# Godspell Actor Merrell Jackson

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/godspell-actor-merrell-jackson/953038>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [October 23, 2021, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/godspell-actor-merrell-jackson/953038 "2021-10-23T00:55:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/godspell-actor-merrell-jackson/953038/1 "2021-10-23T00:55:58Z")

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I was looking at videos on Youtube and really enjoyed a clip from the film version of _Godspell_ with Merrell Jackson singing “All Good Gifts”.  
Trying to find out more about him, it turns out that he died at age 39 in 1991 ☹  
There doesn’t seem to be a cause of death anywhere online.  
[https://merrell-jackson.tripod.com/index.html](https://merrell-jackson.tripod.com/index.html)

According to this list of “most cursed films”, he died “mysteriously”. However I don’t know that the site is that reliable–it says “four of the men”, but Lynne Thigpen is a woman

#3 Godspell 1973: Four of the men who played Jesus’ apostles in the film have died. Lynne Thigpen died of cerebral hemorrhaging, Jeffrey Mylettdied died of AIDS, Merrell Jackson died mysteriously at the young age of 38, and David Haskell who played both Judas Iscariot and John the Baptist died of a brain tumor.

> **[The Most Cursed Movies In Hollywood](https://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/the-most-cursed-movies-in-hollywood/84265793/?view=list)**
>
> 12 films with cursed happenings and back-stories surrounding them.

Anyway, does anyone know anything more about this talented actor and his early death?

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2021, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/godspell-actor-merrell-jackson/953038/2 "2021-10-23T01:07:28Z")

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[https://www.datalounge.com/thread/16806713-merrell-jackson-from-the-original-movie-cast-of-godspell](https://www.datalounge.com/thread/16806713-merrell-jackson-from-the-original-movie-cast-of-godspell)  
Sheer speculation that it was from AIDS given the time and social attitude.