Robert 'Bob' Norris, an Original
'Marlboro Man' Who Never
Smoked a Day in His Life, Dies at 90
People,
by
Joelle Goldstein
Original Article
Posted By: StormCnter,
11/9/2019 7:41:43 AM
Robert “Bob” Norris, the “ruggedly handsome” cowboy who rose to fame as the “Marlboro Man”, has died. He was 90.
Norris passed away on Nov. 3 in his hometown of Colorado Springs, Colorado under the care of Pikes Peak Hospice, according to his obituary. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death.
The Colorado native is best known for being one of the first to portray the “Marlboro Man” in the cigarette company’s commercials.
In the ads, Norris was always featured in a fictional world of ranching, wearing cowboy attire — including his iconic cowboy hat — as he held a cigarette in either his mouth or his hand.
Reply 1 - Posted by:
Dodge Boy 11/9/2019 7:58:05 AM (No. 230633)
For those of us old enough to remember, Norris's Marlboro ads were an icon. But, thankfully, no one in my family smoked except my grandfather (mother's side) who smoked Dutchmaster cigars. We relished taking home his empty cigar boxes and using them for storing pencils and crayons at school. Among our classmates, we were certainly of stature being the only ones who had cigar boxes. My only regret was we weren't smart enough to save the boxes because they hold some value today.
22 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
Highlander 11/9/2019 8:18:38 AM (No. 230648)
Looking back after many years, I marvel that smoking was such a part of our culture, never having been questioned. Non-smokers were rare in my circle.
22 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
franq 11/9/2019 8:28:36 AM (No. 230658)
So young. Sad.
10 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
NorthernDog 11/9/2019 8:45:43 AM (No. 230677)
A life well lived. Yes - a lot has changed with smoking. My high school allowed students to smoke in a designated area between classes if they had an OK from parents. I remember most kids smoked Marlboro.
16 people like this.
I remember his ads. I smoked for 30 years and quit about 10 years ago. I feel like I never smoked but was getting to the point where I couldn't do a flight of stairs without losing all of my air. Glad I got off of them! Don't start if you don't do it. It is a VERY difficult habit to quit. Some Doctors say it is harder than Heroine.
14 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
fayebeck 11/9/2019 9:04:32 AM (No. 230695)
A good man dies and folks make it about ME. Just like obama.
8 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
Peaches 11/9/2019 9:22:02 AM (No. 230705)
He was the utter antithesis of today's soy boys. What a handsome man. RIP.
21 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
spacer 11/9/2019 9:45:40 AM (No. 230727)
Made a boat load of money shilling for the killer weed. RIP.
5 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
snakeoil 11/9/2019 9:59:10 AM (No. 230739)
Glad he made it to a ripe old age. But correlation between smoking and health are over rated. Known many people who never smoked and died early of cancer. Had an uncle who chain smoked cigarettes and died at 95. Went out to his barn to feed the critters on a cold winter day, slipped and fell on ice, and died of exposure. Do miss the old tobacco commercials. They were funny and classy. Unlike today ED stuff. Have a niece who is "vaping" whatever that is. Can't tell a young person anything. They know everything.
13 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
LadyVet 11/9/2019 10:33:08 AM (No. 230772)
Ads never made me want to smoke, but did make want to marry a cowboy.
24 people like this.
Reply 11 - Posted by:
GO3 11/9/2019 10:37:29 AM (No. 230775)
Sorry, Joelle, ranching and wearing cowboy attire are not fictional.
5 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
Strike3 11/9/2019 10:50:33 AM (No. 230791)
A great American success story, the man made the most of what he had and did it his way. You can't ask for more.
The Marlboro ads were very effective in image and promoted the idea that one was daring enough to go filterless. I knew many, many people who smoked them due to those appealing commercials.
6 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
Rumblehog 11/9/2019 10:55:38 AM (No. 230793)
Japanese men smoke waaay more than Americans, but they don't get lung cancer! Scientist think it's because they have a diet high in the anti-oxidant Lutein.
6 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
DVC 11/9/2019 12:16:11 PM (No. 230852)
My parents both smoked, but my mother quit when I was in the 8th grade. My father tried and tried, never could fully quit, had serious lung damage in his later years.
I never smoked, but one sibling picked it up. It was always horrible to me, never understood it. I haven't had any friends who smoked in the last 45 years.
1 person likes this.
#9 - Every time I hear that argument the old saying comes to mind: "The fastest horse doesn't always win the race but that's where the smart people put their money." And every time I hear about people I've known in life dying from cancer at an early age I mentally ask if they smoked. Seems like 9 times out of 10 - they did.
1 person likes this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
chumley 11/9/2019 5:13:25 PM (No. 230996)
I remember those days of freedom and miss them. Most of the high schools I went to had a smoking area for students, and the teacher's lounge was always hazy. Nobody was allergic to smoke yet because it wasn't stylish, and people did what they wanted without being regulated by goody two shoes government. It was a better time and this was one of the reasons.
3 people like this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
Omen55 11/9/2019 5:17:49 PM (No. 231001)
George Burns smoked cigars & lived to 100.
Bob you missed out on an extra 10.
3 people like this.
Reply 18 - Posted by:
Safari Man 11/9/2019 6:51:21 PM (No. 231038)
My uncle was a heavy smoker most of his life. He was a heavy drinker most of his life. He never exercised. He was a workaholic. Are you still going strong and just celebrated his 91st birthday. Go figure.
2 people like this.
Reply 19 - Posted by:
Bazi 11/9/2019 8:45:13 PM (No. 231075)
Here's a Marlboro commercial from 1966-just as I remembered it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQmpqvoEpws
Rest in Peace Bob.
0 people like this.
Handsome man. Remember the ads well. Rest in peace.
My in laws raised tobacco with raw nicotine rolling up on their hands. None of them died from cancer. Better check the fillers and filters.
0 people like this.
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