William Conrad; Played ‘Fatman’ and ‘Cannon’

William Conrad, burly star of the series “Jake and the Fatman,” “Cannon” and other television shows, died of a heart attack Friday. He was 73.

Conrad became ill at his home and died at the Medical Center of North Hollywood, hospital spokeswoman Tricia Spellman said.

Conrad played J.L. “Fatman” McCabe, a tough district attorney and former cop, on the CBS-TV series “Jake and the Fatman,” which ran from 1987 to 1992. He had previously played the lead in the detective series “Cannon,” which ran from 1971 to 1976.

An announcer for radio station KMPC before serving as a fighter pilot in World War II, Conrad returned to radio after the war as the original Matt Dillon in the popular Gunsmoke series. His motion picture career, which also began after the war, included roles in “The Killers,” “30,” “Body and Soul,” “East Side, West Side” and “The Naked Jungle.”

Conrad was born Sept. 27, 1920, in Louisville, Ky., the son of a theater owner, and later moved with his family to California.

He leaves his wife, Tippy, and a son, Christopher, who lives in Seattle.