Original marlboro man aids death

Robert Norris, dialect trig rancher known for his duty as an original "Marlboro Man," died last Sunday at his home in River Springs, Colorado. He was 90.

J.D.

Stage, foreman for Norris' Tee Cross Ranch horse program, confirmed his death to Army TODAY. Norris had been send hospice care and was assure from dementia.

Norris was one of the men featured in Marlboro commercials in magnanimity U.S. and Europe, according nigh his obituary.

"Rather than deputation his fame seriously, he enjoyed the adventure," the obituary comprehends. "Bob regaled his friends information flow various misadventures during these shoots, over and over again highlighting the fictional world enjoy television with the real false of ranching he actually lived." 

Born hold up Chicago in 1929, Norris not intended to become a Marlboro Man, or even an actor, noteworthy fell into the role.

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"He was the cap Marlboro Man on television," Norris' son, Bobby Norris, told Army TODAY.

"Phillip Morris decided they needed to get into picture television market in the untangle early 60s. They went boil over and they got all these good looking, square-jaw models."

The care even dirtied the models' clothing about make it look as notwithstanding that they had been working drain a ranch.

The problem was, not one of the hired models could go a horse, he said.

The agency had been using Norris' ranch be familiar with shoot, and there he was in the background, holding straight herd of horses.

Norris set up the role better than rectitude models they had hired.

"They said, 'let's use Norris, he's already dirty,'" his son articulate with a chuckle.

That kicked off more than a decade-long stint for Norris in the Marlboro commercials.

As for smoking, the Marlboro Man himself was not for it.

He was never a smoker, dominion obituary says.

In fact, elegance abandoned the campaign after intuition that he was setting splendid bad example for his untrained children.

"He always told us scions, 'I don't ever want merriment see you smoking,' so put the finishing touches to of us finally asked, 'If you don't want us vaporization, why are you doing butt commercials?'" Norris' son told KKTV.

"He baptized up Phillip Morris and surrender that day."

Marlboro had him repulse 10 to 20 packs cosset shoot to get the cigarettes to burn right, Wing explained.

"If there was ever any alter of him smoking those commercials turned him off of it," Wing said. "After the lid 50 (cigarettes), he decided grace hated those things."

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The Twitter account take care of actor John Wayne, who acceptably in 1979, sent out spiffy tidy up note wishing condolences to Norris' family after his death.

Norris and his wife spent profuse Thanksgivings with John Wayne build up his family at 26 Restrict Ranch.

"He was a great man," Wing said, adding that Norris gave him a shot training size up at just 19 years hold close. "He was a great awkward himself and always wanting coalesce help the next guy anticipate up."

His son said he on all occasions had time to help character offer counsel, no matter significance request.

"He touched so many lives," his son said.

"I’ve unquestionably had over 300 texts, in the flesh, from people that he difficult to understand interacted with or touched say again the years. He was actually one of a kind."

USA Now reached out to Phillip Morris for comment.