Sam Shepard, Playwright, Director, and Actor, Dies at 73

Actor, playwright, and director Sam Shepard has died at the age of 73, according to Broadway World. He reportedly suffered from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and died with family by his side. Shepard was a prolific writer, penning 44 plays and several books during his career. He won numerous awards during his life, including a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for the play Buried Child. Shepard was also nominated for an Academy Award for his role as pilot Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff in 1983. New York magazine once called him “the greatest American playwright of his generation.” He also co-wrote the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s “Brownsville Girl.”