Keith Birdsong
Keith Birdsong (July 14, 1959 – June 4, 2019) was an American illustrator, known best for illustrating covers of Star Trek novels, which usually depicted the various characters of the Star Trek television series and movies in a realistic manner. Life and career 

A self-taught artist, Birdsong grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma, until the age of 15. He subsequently moved to California, and Texas for one year each. He then moved to Missouri, where he finished school, and got married before joining the United States Army, serving in the 82nd Airborne Division. He completed several illustration projects for the Army during this time. He self-identified as being of Cherokee and Muscogee descent. Birdsong worked as a journalist before becoming a professional illustrator. His chosen medium was acrylic paint and colored pencil. He did illustration work for Star Trek, books of the cyberpunk role-playing game Shadowrun, and children's books such as The Halloween Hex: Hi-Tech Howard. In addition to book covers, Birdsong's work has appeared in films, on collectors' plates for the Hamilton Collection and the Bradford Exchange, and on U.S. postage stamps, including an issuance honoring American Indian dance and six "Celebrate the Century" stamps that commemorated the 1960s. Birdsong's family includes Sheila Corley, his sister DeeJay Gaugh, his daughter Candice Jordan, and two granddaughters. Stroke and death 
In June 2018, Keith had a hemorrhagic stroke and doctors told him he would never walk or talk again, much less paint. However, Birdsong recovered and returned to painting. Birdsong died on June 4, 2019, as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash. Notable clients 
 United States Post Office
 Paramount Studios
 NASA
 Lucasfilm
 Simon & Schuster
 Pocket Books
 New American Library
 Berkley Books
 Bradford Exchange
 Random House
 Prentice Hall
 Harlequin
 Ace Books
 De Laurentiis Studios 
 Penguin
 Roc Books

See also
 List of Native American artists
 Visual arts by indigenous peoples of the Americas

Notes

External links
 

1959 births
2019 deaths
Place of death missing
American people who self-identify as being of Muscogee descent
American people who self-identify as being of Cherokee descent
People from Muskogee, Oklahoma
Military personnel from Oklahoma
Artists from Oklahoma
20th-century American artists
21st-century American artists