David Soul, recognized for his role in the 1970s television show “Starsky and Hutch” and his hit song “Don’t Give Up on Us,” has died at the age of 80. His passing took place on Thursday, January 4, after a prolonged illness, confirmed by his wife, Helen Snell.
Snell remembered her husband as a multi-talented individual with extraordinary gifts as an actor, singer, storyteller, and creative artist. His warm smile, laughter, and zest for life left a lasting impression on many. Besides “Starsky and Hutch,” Soul’s career featured roles in the ABC show “Here Come the Brides,” the thriller “Magnum Force,” and the CBS miniseries “Salem’s Lot.”
Additionally, Soul portrayed Rick Blaine in the TV prequel to the classic film “Casablanca” and starred alongside Sam Elliott and Cybill Shepherd in “The Yellow Rose.” He was a regular in all 92 episodes of “Starsky and Hutch,” playing the undercover cop Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson.
Before gaining fame as an actor, Soul was a singer who opened for notable artists like Frank Zappa, The Byrds, and The Lovin’ Spoonful. His song “Don’t Give Up on Us” topped the Billboard 100 and achieved No. 1 positions in the U.K., Canada, Australia, and other countries. He also had another hit with “Silver Lady.”
Born David Richard Solberg in Chicago, Illinois, on Aug. 28, 1943, Soul was the son of teachers June and Richard, the latter also a Lutheran minister who contributed to Europe’s reconstruction post-World War II. Soul turned down an offer from baseball’s Chicago White Sox to study at Augustana College and then at the University of the Americas in Mexico City, where he cultivated his love for music.
Soul initiated his acting career in New York in John Arden’s “Sergeant Musgrave’s Dance.” He later signed with MGM Records, appeared on “The Merv Griffin Show,” and had a stint at Columbia Pictures in Los Angeles. He made appearances on TV shows like “Flipper,” “I Dream of Jeannie,” and “Star Trek.” Continuing his work in the industry, he directed episodes of “Miami Vice” and “Crime Story,” and made a cameo in the 2004 “Starsky & Hutch” movie.
Besides Snell, his fifth spouse, whom he wed in 2010, he leaves behind six children, among them his daughter, China, who pursues a career in singing and songwriting.