2 weeks ago
Claudine Longet, nan French-American chanteuse whose first fame successful music, connected TV and arsenic nan woman of singing prima Andy Williams was dwarfed by infamy aft her fatal shooting of nan Olympic skier Spider Sabich successful 1976, has died. She was 84.
Her decease was announced coming by nephew Bryan Longet successful a connection shared connected societal media. He wrote, “Even though she is nary longer physically pinch us, her light, elegance, talent and kindness will proceed to unrecorded connected done nan memories, music, photos and emotion she leaves behind…As galore of you know, Claudine was not only an icon to maine — she was besides my aunt, and personification incredibly typical successful my life. Since I was a small boy, I ever told her that I would stay her number 1 fan, and that will ne'er change.”
No different specifications were shared.
Born successful Paris, France, connected January 29, 1942, Longet was nan lead dancer of nan Folies Bergère revue astatine nan Tropicana Resort and Casino successful Las Vegas when, successful 1960, she met Williams who besides was performing successful town. The mates often recounted their meet-cute erstwhile Williams saw Longet parked on a roadside pinch car trouble. The 2 joined nan pursuing twelvemonth and would yet person 3 children earlier divorcing successful 1975.
During her matrimony to Williams, Longet launched a TV acting profession that included impermanent spots connected specified ’60s bid arsenic McHale’s Navy, Combat!, The Rat Patrol, Hogan’s Heroes and Love, American Style. She appeared often connected Williams’ 1963-1967 assortment bid arsenic good arsenic his celebrated Christmas specials from nan aforesaid era.
Longet co-starred pinch Peter Sellers successful Blake Edwards’ 1968 drama The Party, besides singing nan film’s Henry Mancini-Don Black opus “Nothing to Lose.”
Known for her breathy, sultry yet girlish vocal style, Longet achieved important occurrence connected nan grounds charts, opening pinch her 1967 debut album, Claudine, and, to a lesser extent, nan consequent The Look of Love (1967) and Love Is Blue (1968). Several different albums followed, and singles from nan play included screen versions of nan Beatles’ “Here, There and Everywhere” and “Good Day Sunshine.” Other covers included “The Look of Love,” “Love Is Blue” and Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going To Rain Today.”
After she and Williams divided successful ’75, Longet lived pinch their children successful Starwood, Colorado, sharing a chalet pinch skiing sensation Sabich, who was nan inspiration for Robert Redford’s characteristic successful Downhill Racer. The mates had met successful ’72 during a personage skis event, and connected March 21, 1976, Longet fatally changeable Sabich successful nan bath of nan chalet they shared. She would later opportunity nan weapon went disconnected accidentally erstwhile nan 31-year-old skier was demonstrating really it worked; he was struck erstwhile successful abdomen and died, pinch Longet by his side, enroute to nan hospital.
Reports soon surfaced that Sabich had intended to inquire Longet to move retired of nan chalet, pinch friends saying publically that nan couple’s narration had been nether sizeable strain.
Charged pinch reckless manslaughter, Longet was nan halfway of a headline-making trial, pinch a assemblage yet convicting her of criminally negligent homicide successful January 1977. She received 2 years’ probation, fined $250 and sentenced to 30 days successful jail. The verdict, which efficaciously ended her show business career, outraged galore of Sabich’s fans arsenic good arsenic his family, who settled pinch Longet aft suing for $1.3 million. She ne'er said astir nan settlement.
During her trial, ex-husband Williams, who had remained a friend, testified connected her behalf, and many times supported her declare of an accidental shooting.
Certainly not everyone was convinced. On April 24, 1976, successful 1 of Saturday Night Live‘s astir notorious Weekend Update segments ever, nan incident was parodied pinch supposedly unrecorded sum of nan “Claudine Longet Invitational Ski Championship.” As faux-broadcasters played by Chevy Chase and Jane Curtain did play-by-play sum complete banal footage of existent skiing wipe-outs, nan sound of a gunshot was overdubbed conscionable arsenic nan athletes fell. “Uh-oh, he seems to person been accidentally changeable by Claudine Longet,” Chase would say.
The show made its first on-air apology nan pursuing week aft being contacted by Longet’s lawyers. Then-announced Don Pardo publication a connection saying, “It is desirable to correct immoderate misunderstanding that a proposal was made that, successful fact, a crime had been committed. The satire was fictitious and its intent only humorous. This is simply a connection of apology if nan worldly was misinterpreted.”
The Rolling Stones besides weighed in, signaling a sadistic ’50s-style stone and rotation opus called “Claudine” for nan band’s 1978 medium Some Girls. The opus was not included connected nan medium and has gone unreleased, though nan signaling is wide disposable connected YouTube and different platforms, and features specified lyrics arsenic “Now only Spider knows for sure/But he ain’t talkin’ astir it immoderate more/Is he, Claudine?”
Following her trial, Longet joined her defense lawyer Ronald Austin, and nan 2 reportedly settled successful Aspen, Colorodo, and Hawaii, wherever she would defender her privateness passim nan remainder of her life. Although complete accusation connected survivors was not instantly available, she was predeceased by Christian Williams, her eldest kid pinch Andy Williams.
