Michael Gray, Billy Batson in the 1970s Shazam! Series, Dies at 75

Michael Gray, best known for playing Billy Batson in the 1970s television series Shazam!, has died at 75. His publicist told TMZ that he died on October 16 in Palm Desert, California, from natural causes.

Gray's best-known role put him at the centre of a Saturday morning superhero series. The Hollywood Reporter described his three seasons on Shazam! and his earlier appearance as a date for Marcia on The Brady Bunch.

Gray's television career included a break in 1972, when he was cast in NBC's The Little People, according to Variety Movies. He later starred in the CBS live-action series Shazam!, as Deadline Hollywood reported.

Gray died on October 16. The date and circumstances became public in the October 22 coverage, with TMZ citing his publicist's confirmation of his death in Palm Desert.

Deadline Hollywood separately reported that Gray's representative confirmed the same date, location and cause of death. Those details expand on the earlier account, which had not included the circumstances of his passing.

The supplied reports agree on the central facts: Gray was 75 and died of natural causes in Palm Desert on October 16. Both TMZ and Deadline Hollywood attributed those details to his representatives.

The coverage remembers him chiefly through Shazam! and his earlier television work. The Hollywood Reporter also described Gray as a former teen idol.