Ben Powers

Not to be confused with Ben Power.
Ben Powers

Powers, 1977.
Born Alton Adelbert Powers
(1950-07-05)July 5, 1950
Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Died April 6, 2015(2015-04-06) (aged 64)
New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.
Cause of death Liver Cancer
Nationality American
Other names Ben A. Powers
Education Rhode Island School of Design
Occupation Actor
Years active 19741987
Known for Keith Anderson – Good Times
Spouse(s) Julia Harper (m. 1981–2012) (her death)
Children 4

Alton Adelbert Powers (July 5, 1950 – April 6, 2015), known professionally as Ben Powers was an American actor. Powers was best known for his role as Thelma Evans's (portrayed by Bern Nadette Stanis) husband, Keith Albert Anderson, during the sixth and final season of the CBS sitcom Good Times (1978–79). Powers was also a cast member on the NBC television comedy series Laugh-In in 1977. Powers died on April 6, 2015 at age 64 due to liver cancer.[1]

Biography

Powers was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. He attended the Rhode Island School of Design.[2] Powers got his first break in the 1970s with Adrian Hall, director at Trinity Repertory Theater in Providence, Rhode Island, his hometown. In addition to stage acting, Powers did stand-up comedy, amazing impressions, and sang standards as well as original music he wrote. He was discovered by a Hollywood agent in Providence, signed on to do movies, and entertained at the Playboy clubs in Las Vegas, New York & Boston. After Good Times, Powers guest starred on a number of popular TV dramas and sitcom shows of the 80s including Gimme a Break, Flamingo Road, The Greatest American Hero, The New Odd Couple and Laverne & Shirley. Powers was also a regular on the CBS-TV hit detective drama show Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer in 1984-85, until the star, Stacy Keach, was arrested in London for cocaine smuggling and the show was canceled while Keach did time in England. Powers left the Hollywood scene at the end of 1985, before the detective series was picked up again. In the early 1980s, Powers appeared in a handful of big-screen films which included Cheech & Chong's Next Movie, Things Are Tough All Over and The Man Who Loved Women as well as a number of made-for-TV movies, mostly in smaller supporting roles.

Personal and death

Powers married Julia Harper (1950–2012) on May 4, 1981. They would have four daughters: twins Maleah Cameron Powers and Raleah Cameron Powers, Augusta Valeria Powers, and Simone Emerson Powers. Powers died of liver cancer on April 6, 2015 at the age of 64 and was cremated.[2][3][4]

References

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/30/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.