Bill Pearl was also a successful coach and author.
Bill Pearl posed for the Mr. Universe contest in 1961. ZUMAPRESS / MVPHOTOS
Bodybuilder and four-time Mr. Universe winner Bill Pearl has died at the age of 91. He suffered from Parkinson’s disease in his last years. The news of his death was announced by his wife Judy Pearl on Facebook.
Pearl recovered from an accident where a lawnmower fell on her. X-rays revealed fractures in the back that required surgery.
In the hospital, the 91-year-old got a bacterial infection. Antibiotics helped clear the infection, but Pearl eventually died Wednesday morning. The wife estimates that Parkinson’s disease finally got hold of the bodybuilder.
Pearl started his career as a bodybuilder back in 1953, when he won his first Mr. Universe title. He owned numerous gyms and also worked as a trainer after his career.
His protégés won nine times Mr. America and no less than 14 times Mr. Universe.
In 2004, the legend was awarded the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to mentoring, he wrote numerous books on bodybuilding. Work Getting Stronger: Weight Training for Men and Women has sold 850,000 copies and has been translated into four different languages.