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Starsky & Hutch star David Soul dies as wife shares heartbreaking statement

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Starsky & Hutch star David Soul dies as wife shares heartbreaking statement
Starsky & Hutch star David Soul dies as wife shares heartbreaking statement

Actor and singer David Soul, best known for his role in the television series Starsky & Hutch, has died at the age of 80, his wife Helen Snell said in a statement.

She said in the statement: “David Soul – beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother – died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family. He shared many extraordinary gifts in the world as 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.” The British-American actor and singer was best known for his role as Detective Kenneth 'Hutch' Hutchinson in Starsky & Hutch from 1975 to 1979. He was also Joshua Bolt on Here Comes the Brides between 1968 and 1970.

Starsky & Hutch star David Soul dies as wife shares heartbreaking statement qhiqquiqetiteprwStarsky & Hutch star David Soul dies aged 80 as wife shares heartbreaking statement (Getty Images)

Other roles included Officer John David in Magnum Force in 1973 and Roy Champion in The Yellow Rose. He also had quite a few hits as a singer with his tracks Don't Give Up on Us and Silver Lady - with both songs going to number one on the charts in the UK.

Starsky & Hutch star David Soul dies as wife shares heartbreaking statementDavid and his Starsky & Hutch co-star Paul Michael Glaser (Getty Images)

David was born in 1943 in Chicago, Illinois in the US. His father, Dr Richard W Solberg was a Lutheran minister, the director of Higher Education for the Lutheran Church in America and the senior representative for Lutheran World Relief during the reconstruction of Germany after World War II. This meant that David moved around a lot as a kid.

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He lived in South Dakota and Mexico City when he was younger. While studying at the University of the Americas, he was inspired by students who taught him how to play the guitar. He decided to follow his passion for music and ended up performing at a club in Minneapolis for the first time.

He began performing on stage as an actor in the mid-60s when he became a founding member of the Firehouse Theater. While travelling with the company, David appeared in many productions and first gained attention when he was the Covered Man in The Merv Griffin Show in the late 60s.

Starsky & Hutch star David Soul dies as wife shares heartbreaking statementHe started performing on stage as an actor in the mid-60s (PA)

It wasn't long after that he made his TV debut in Flipper. In 167, he signed a contract with Columbia Pictures and appeared on an episode of Star Trek before landing a role in Here Come the Brides. In the early '70s, he starred as Arthur Hill's law partner on Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law.

Things were going great for David and he was soon cast by Clint Eastwood in the movie, Magnum Force. He starred opposite Paul Michael Glaser in Starsky & Hutch, with the two reprising their roles in the 2004 remake of the same name, starring Ben Stiller as Starsky and Owen Wilson as Hutch.

When he wasn't acting, David had a fruitful career as a singer. He scored a US and UK number one hit with Don't Give Up on Us while Silver Lady hit number one in the UK. Between 1976 and 1978, he had five UK top 20 singles as well as two top 10 UK albums. From the late 70s to the early 80s, he even toured around the world.

Starsky & Hutch star David Soul dies as wife shares heartbreaking statementDavid also had a great career as a singer (Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)

David had five studio albums, and seven compilation albums, with his 2020 one, Gold, being released in 2020.

David has been married five times and has five sons and one daughter. He first tied the knot with Mirrirm 'Mim' Solberg in the early 60s, when they welcomed one child. They split after one year together. In 1968, he married Karen Carlson after they met on Here Come the Brides.

They also welcomed a child but split nine years later. While filming for Starsky & Hutch, he was in an open relationship with Lynne Marta. In 1980, he got married to Petti Carnel Sherman - who was the ex-wife of his Here Come the Bride's co-star Bobby Sherman. The marriage didn't last and, seven years later, he married Julia Nickson.

The couple have a child called China Soul, who followed in her father's footsteps and became a singer. Then, in 2010, he married Helen Snell. They started dating in 2002 after meeting on the British production of Deathtrap. He gained his British citizenship in 2004.

He once discussed his love for the UK. In 2015, he said to MailOnline: "Britain is beautiful. I like south Devon a lot, the bleakness of Dartmoor. And I like being in a country steeped in history. I return to the States about three times a year as my five sons all live there, though my daughter lives here."

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Lucy Needham

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