Grease star Edd Byrnes has died, aged 87.
The news was announced by the actor’s son, Logan – a US news presenter – who paid tribute to his “best friend”.
He wrote: “It is with profound sadness and grief that I share with you the passing of my father Edd Byrnes. He was an amazing man and one of my best friends.”
Byrnes died suddenly at his home in California on Wednesday (8 January).
He starred in the 1978 musical alongside John Travolta and Olivia Newton John as the smooth-talking dance contest host Vince Fontaine.
“His is the story of an ambitious young kid who, in his twenties drove out to Hollywood from New York City with a few hundred dollars and a dream of making it big in the entertainment business,” his son wrote on Twitter.
As well as Grease, Byrnes was best known for the role of Kookie in the TV series 77 Sunset Strip, which ran from ran from 1958 to 1964.
His character, a parking attendant at a Hollywood nightclub who helped out with detective cases, made the actor a teen idol.
In fact, it is claimed that Byrnes was so popular he received 15,000 fan letters a week.
Byrnes was also in the running for a role in 1960 heist film Ocean’s 11 alongside Frank Sinatra, but missed out due to restrictions in his contract with Warner Bros.
Other TV shows he appeared in included Fantasy Island and Murder, She Wrote. He was also the original host of the US version of Wheel of Fortune before Chuck Woolery took over.
Byrnes is is survived by his partner, Catherine Gross, his sister Jo-Ann Breitenberger, his brother, Vincent Breitenberger, and his son, Logan, who is an presenter on the KUSI news team.
He was married to Logan’s mother – TV star Asa Maynor – for nine years between 1962 and 1971.
