Reggie Bannister, best known for his starring turn in the Phantasm horror franchise, has died aged 80.
His family confirmed he died following a Parkinson’s diagnosis. They said in a statement: ‘Reggie Bannister fought debilitating effects of Parkinson’s while resting comfortably in his Mountain home with caregivers and Gigi by his side.
‘[His wife] Gigi was with him till the end, as she had vowed, until death and meant it. Reggie‘s final request was to please let his fans know, “It’s never over.”‘
Gigi also shared a post on Facebook commemorating her husband. ‘He looked so quiet and peaceful. Like he was asleep. In his bed, “In Our Mountain Home” as his song goes.
‘In the snap of fingers, my best friend, my confidant, my partner, my soul mate was transitioned to another dimension – a higher plane,’ she wrote.
She concluded: ‘He no longer suffers. He’s no longer in pain. That gives me solace. I will see you on the flip side, honey bunny. Save me a hug! Wait for me.’
The supernatural horror Phantasm came out in 1979, in which Bannister played ex-ice cream man-turned gun-wielding hero Reggie and reprised his role in the Don Coscarelli-directed series several times, as recently as 2016.
All in all, he featured in six Phantasm movies: Phantasm (1979), Phantasm II (1988), Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994), Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998) and Phantasm: Ravager (2016),
The same year, the Vietnam War veteran was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease, with his wife claiming to TMZ that his health challenges were due to Agent Orange exposure during his military service.
According to IMDb, the star also appeared in Wishmaster, Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation, Cemetery Gates, Sawblad and The Obsidian Curse.
The actor was also a prolific musician and released six albums in the rock, country and folk genres.
In his youth, he played with his band, Greenwood County Singers, and, in the family statement, they recounted the band was opening for Carol Channing at the Harrah’s Casino in Reno, Nevada, when his ‘parents presented him backstage with his official draft notice for Vietnam.’
Bannister entered hospice care in February last year, with a GoFundMe launched to help cover the costs.