'Starsky & Hutch' Star David Soul Dead at 80

David Soul, the American-British actor and singer who won cult status for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson on the 1970s series Starsky & Hutch, has died. Soul passed away Thursday surrounded by family following "a valiant battle for life," his wife, Helen Snell, confirmed in a statement, per Sky News. Soul's cause of death was not confirmed. He was 80.

"David Soul – beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother – died yesterday after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family," Snell said. "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."

Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1948, Soul became an international star with his role on Starsky & Hutch. The actor starred as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson opposite Paul Michael Glaser's Starsky in the hit police series, which ran from 1975 to 1979. In the series, the titular characters fought crime on the streets of the fictional Bay City, California, with Antonio Fargas playing their informant, Huggy Bear. He and Glaser reprised their roles in the 2004 remake Starsky & Hutch, which starred Ben Stiller as Starsky and Owen Wilson as Hutch. Soul also appeared as Joshua Bolt on Here Come the Brides from 1968 to 1970 and Officer John Davis in Magnum Force in 1973, with his other credits including The Yellow Rose, The Enforcer, and the 1979 Stephen King adaptation of Salem's Lot.

While Soul was a well known actor, he was equally recognized in the music world, which is actually where his entertainment career began. Soul started as a folk singer, opening for stars like Frank Zappa, the Byrds, and the Lovin' Spoonful, per the BBC. After he began donning a mask and hiding his face, becoming known as "The Covered Man," Soul was signed by the William Morris Agency and appeared on the TV talk show circuit. He stepped away from music, instead pursuing acting, and later returned, putting out four albums of soft rock ballads in the late 1970s. 

Throughout his music career, Soul enjoyed a number of chart-topping hits, including 1976's "Don't Give Up On Us Baby" and 1977's "Going In With My Eyes Open" and Silver Lady," per the Daily Mail. He released his fifth and final single, "It Sure Brings Out The Love In Your Eyes," in 1977.

Soul was married five times and has six children, including five sons and one daughter. Among his survivors is his wife, Helen, whom he met while touring the UK with a stage production of the Ira Levin play Deathtrap in 2002. They married in June 2010.