David Soul, an American-born singer and actor best remembered for his part as Detective Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson in the classic crime drama Starsky & Hutch during the 1970s, died on Friday at the age of 80, according to his family.
Soul, a multi-decade career-spanning musician and filmmaker from the UK, passed suddenly on Thursday “after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family,” according to his widow Helen Snell.
An announcement from the press stated that “he shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as an actor, singer, storyteller, creative artist, and dear friend.”
"His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched."
Paul Michael Glaser’s hilarious and tough character Detective Dave Starsky, played by Soul, competed against the charming Soul in the globally popular US series of the 1970s.
The successful television series was adapted into a movie in 2004. Ben Stiller played Starsky and Owen Wilson played Hutch, and the two made cameos that introduced the enduring characters to a new audience.
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Soul’s roles in the films Magnum Force, Here Come the Brides, and The Yellow Rose helped him gain widespread recognition. He had been married to a British woman named Ms. Snell and had been living in London for almost ten years.
At the height of his popularity as an actor, he began his musical career, releasing a collection CD following the release of five albums.
The tracks “Don’t Give Up On Us,” published in 1976, and “Silver Lady,” released a year later, topped the British singles chart.
2014 saw the use of Silver Lady as the soundtrack for a commercial in which Mr. Soul sang along while driving while donning his recognisable aviator sunglasses.
One of his best-known roles in the UK was the lead in the controversial stage play Jerry Springer: The Opera, which focused on the American talk show host who started a blasphemy lawsuit.
Soul, well-known for his animal-related social activities, was the grandfather of seven grandchildren and the father of six children from several marriages.
Martin Bell, the veteran war correspondent for the BBC whom Soul had supported in his successful 1997 campaign for the UK parliamentary election, spoke passionately about their bond.
The Independent newspaper quoted him in 1999, stating, “I like that David seems unaffected by being famous.”
“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.”
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