RIP: Wings Hauser

Wings Hauser born General Dwight Hauser died on March 15, 2025of natural causes.  Mr. Hauser was 77.

Wings was born in Hollywood, California.  His father, Dwight Hauser was a director and producer.  His brother, Eric Hauser, is also an actor.  Wings got the nickname Wings while playing high school football and it stuck.  Although Wings Hauser made his film debut with a small role in First to Fight in 1967, instead of acting he pursued a singing career.

In 1975, RCA released the album Your Love Keeps Me Off the Streets with Wings Hauser using the stage name Wings Livinryte.  The album wasn’t a success, but the same year Wings scored a role on Cannon.  He was credited as Wings Livinryte.  It soon became clear that Wings would have more success acting.  Mr. Hauser would branch out into screenwriting and directing as well.

Some of the television projects that feature Wings Hauser include: Cannon; The Young and the Restless (15 episodes); Movin’ On; Baretta; Emergency; Aspen; Magnum PI; The Fall Guy; Ghost Dancing; Jessie; Hunter; Hardcastle and McCormick; MacGruder and Loud; Airwolf; The Long Hot Summer (2 episodes); The A-Team (2 episodes); Dark Horse; The Last Precinct (8 episodes); The Highway Man; Perry Mason: The  Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel; Freddy’s Nightmares; Hardball; China Beach (4 episodes); Lightning Force (13 episodes); The Young Riders; Space Rangers; Roseanne (5 episodes); Route 66; Walker Texas Ranger; Marker; High Tide; Kung Fu: The Legend Continues; JAG; Murder, She Wrote (4 episodes); Beverly Hills 90210 (6 episodes); Arli$$ (2 episodes); Kingpin (4 episodes); CSI: Miami; Third Watch; Eyes; House; Monk; Mystery Woman: Wild West Mystery; Cold Case; Bones; Saving Grace; The Mentalist; Criminal Minds; The Defenders; CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; Hawaii Five-0; Rizzoli & Isles and Castle.

Some of the feature films that Wings Hauser appeared in include: First to Fight; Who’ll Stop the Rain; Vice Squad; Hear No Evil; Mutant; A Soldier’s Story; Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling; Tough Guys Don’t Dance; Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time; Tales from the Hood; Original Gangstas; Life Among the Cannibals; The Insider; The Blue Lizard; The Stone Angel and Eve N’ God: This Female is Not Yet Rated (TM).

I probably first saw Wings Hauser in Baretta.  Whatever the role was, it wasn’t long before I began to recognize Wings Hauser because he appeared in so many programs and movies that I watched.  A profile of Wings Hauser in Entertainment Weekly once called him “the biggest star you’ve never heard of”.  Thing of it was, movie and television fans not only knew of him, they appreciated seeing him listed in the credits.

Out thoughts and prayers go out to Wing Hauser’s family, friends and fans.