David Soul

David Soul (born David Richard Solberg; August 28, 1943) is an American-British actor and singer. He is known for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the television series Starsky & Hutch from 1975 to 1979; Joshua Bolt on Here Come the Brides from 1968 to 1970; and Officer John Davis in Magnum Force in 1973. As a singer, he scored one US hit and five UK hits with songs such as "Don't Give Up on Us" (US, CAN, & UK No. 1) in 1976 and "Silver Lady" (UK No. 1) in 1977. Early life Soul was born on August 28, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois, United States, and is of Norwegian descent. His mother, June Johnanne (Nelson), was a teacher, and his father, Dr. Richard W. Solberg, was a Lutheran minister, professor of History and Political Science, and director of Higher Education for the Lutheran Church in America (now part of the ELCA). Both of Soul's grandfathers were evangelists. Dr. Solberg was also senior representative for Lutheran World Relief during the reconstruction of Germany after World War II from 1949 until 1956. Because of this, the family moved frequently during Soul's youth. The family was living in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where Soul's father taught political science and history at Augustana College, when Soul graduated from that city's Washington High School. Soul attended Augustana College for two years before the family moved again, this time to Mexico City, where he studied for one year at the University of the Americas. While in Mexico, inspired by students who taught him to play the guitar, Soul changed his direction and decided to follow his passion for music. His first appearance upon returning from Mexico was in a club in Minneapolis, The 10 O'Clock Scholar. Career Soul began performing on stage as an actor in the mid-1960s, when he became a founding member of the Firehouse Theater in Minneapolis. He traveled with the company to New York City in 1965, appearing in Bertolt Brecht's Baal and John Arden's Sergeant Musgrave's Dance. Soul first gained national attention as the "Covered Man" appearing on The Merv Griffin Show in 1966 and 1967, on which he sang while wearing a mask. He explained: "My name is David Soul, and I want to be known for my music." The same year, he made his television debut in Flipper.