Ken Nordine was an American voiceover and recording artist born as Kenneth Arthur Nordine on April 13, 1920, in Cherokee. Nordine achieved professional recognition for a musical career characterized by word jazz and for his resonant voice. He achieved professional recognition for a career that began after he performed on radio programs including The World's Great Novels during the 1940s. His recording career began with the studio recording Passion in the Desert (1955). Nordine achieved professional recognition for the song "Shifting Whispering Sands" (1955) recorded with the musician Billy Vaughn which reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. He achieved professional recognition for the studio recording Word Jazz (1957) and the studio recording Son of Word Jazz (1958). The recordings featured his narration over music performed by the Fred Katz Group. Nordine's discography included the studio recording Colors (1967) and hosting the radio program Word Jazz for over 40 years. He achieved professional recognition for providing narration for the music video of the song "Can You Feel It" (1981) by the ensemble the Jacksons. His recording career included the studio recording Devout Catalyst (1991) recorded with the musician Jerry Garcia and the studio recording Transparent Mask (2001). Nordine died on February 16, 2019, in Chicago.
