Gerrit Graham, veteran actor and songwriter, dies at 76 or 77

Veteran American character actor, songwriter, and screenwriter Gerrit Graham has died at the age of 76 or 77. He passed away on Tuesday in Rhinebeck, New York, due to complications from lung disease.

Graham was widely recognized for his role as the glam-rock star Beef in Brian De Palma’s 1974 cult musical ‘Phantom of the Paradise’. His extensive filmography included appearances in ‘Demon Seed’, ‘Used Cars’, ‘Child’s Play 2’, and several early De Palma films such as ‘Greetings’ and ‘Hi, Mom!’.

On television, he appeared in various series including ‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’, ‘Star Trek: Voyager’, ‘Dallas’, ‘The Twilight Zone’, and ‘The A-Team’. Beyond acting, Graham was a songwriter who collaborated with Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir on the song ‘Victim or the Crime’ for the band’s 1989 album ‘Built to Last’.

A graduate of Columbia University, where he led the Columbia Players theater company, Graham spent his later years in the Hudson Valley, where he volunteered for the Burger Hill Preservation Society.