Skip to main content

"Starsky & Hutch" Star David Soul Dies "After Valiant Battle For Life"

'Starsky & Hutch' Star David Soul Dies At 80 'After Valiant Battle For Life'

David Soul became a dual US-UK citizen to fulfil a dream of taking on theatre roles (File)

London:

US-born actor and singer David Soul, a beloved 1970s icon for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the classic TV series "Starsky & Hutch", has died aged 80, his family announced Friday.

UK-based Soul, whose decades-spanning career included work as a director, producer, and singer-songwriter, died Thursday "after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family", his British wife Helen Snell said.

"He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist, and dear friend," she added in a statement.

"His smile, laughter, and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched."

One-time heartthrob Soul starred opposite Paul Michael Glaser's wisecracking tough guy Detective Dave Starsky in the wildly popular 1970s US series that was exported around the world.

The pair had cameos in a 2004 Hollywood remake of the hit show, starring Ben Stiller as Starsky and Owen Wilson as Hutch, which introduced the legendary characters to another younger generation.

The original cop duo remained close over the years, with Soul describing Glaser as "my best friend, my brother" in a social media post last November.

Soul -- who had been living in Britain since the 1990s -- was also known for his roles in "Here Come The Brides", "Magnum Force" and "The Yellow Rose".

At the height of his '70s acting fame, he also embarked on a music career, recording five albums, as well as later releasing a compilation album.

The tracks "Don't Give Up On Us", released in 1976, and "Silver Lady" a year later, both topped the singles chart in Britain.

"Silver Lady" was used as the soundtrack to a commercial for Britain's National Express coach operator in 2014, with Soul -- in his trademark aviator sunglasses -- singing along at the wheel.

"He was such a bright light and an inspiration for so many singers," US musician and fashion designer Nikki Lund said, in one of many tributes posted online.

"Found a home"

Soul became a dual US-UK citizen nearly two decades ago, after moving to London in the mid-1990s to fulfil a dream of taking on theatre roles.

He credited later seeking a British passport with "a simple desire to belong", saying at the time that "after years and years of wandering the planet, I have finally found a home and a community that I can embrace".

In the UK, among Soul's starring roles was the lead in "Jerry Springer: The Opera", the controversial stage show about the US television talk show host which led to a blasphemy case in the courts.

He also took on numerous other acting jobs, including in the long-running British medical drama "Holby City", and was a fan of the north London football club Arsenal.

The need to keep working may in part have stemmed from the early decision by both Soul and Glaser to sell their 7.5 percent share in "Starsky & Hutch" for $100,000 each, just before the series' international syndication.

Soul, who was also known for his social activism, particularly around animals, had six children from multiple marriages, and seven grandchildren.

The former BBC war reporter Martin Bell, who Soul helped in his successful 1997 UK parliamentary election campaign, spoke warmly of their friendship.

"I like the fact that David seems unaffected by being famous," he told the Independent newspaper in 1999.

"It can't have been easy when Starsky and Hutch finished, but he just got on with life and forged a career for himself as a singer and stage actor."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Adblock test (Why?)



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/vPkYybt https://ift.tt/3Buy4kt
via IFTTT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

North Korea Says It Tested New Strategic Cruise Missile

North Korea test-fired a new generation of strategic cruise missile on Wednesday. (Representational) Seoul: North Korea fired several cruise missiles towards the Yellow Sea on Wednesday, Seoul's military said, the latest in a series of tension-raising moves by the nuclear-armed state. Hours later, North Korea appeared to confirm the firing, saying it had carried out its first test of a new generation of strategic cruise missiles it is developing, the Pulhwasal-3-31. Pyongyang has accelerated weapons testing in the new year, including tests of what it called an "underwater nuclear weapon system" and a solid-fuelled hypersonic ballistic missile. "Our military detected several cruise missiles launched by North Korea towards the Yellow Sea at around 7:00 am today," the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. Unlike their ballistic counterparts, the testing of cruise missiles is not banned under current UN sanctions against Pyongyang. Cruise...

18-Year-Old Killed By Friends Over Mobile Game Password In Bengal: Cops

According to cops, accused "friends" attempted to burn the victim after killing him. (Representational) Kolkata: An argument over sharing the password of an online mobile game allegedly led to the murder of a teenage boy by four of his friends in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, a senior police officer said. The body of 18-year-old Papai Das, who had been missing since January 8, was discovered near Nishindra Ghat of the feeder canal in Farakka on Monday, police said. Papai, a class 10 student, was reportedly killed by his four "close" friends after a disagreement over sharing the password for a mobile online game. The accused individuals have been arrested, police added. "These five individuals used to play online games at one of the quarters of the Farakka Barrage. The victim went out on the evening of January 8 and never returned. On January 9, the family lodged a police complaint. "Based on preliminary investigations, we discovered that...

"Jaiswal Has Run Ahead Of Gill": Ex-India Star's Massive T20 WC Verdict

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has suggested that Yashasvi Jaiswal is slightly ahead of Shubman Gill in the pecking order as captain Rohit Sharma's partner at the top in T20Is. Since making his debut last year, Jaiswal has been in stunning form in the shortest format of the game. Gill's form, on the other hand, has dipped since the ODI World Cup last year in India. With the T20 World Cup scheduled to be held later this year, Chopra feels Jaiswal will open the innings with Rohit during the tournament. "It's clear that Yashasvi Jaiswal has run ahead of Shubman Gill. Yashasvi is ahead in the two-horse race, Gill is lagging slightly behind. Gill was played in the first match, dropped in the second, and wasn't played in the third as well," Chopra said on his YouTube channel. Jaiswal helped India beat Afghanistan in the second T20I earlier this week, scoring a quickfire fifty. Considering his recent form across formats, Chopra emphasised that Jaiswal has ...