Bill Hudson
Hudson in 1974
Born
William Louis Hudson Jr.

(1949-10-17) October 17, 1949
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Occupation(s)Musician, actor
Years active1965–2015
Spouses
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1976; div. 1982)​
  • ​
    ​
    (m. 1982; div. 2000)​
Children5, including Oliver and Kate
Relatives

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,[2] 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 Italian American (his maternal grandfather came from Carlentini, Province of Syracuse, Sicily, Italy).[3][4][5][6] He and his brothers were nephews (by marriage) of actor Keenan Wynn.[7]

Hudson's father left his family when Hudson was six (famously saying he was going out for a pack of cigarettes),[6] and he stated that his mother had to depend on welfare to support her children.[8] He and his siblings were raised in their mother's Catholic faith.[6]

Career

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.[9] He and his brothers had a Saturday morning variety show called The Hudson Brothers

Personal life

In 1974, Hudson dated actress Jill St. John.[10] A year later he became involved with Goldie Hawn, and they married in 1976. Hudson filed for divorce in 1980[11] and it was finalized two years later. They had two children, Oliver Hudson (b. 1976) and Kate Hudson (b. 1979), who were raised by Hawn and Kurt Russell. When Oliver slammed 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.[12] Hudson next had a brief relationship with Ali MacGraw, which dissolved by mid-1981.[13]

Hudson married Cindy Williams in 1982 and they had two children, Emily (b. 1982) and Zachary (b. 1986) before divorcing in 2000.[14]

He and then-girlfriend Caroline Graham[15] have a daughter together, Lalania (b. 2006).[12]

In 2018, Hudson's son, Oliver, told Larry King that he and his father had begun speaking again after being estranged for many years.[16]

Hudson campaigned for Democratic politician Michael Dukakis' presidential bid in 1988.[8]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1978Zero to SixtyEddie
1978Kiss Meets the Phantom of the ParkMan in Kiss Booth
1978The MillionaireEddie ReardonTelevision film
1980The Love BoatDr. Louis DaCosta1 episode
1983HystericalFrederic Lansing / Casper
1986Walt Disney's Wonderful World of ColorTom BurkeEpisode: "Help Wanted: Kids"
1987Big ShotsMr. Dawkins
1989Just Like FamilyTom BurkTV series, 5 episodes
1989–1992Doogie Howser, M.D.Michael Plenn3 episodes

References

  1. ↑ Children's Television: The First 35 Years, 1946 - 1981. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. 1983. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-810-81557-5.
  2. 1 2 "Bill Hudson Biography". Film Reference. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  3. ↑ Fisher, Emily (May 14, 1975). "The Hudson Brothers Ensnarled Into the 'Hollywood Situation'". St. Petersburg Times. p. 2–D – via Google News Archive.
  4. ↑ "Hudson". McCall's. 108: 32. 1981.
  5. ↑ Buck, Jerry (November 13, 1986). "Cindy Stars In A Disney Movie Christmas Chronicles". The Free Lance-Star. Fredericksburg, Virginia. Associated Press. p. 30 – via Google News Archive.
  6. 1 2 3 Hudson, Bill (2011). Two Versions: The Other Side of Fame and Family. Dailey Swan. ISBN 978-0-9838-0900-5.
  7. ↑ Witbeck, Charles (July 28, 1974). "At Last, the Hudson Brothers Have Got It Made". Detroit Free Press. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. 1 2 Cowan, Ron (May 17, 1988). "Hudson takes a new act on the road". Statesman Journal. Salem, Oregon. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ "Kate Hudson's Dad Exposes Dark Secrets In Tell All: Goldie Hawn Wanted Open Marriage". Radar Online. September 23, 2011.
  10. ↑ Dougherty, Margot; Adelson, Suzanne (June 5, 1989). "Cindy Williams and Bill Hudson Really Do Act Just Like Family". People.
  11. ↑ Goldie's Husband Wants Divorce. The Virgin Islands Daily News. St. Thomas. Associated Press. September 4, 1980.
  12. 1 2 McRady, Rachel (June 28, 2015). "Bill Hudson Slams Goldie Hawn, Disowns Children Oliver, Kate Hudson: "I Would Ask Them to Stop Using the Hudson Name"". Us Weekly. Archived from the original on December 1, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Warren Couldn't Wash Goldie Out of His Hair". The Philadelphia Inquirer. August 23, 1981. (subscription required).
  14. ↑ Picou, Sabrina (January 30, 2023). "Cindy Williams' Husband: All About 'Laverne & Shirley' Star's Marriage To Goldie Hawn's Ex, Bill Hudson". MSN. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  15. ↑ Willis, Kim (January 10, 2021). "Kate Hudson hopes to reunite with her estranged dad Bill's kids: 'It would be nice to connect'". USA Today. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  16. ↑ Miller, Mike (March 26, 2018). "Oliver Hudson Says He's Now 'Keeping in Touch' with His Estranged Father Bill Hudson". People.
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