David Soul, ‘Starsky & Hutch’ Actor, Singer, Dies at 80
by Best Classic Bands Staff
David Soul, at left, with Paul Michael Glaser, in Starsky & Hutch (Photo from Wikipedia)
David Soul, who enjoyed fame as both an actor in the Starsky & Hutch series and on the pop charts with the #1 hit ”Don’t Give Up On Us,” died yesterday (Jan. 4, 2024). Soul, who portrayed Detective Kenneth “Hutch” Hutchinson in the crime drama from 1975-79, was 80. No cause or place of death has been disclosed as of yet, although his wife, Helen Snell, said in a statement that Soul had fought “a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family.” She added, “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.”
David Soul in Magnum Force (Photo from his website)
David Soul was born David Richard Solberg on Aug. 28, 1943, in Chicago. His family moved frequently, including a stint in Mexico City, where he began playing music. He was living in Minneapolis when he began acting in the mid-’60s, and landed stage roles while living in New York City. He sang on television’s The Merv Griffin Show (while wearing a mask), and acted in such ’60s series as Flipper, Here Come the Brides, I Dream of Jeannie, Gunsmoke and Star Trek, and in the ’70s, on All in the Family, Streets of San Francisco and others. He also appeared in the Clint Eastwood film Magnum Force.
Related: What were some of the most surprising ’70s radio hits?
It was, however, his co-starring role on Starsky & Hutch—alongside Paul Michael Glaser as Detective Dave Starsky—that finally put Soul (a pseudonym he had taken on in the late ’60s) in the big leagues. He appeared in all 92 episodes of the program, as well as the original feature-length pilot film. After completing its four-year run, the series went into syndication. It also inspired a video game and theatrical film.
Glaser told People, “David was a brother, a friend, a caring man. We shall never see his like again.
“I find it difficult to comprehend David’s passing. Seems only yesterday that we were sharing loving insults on the phone.
“It just takes time, I tell myself; saying goodbye to such a dear friend and important part of my life I suspect that I will let myself feel his loss, our loss, only gradually.”
While still riding high on his success as an actor, Soul continued to pursue his other career as a singer, which paid off in 1977 when his single, “Don’t Give Up On us,” released on the Private Stock label, reached the top of the Billboard chart. Soul placed two more singles on that chart, but neither made the top 40. His single of “Silver Lady,” however, went to #1 in the U.K. He also charted with two albums in the U.S., of which only the first, a self-titled collection, fared well, peaking at #40.
Soul moved to the U.K. in the mid-’90s, later obtaining British citizenship, and continued to act into the next century, appearing on various BBC productions and numerous TV programs and films. He also appeared on the 2004 film update of Starsky & Hutch.
Listen to “Don’t Give Up On Us,” David Soul’s chart-topping hit
1 Comment so far
Jump into a conversationDavid Soul was a great actor & fantastic singer I bought all his records and still have some …..somewhere