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White, whose credits span theater, film and television, died
on Monday night in Ojai, California, at the home of ex-wife
Louise White, the producer's former girlfriend, Lyndall Hobbs,
told Reuters.
"It would seem he died of heart failure having been told about 8
weeks ago that he needed open heart surgery but he was too weak
for surgery," Hobbs, a filmmaker, said, adding that his ex-wife
and son had cared for him as his "health deteriorated rapidly."
"Michael had an appetite for life that was unmatched in my
opinion," Hobbs said. "A unique man who put on hundreds of shows
and truly was a theatrical pioneer."
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, White began his career producing
plays on London's West End with shows such as "Oh! Calcutta,"
"The Rocky Horror Show" and "Annie."
He transitioned into films, producing numerous projects
including British cult classic comedy "Monty Python and the Holy
Grail" in 1974, and "The Hound of the Baskervilles" in 1978.
Most recently, White was the subject of a 2013 documentary "The
Last Impresario," directed by Gracie Otto, which followed his
exuberant life mingling with the A-list in London and featured
interviews with friends and colleagues including Kate Moss and
John Cleese.
Supermodel Moss was on hand to present White with the Special
Award, honoring lifetime achievements, at Britain's Olivier
Awards in 2014.
Otto said on Twitter on Tuesday that White was "a true
inspiration & generous soul. changed my life forever."
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Sandra Maler)
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