Actress and counterculture icon Karen Black has died at age 74, after losing her battle with ampullary stomach cancer.
Blacks husband, Steven Eckleberry, broke the news on Thursday on his Facebook page. It is with great sadness that I have to report that my wife and best friend,Karen Black, has just passed away, only a few minutes ago, he said. Thank you all for all your prayers and love, they meant so much to her as they did to me.
Movies That Defined a Generation: Easy Rider
Black was hailed for a number of iconic film roles, particularly in the 1970s. Her breakout performance came in 1969, when she played a prostitute inEasy Rider. She starred in films including 1970sFive Easy Piecesand the 1974 adaptation ofThe Great Gatsby(for which she earned a Golden Globe nomination), and in 1975 she earned a Grammy nomination for her original music in the Robert Altman epicNashville.
Black was diagnosed in November 2010. She is survived by a large family, including her husband, son and two daughters.