheerful-looking Bill, noting in the caption: “Remembering William ‘Bill’ Cunningham (1927-2023).”

The agency did not reveal the star’s cause of death but did highlight some of Bill’s most astounding accomplishments like building the “most successful, bicoastal commercial/VO talent agency in the business”.

While the actor was undeniably successful in the business side of the entertainment industry, he only opened the agency following a prolific career as a singer and voice-over artist himself.

Most notably, Bill was the first ever star to lend his voice to Barbie’s Ken doll.

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Following the success of the original Barbie doll in 1959, dressed in her iconic black and white striped swimsuit, her male counterpart was released two years later in a simple pair of red swimming trunks with a matching towel.

In the same year, Mattel released a Barbie Sings vinyl, containing “Six terrific teen-age tunes sung by Barbie and Ken”, with Bill taking the role of a lovestruck Ken alongside Charlotte Austin playing Barbie.

The crooner got his own solo on the record, simply titled Barbie, which was a heartwarming romantic ballad revealing Ken’s unshakable love for his plastic feminine counterpart.

After his success in the role in 1961, Bill went on to perform alongside the likes of Judy Garland and Dinah Shore and had his debut album financed by iconic cinema dancer Fred Astaire.

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Following news of his death, fans, friends and colleagues shared their own tributes to the late star, as one wrote on the agency’s Instagram page: “He was an absolutely lovely man so smart, so talented, extremely spiritual I’m sure he’s singing in heaven he had a magnificent voice, incredible voice, dear dear Bill, we will miss you.”

Another added: “Heartbroken. Bill was an incredible man filled with amazing stories.”

A third shared: “Never had the chance to know him… but so grateful for him.”

Bill also continued his cinematic singing, putting his voice to use on multiple motion picture soundtracks throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

Around the same time, the actor was encouraged by his friend, TV icon Peggy Taylor, to invest his life savings in a startup called Pacific Artists Agency, one of the first talent agencies in Los Angeles during Hollywood’s golden era.

The business launched in 1963 representing 10 voice-over actors and Bill personally took their headshots and handwritten bios to producers across LA, delivering them all by hand.

After a few decades, and multiple re-namings, the company eventually became CESD with offices in New York and Chicago as well.

Bill ultimately retired, both from the agency and the public spotlight, in 1989 although he made a brief return to notoriety in 2014 with his autobiography I Wonder What Became of Me.

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