Actor-singer David Soul, a 1970s heart-throb who co-starred as the blond half of the crime-fighting duo Starsky and Hutch and topped the music charts with the ballad Don’t Give Up on Us, has died at the age of 80.
His wife, Helen Snell, said today NZT that “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,” Snell said in a statement. “His smile, laughter and passion for life will be remembered by the many whose lives he has touched.”
Born David Solberg, Soul was a Chicago native whose acting career dated back to the 1960s, when he joined the avant-garde Firehouse Theatre in Minnesota. He continued to appear on stage and screen well into the 20th century, but he was best known for his work in the 1970s.
![David Soul, photographed at an event in Los Angeles in 1983. The Starsky and Hutch star has died at 80. Photo / AP](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/GCZJVOA2H5DSLG5KXBI6ZYA74A.jpg?auth=495dcd4bd5656c74902e0831dd57a147b88f7307e12073fce129ef4536ac9b93&width=16&height=24&quality=70&smart=true)