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‘Mod Squad’ Actor Clarence Williams III Dies At Age 81

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Clarence Williams III, who co-starred within the late Sixties TV sequence The Mod Squad and symbolized Black Energy on the present, died on Friday (June 4) in Los Angeles.

In line with The Hollywood Reporter, Williams suffered from colon most cancers. He was 81 years previous.

Williams performed Lincoln “Linc” Hayes, a part of a trio of younger detectives that included Michael Cole as Pete Cochran and Peggy Lipton as Julie Barnes. The characters all had run-ins with the police as youths earlier than turning into undercover cops. Linc, who sported an afro and exuded Black coolness, was arrested through the Watts riots.

They represented and gave voice to a countercultural technology of American youth within the late 60s and early 70s who spoke out towards racism and the nation’s battle in Vietnam.

The Harlem native grew up in a musical household, in keeping with Yahoo! News. His father, Clay Williams, was knowledgeable musician. His grandfather, Clarence Williams, was a pianist and composer who labored alongside blues icon Bessie Smith.

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Williams’ different notable performing credit additionally embrace portraying Prince’s father in Purple Rain and his position in Keenen Ivory Wayans blaxploitation comedy I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.

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