Michael White death: Rocky Horror and Python producer dies

Image captionMichael White's productions include "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"

The British producer behind The Rocky Horror Picture Show film and Monty Python and the Holy Grail has died.

Michael White, who was 80, died of heart failure in California, his former girlfriend Lyndall Hobbs said.

He had credits spanning decades in theatre, film and television.

"Michael had an appetite for life that was unmatched in my opinion," said Ms Hobbs. "A unique man who put on hundreds of shows and truly was a theatrical pioneer."

Born in Glasgow, White began his theatrical career in London's West End producing plays such as Annie and The Rocky Horror Show.

He later went on to produce cult films Monty Python and the Holy Grail and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is still regularly screened in cinemas.

"It would seem he died of heart failure having been told about eight weeks ago that he needed open heart surgery but he was too weak for surgery," said Ms Hobbs.

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Image captionMichael White (r) poses at the Laurence Olivier Awards in 2014

Image copyrightGetty Images

Image captionThe original cast of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" in 1975

White was also the producer of The Hound of Baskervilles, as well as other films and TV series, a career he recounted in his autobiography Empty Seats.

Most recently White was the subject of a 2013 documentary The Last Impresario which followed his life mingling among celebrities.

The film featured interviews with friends and colleagues such as the actor John Cleese and model Kate Moss.