Edd Byrnes obit

Edd Byrnes, 'Grease,' '77 Sunset Strip' Teen Idol Dead At 87

He was not on the list.

SANTA MONICA, CA — Edd Byrnes, the actor whose golden looks and famed pompadour made him one of the first teen idols of the early TV era, has died. He was 87.

The actor, best known for his roles on the 1950s TV hit "77 Sunset Strip" and in the 1978 movie "Grease," died at his home in Santa Monica Wednesday of natural causes, according to an announcement posted on Twitter by his son, Logan, a news anchor at KUSI in San Diego.

"It is with profound sadness and grief that I share with you the passing of my father Edd Byrnes," his son wrote. "He was an amazing man and one of my best friends."

Byrnes got his start in "77 Sunset Strip" as the "hipster" parking attendant "Kookie." The show about wisecracking private detectives aired for six seasons from 1958 to 1964, and by the end, Byrnes was a bonafide teen idol. ABC received more than 15,000 fan letters a week for Byrnes, and his character inspired the hit novelty song, "Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)," featuring Byrnes and actress-singer Connie Stevens, which reach No. 4 on the Billboard charts in May 1959 and earned a Gold record.

In 2005, TV Guide listed Byrnes at No. 5 on their list of "TV's 25 Greatest Teen Idols."

Filmography

    Fear Strikes Out (1957) as Boy in Car Assisting Jimmy Up Stairway (uncredited)

    Reform School Girl (1957) as Vince

    Johnny Trouble (1957) as Elliott

    Maverick (1957-1960, TV Series) as Stableboy / Wes Fallon / The Kid

    Cheyenne (1957-1958) as Clay Rafferty/Benji Danton (as Edward Byrnes)

    The Deep Six (1958) as Rescue Seaman (voice, uncredited)

    Darby's Rangers (1958) as Lt. Arnold Dittman

    Marjorie Morningstar (1958) as Sandy Lamm

    Life Begins at 17 (1958) as Jim Barker

    Girl on the Run (1958) as Kenneth Smiley

    Up Periscope (1959) as Pharmacist Mate Ash

    Yellowstone Kelly (1959) as Anse Harper

    The Secret Invasion (1964) as Simon Fell

    Beach Ball (1965) as Dick Martin

    Renegade Riders (1967) as Stuart

    Any Gun Can Play (1967) as Clayton - the Banker

    Red Blood, Yellow Gold (1967) as 'Chattanooga Jim'

    The Silent Gun (1969, TV Movie) as Joe Henning

    Wicked, Wicked (1973) as Henry Peter 'Hank' Lassiter

    Stardust (1974) as TV Interviewer

    Grease (1978) as Vince Fontaine

    Erotic Images (1983) as Logan Roberts

    Back to the Beach (1987) as Valet

    Mankillers (1987) as Jack Marra

    Party Line (1988) as Maitre d'

    Troop Beverly Hills (1989) as Ross Coleman

    Shake, Rattle and Roll: An American Love Story (1999, TV Movie) as Bobby Icovella (final film role)