Acclaimed artist-vocalist David Soul, a captivating figure of the 1970s renowned for co-starring as the fair-haired counterpart in the crime-solving pair “Starsky & Hutch” and achieving chart-topping success with the melodic masterpiece “Don’t Give Up on Us,” has passed away at the age of 80.
His spouse, Helen Snell, conveyed on Friday that “David Soul – esteemed spouse, father, grandfather, and sibling – departed yesterday following a courageous struggle for life, surrounded by his devoted family.”
Snell further expressed in a statement, “He bequeathed numerous extraordinary talents to the world as an actor, singer, narrator, imaginative artist, and cherished companion. The radiance of his smile, the resonance of his laughter, and his fervor for life will endure in the memories of the many lives he has deeply influenced.”
Originally David Solberg, Soul hailed from Chicago and initiated his acting journey in the 1960s, aligning with the avant-garde Firehouse Theater in Minnesota. While maintaining a presence on both stage and screen well into the 20th century, his zenith resided in the 1970s.
Soul embodied the character of detective Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson alongside the dark-haired Paul Michael Glaser as detective David Starsky in “Starsky & Hutch,” an ABC series that thrived from 1975 to 1979, reaching such acclaim that it inspired a line of juvenile playthings.
Beyond his acting prowess, Soul achieved musical triumph, commencing in 1976 with “Don’t Give Up on Us,” followed by hits like “Going in With My Eyes Open” and “Silver Lady.”
His fame initially burgeoned in the 1960s through appearances on “The Merv Griffin Show” as “The Covered Man,” a vocalist concealed in a cap who vociferated lyrics such as “That is why I hide my face, because a man has to be free.”
Other notable television appearances encompassed early roles in “Star Trek,” “All in the Family,” and “I Dream of Jeannie,” the miniseries “Salem’s Lot,” and a short-lived adaptation of the cinematic classic “Casablanca,” where Soul assumed Humphrey Bogart’s role as nightclub proprietor Rock Blaine.
Soul’s cinematic contributions encompassed works like “Magnum Force,” “The Hanoi Hilton,” and a cameo appearance alongside Glaser in the 2004 cinematic revival of “Starsky & Hutch,” featuring Ben Stiller as Starsky and Owen Wilson as Hutch.
Transitioning to Britain in the 1990s, Soul engaged in various theatrical roles. In 2001, he secured a defamation victory against a journalist who prematurely labeled “The Dead Monkey,” a play in which Soul participated, as the worst production ever without witnessing it. Additionally, he portrayed the eponymous talk-show host in “Jerry Springer – The Opera” in London’s West End.