Actor David Soul, half of 'Starsky & Hutch' duo, dies at 80

David Soul, one half of the '70s buddy cop duo "Starsky & Hutch," has died, his wife, Helen Snell, said in a statement provided to ABC News. He was 80.

His widow said Soul, born David Richard Solberg, died Thursday "after a valiant battle for life in the loving company of family."

Snell 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."

Soul played Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson to Paul Michael Glaser's Det. Dave Starsky in the television series that ran from 1975 to 1979. He and Glaser reprised their roles in the 2004 big-screen action comedy remake that starred Owen Wilson as Hutch and Ben Stiller as Starsky.

Soul, who appeared in movies including "Magnum Force" opposite Clint Eastwood in 1973, was also a singer, charting in the U.S. and the U.K.

His biggest hit in the U.S. was the 1976 romantic track "Don't Give Up on Us," which hit #1 on the Billboard charts in the U.S. and Canada, while 1977's "Silver Lady" hit #1 on the U.K. singles chart.

Born in Chicago, Soul began his career on stage in the 1960s. He became a founding member of the Firehouse Theater in Minneapolis and toured with the company. He made his first TV appearances on "The Merv Griffin Show" and "Flipper." He also made guest appearances on "I Dream of Jeannie," "Star Trek," and "Gunsmoke," before his breakthrough role playing Joshua Bolt on the western comedy "Here Come the Brides" from 1968 to 1970.

He is survived by Snell, whom he married in 2010, and his six children.