'Marlboro Man' Bob Norris Dies At 90

The iconic Marlboro Man has died.  And, ironically, he was never a smoker!

90-year-old Robert “Bob” Norris recently passed away at his Colorado ranch.  If you remember, Norris was hired by the Philip Morris cigarette brand for more than a decade in the '60s.  He was close friends with Hollywood stars like John Wayne.

Bob's son Bobby told KKTV, “They (advertising executives) walked out of their car, these guys in their pinstripe suits, and they walked up to Dad and they said, ‘How would you like to be in commercials for Marlboro cigarettes?  He said, ‘Well, I’m kind of busy right now. Why don’t you come back next week, and, if you’re serious, we’ll talk.’”

They did: and the rest is history.

Just as the public was learning of the dangers of cigarettes, Norris left the company as their mascot.

This weekend we lost a legend & one of Duke’s close friends, Bob Norris. Bob was a Colorado rancher & the original Marlboro man. He & his wife spent many Thanksgivings at 26 Bar Ranch with John Wayne and his family. Our condolences go out to the Norris family. pic.twitter.com/hF7MILAXto

— John Wayne Official (@JohnDukeWayne) November 4, 2019

Source: Yahoo! Entertainment 

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