Bill Hudson (singer) explained

Bill Hudson
Birth Name:William Louis Hudson Jr.
Birth Date:1949 10, mf=yes
Birth Place:Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Occupation:Musician, actor
Years Active:1965–2015

William Louis Hudson Jr.[1] (born October 17, 1949)[2] is an American musician and actor. He was a vocalist in The Hudson Brothers, a band he formed in 1965 with his two younger brothers, Brett and Mark. He later had a brief acting career, appearing in supporting roles in Zero to Sixty (1978), Hysterical (1983), and Big Shots (1987). He also appeared in a recurring guest role on the series Doogie Howser, M.D..

Early life

Hudson was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, the eldest of three sons (Brett and Mark are his two younger brothers) born to Eleanor (née Salerno) and William Louis Hudson. His mother was of Italian descent (his maternal grandfather came from Carlentini, Province of Syracuse, Sicily, Italy).[3] [4] [5] He and his brothers were nephews (by marriage) of actor Keenan Wynn.[6]

Hudson's father left his family when Hudson was around six (famously saying he was going out for a pack of cigarettes), and he stated that his mother had to depend on welfare to support her children.[7] He and his siblings were raised in their mother's Catholic faith.

Career

The Hudson Brothers

See main article: The Hudson Brothers.

Other ventures

As an actor, Hudson appeared in the film Big Shots (1987), and three episodes of the television series Doogie Howser, M.D. from 1989 to 1992.

Hudson released his memoir, Two Versions: The Other Side of Fame and Family, in December 2011.[8] He and his brothers had a Saturday morning variety show called The Hudson Brothers

Personal life

During his bachelor days, Hudson dated singer Karen Carpenter and actresses Loretta Swit and Jill St. John. In 1975 he became involved with Goldie Hawn, and they married in 1976. Hudson filed for divorce in 1980,[9] and it was finalized right before he remarried in 1982. They had two children, Oliver (b. 1976) and Kate (b. 1979), who were raised by Hawn and Kurt Russell. When Oliver criticized his biological father in a public statement on Father's Day in 2015, Hudson spoke out for the first time to accuse Hawn of "willfully alienating" him from their children through the years.[10]

Hudson next had a relationship with Ali MacGraw, which dissolved by mid-1981.[11] His second marriage was to Cindy Williams, with whom he had two children, Emily (b. 1982) and Zachary (b. 1986). They divorced in 2000.[12]

In 2006, Hudson fathered daughter Lalania with his girlfriend at the time Caroline Graham.[13]

In 2018, Hudson's son, Oliver, told Larry King that he and his father had begun speaking again after being estranged for many years.[14]

Hudson campaigned for Democratic politician Michael Dukakis' presidential bid in 1988.[7]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
1978 Zero to Sixty Eddie
1978 Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park Man in Kiss Booth
1978 The Millionaire Eddie Reardon Television film
1980 The Love Boat Dr. Louis DaCosta 1 episode
1983 Hysterical Frederic Lansing / Casper
1986 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Tom Burke Episode: "Help Wanted: Kids"
1987 Big Shots Mr. Dawkins
1989 Just Like Family Tom Burk TV series, 5 episodes
1989–1992 Doogie Howser, M.D. Michael Plenn 3 episodes

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Book: Children's Television: The First 35 Years, 1946 - 1981. Scarecrow Press. Lanham, Maryland. 237 . 978-0-810-81557-5. 1983. registration.
  2. Web site: Bill Hudson Biography . Film Reference. June 28, 2015.
  3. News: Fisher. Emily. The Hudson Brothers Ensnarled Into the 'Hollywood Situation'. 2–D. St. Petersburg Times. May 14, 1975. Google News Archive.
  4. Hudson. McCall's. 108. 32. 1981.
  5. News: Buck. Jerry. Cindy Stars In A Disney Movie Christmas Chronicles. Associated Press. 30. The Free Lance-Star. Fredericksburg, Virginia. November 13, 1986. Google News Archive.
  6. News: At Last, the Hudson Brothers Have Got It Made. Detroit Free Press. Witbeck. Charles. July 28, 1974. 10. Newspapers.com.
  7. News: Statesman Journal. Salem, Oregon. Hudson takes a new act on the road. 7. May 17, 1988. Newspapers.com. Cowan. Ron.
  8. News: Kate Hudson's Dad Exposes Dark Secrets In Tell All: Goldie Hawn Wanted Open Marriage. Radar Online. September 23, 2011.
  9. https://news.google.com/newspapers?dat=19800904&id=GRdOAAAAIBAJ&pg=4943,544332 Goldie's Husband Wants Divorce
  10. . Bill Hudson Slams Goldie Hawn, Disowns Children Oliver, Kate Hudson: "I Would Ask Them to Stop Using the Hudson Name" . June 28, 2015 . McRady . Rachel . https://web.archive.org/web/20161201192843/https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/bill-hudson-disowns-children-oliver-kate-hudson-slams-goldie-hawn-2015286/ . December 1, 2016.
  11. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/173984582/ "Warren Couldn't Wash Goldie Out of His Hair"
  12. News: Cindy Williams' Husband: All About 'Laverne & Shirley' Star's Marriage To Goldie Hawn's Ex, Bill Hudson. Sabrina. Picou. January 30, 2023. MSN. 2023-02-01.
  13. News: Willis. Kim. Kate Hudson hopes to reunite with her estranged dad Bill's kids: 'It would be nice to connect'. 2023-01-31. January 10, 2021. USA Today. en-US.
  14. People . Oliver Hudson Says He's Now 'Keeping in Touch' with His Estranged Father Bill Hudson . Miller . Mike . March 26, 2018.