How did David Soul die? Cause of death of the Starsky and Hutch series explored

The famous actor from the TV series "Starsky & Hutch", David Soul, died at the age of 80.

His wife, Helen Snell, announced that he passed after a "valiant battle for life". He faced several health issues, including cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, as mentioned on his website.

Born as David Solberg, he became world-known for playing the character of Sergeant Kenneth Richard 'Hutch' Hutchinson on the hit ABC show. The show followed the life of two detectives (Soul and co-star Paul Michael Glaser as Starsky) fighting crime in fictional Bay City, California from 1975 to 1979.

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“Starsky and Hutch” star David Soul was a talented artist

David Soul's fame didn't stop at "Starsky & Hutch". He was an artist with various talents, excelling as a singer and creative personality, but Soul will be remembered most for his smile, laughter and passion for life.

According to Soul, several articles referenced talks of rebooting the iconic series with two female leads. He playfully suggested that he and Glaser could return to their roles, not as new actors, but rather as "a couple of old folks cracking small-time cases at the retirement home".

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David Soul health issues – consequences of smoking and COPD

Besides his wife Helen Snell, whom he married in 2010, Soul leaves behind six children from earlier marriages and seven grandchildren. He was married to Mirriam Russeth, Karen Carlson, Patti Carnel Sherman and Julia Nickson, before Snell.

In 2019, Soul opened up about his health struggles in an interview with the UK's Sunday Times.

He spoke about his hospitalization in 2017, which lasted for 72 days in intensive care. He faced a particularly difficult time after a hip replacement surgery, even needing a tracheostomy at one stage.

David Soul attributed his battle with COPD, a lung disease that can make breathing difficult, to his habit of smoking up to three packs of cigarettes every day for 50 years. Even though he quit smoking a decade ago, the damage couldn't be reversed.

Despite all his health struggles, he reflected on his life with a sense of gratitude in the interview. He felt content knowing he was once the number one star and had number one records around the world.

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Apart from being a successful actor, Soul was well recognized in the Star Trek, Perry Mason and Johnny Got His Gun series throughout the 1960s and 1970s. A significant turning point in his career was his character as Officer John Davis in Clint Eastwood's police drama, "Magnum Force."

Even after the widespread fame from "Starsky & Hutch," Soul returned to his music. He released four albums of soft rock ballads in the late 1970s, two of which – "Silver Lady" and "Don't Give Up On Us" – reached number one on the UK charts.