'Starsky & Hutch' Actor David Soul Has Passed Away At The Age Of 80

TV & Film

Jan 7

David Soul as Hutch — Image Source: JoBlo

David Soul, singer and star of Starsky & Hutch, passed away on January 4th at the age of 80. His death was announced by his wife, Helen Snell, who said: “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”

David Soul was born in Chicago, Illinois, but because of the charity work of his Lutheran minister father, spent a lot of time in post-World War 2 Berlin. As a teen, Soul also spent time in South Dakota and Mexico. Soul picked up the local languages and as a result, was fluent in Spanish and German. But he also developed a love of Mexican folk songs.

Soul was proud of his talent, and despite his famous good looks, he auditioned for the William Morris Agency under a mask. He was signed on his vocals alone, without the scout ever seeing his face. The character ‘The Covered Man’ did the talk show circuits in the US, but bookings for Soul dwindled once the novelty wore off, so he turned to acting.

<EMBED>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkfWlMwr8t8

Initially, David Soul scored guest roles in television shows such as Star Trek, and I Dream of Jeannie, but he soon landed a lead in frontier comedy, Here Come the Brides. In 1975, he got his most famous part, Detective Ken Hutchinson, in the smash cop series Starsky & Hutch. Soul spent four years as Hutch and became a household name. But he never gave up on his music, and in 1976, his single Don’t Give Up on Us reached number one in seven territories, including the US and the UK. The follow-up, Silver Lady, also reached the top of the charts in the UK and Ireland. In his later years, he merged his two talents, playing the famous talk show host, Jerry Springer, in the Jerry Springer Opera.

David sought treatment for excessive drinking in 1989 when he was brought up on charges of domestic violence by his former wife. Soul married his fifth and last wife in 2010. He moved to the United Kingdom to be with her and passed away in a London hospital surrounded by family.

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