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Vale: Ken Sparkes
Voice-over presenter best known for Radio and "The Voice of Channel Nine", has died.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
Voice-over presenter Ken Sparkes, best known for Radio and “The Voice of Channel Nine”, has died aged 76.
He was hosting a river cruise in France on Saturday when he had a heart attack.
He began work as a junior radio announcer at 2MG Mudgee in 1956 ahead of a career that would include 2GB, 3UZ, 5KA and KGBS Los Angeles.
Sparkes also worked on music television in the 70s on Bandstand, hosting ATV0’s Kommotion and as an occasional actor on Homicide and Division 4. He was also at one time a journalist for A Current Affair and Sixty Minutes.
For many years he was considered “The Voice of Channel Nine.”
Most recently he had been hosting Jukebox Saturday Night for Foxtel’s Aurora Channel.
Source: Noise11
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- Tagged with A Current Affair, Bandstand, Division 4, Homicide, Jukebox Saturday Night, Kommotion, Sixty Minutes
9 Responses
He is know to me through Sydney radio….my Dad knew him at 2UW
Ken Sparkes sings his single Don’t Let Go in The Magic Circle Club, 1966:
youtu.be/D7od_m2oPIE
He will be sadly missed.When I was a kid he was a household name on radio & I was glued to the TV when Kommotion came on.I hope Jukebox Saturday Night will continue .Molly would be a great choice!
Some nice memories, thanks all.
Never met him, but I do remember when I was doing community radio at Melton in the early 2000s, all of a sudden, our ID’s and Sweepers had the “guy from Channel 9’s” voice on them. When I asked around as to how we managed to get him, apparently all someone did was contact him via email and presto, there they were! Says a lot about someone who would be so giving. RIP, what a voice!
Simply the best tv promo voice this country ever had. Still the One!
I was lucky enough to work with Ken for many years here at Nine. At one stage, I was suddenly drafted to write the copy for all those voice-overs that Ken would read over the end credits of everything. Me, being a newcomer to the craft, greatly appreciated all his help and encouragement in my early attempts; however, when I would try to tweak a few of the old clichés, Ken would inevitably rewrite and read it his way – I was furious; not because he rewrote it but because it was always so much better his way!!!
Somewhere, in the Great Audio Booth in the sky, there’s his wonderful voice now letting God know just what’s coming up next, right after the break. Vale Ken.
Woke up to the very sad news. I remembered him back as a voiceover on Channel 9 with his high pitched voice. Not just that but doing a stint on Ten as a voiceover.
Goodbye and rest in peace.
Ken will be sadly missed by his Jukebox Saturday Night Family…..a lovely, charming kind man 🙁