Singer Who Fatally Shot Skier Spider Sabich Was 84
Deadline • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Claudine Longet, French-American singer and actress known for her music career and marriage to Andy Williams, died at age 84; her death was announced by her nephew Bryan Longet on social media without further details.
- Longet gained fame in the 1960s with TV appearances and successful albums, noted for her breathy vocal style and covers of popular songs like "The Look of Love" and "Love Is Blue."
- In 1976, Longet fatally shot Olympic skier Spider Sabich in their shared Colorado chalet, claiming the shooting was accidental; she was convicted of criminally negligent homicide in 1977 and received probation and a fine.
- The incident ended her entertainment career and sparked public controversy, including a notable parody on Saturday Night Live and a critical, unreleased Rolling Stones song referencing the case.
- After the trial, Longet married her defense lawyer Ronald Austin and lived a private life in Aspen and Hawaii; she was predeceased by her eldest child with Andy Williams.