Catherine Bach's husband dies in apparent suicide

[May 01, 2010]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A successful entertainment attorney who was married to actress Catherine Bach was found dead in an apparent suicide Friday, coroners officials said.

Peter Lopez, 60, died of a gunshot wound at his home in the Encino Hills, coroner's office operations chief Craig Harvey said.

A neighbor reported hearing a shot and someone at the home found Lopez's body, coroners officials said.

Bach and her two daughters suffered a "tragic personal loss," said her publicist, Steve Rohr.

Bach played Daisy Duke in the 1980s TV series "The Dukes of Hazzard."

Lopez was Michael Jackson's music attorney for several years, according to Alfred Newman, a spokesman for the firm Lopez helped found, Kleinberg Lopez Lange Cuddy & Klein. He also represented The Eagles, Andrea Bocelli and Michael Buble.

"We are deeply shocked and saddened by the unexpected loss of our friend and partner," the firm said in a statement.

Lopez worked with singers, record producers and songwriters and was a co-producer of the Jennifer Lopez film "Selena," a biopic about the beloved Tejano singer who was killed by the president of her fan club.

Raymone Bain, Michael Jackson's former general manager, said she hired Peter Lopez in 2006 as Jackson's entertainment attorney when she was reorganizing the singer's business affairs.

"I'd known Peter for 20 years," she said. When she was searching for a new legal team she said another of her clients, R&B singer Babyface, recommended Lopez.

"I can't think of a nicer individual," she said. "He was a good guy. I'm just so shocked."

She said Lopez traveled with her and Jackson to London for the World Music Awards and spoke to the singer quite often.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Lopez to the California State Athletic Commission, which regulates boxing, and as the director of the California Exposition and State Fair Board.

Lopez attended UCLA Law School.

[Associated Press; By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON]

Associated Press writer Anthony McCartney and Special Correspondent Linda Deutsch contributed to this report.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.