One of the most beloved figures in childhood television passed away last night, as confirmed by his hometown Channel 9 Chattanooga. Dennis Haskins, who is known best for portraying principal Richard Belding on the popular 90s teen sitcom Saved by the Bell, was announced to have passed at the age of 75. The details of his death have not been revealed, but it has been confirmed that the actor had been previously diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Dimples Karaoke, a karaoke bar in Burbank, in which Haskins was a regular, would confirm this revelation in a recent post paying tribute to the sitcom star.
In their Instagram post, they said,
Dennis was a staple at Dimples. A lot of people thought he owned it, but he didn’t. He just loved the place and its people. He enjoyed singing for people, meeting them, and taking selfies with his fans. Dimples closed down about 11 years ago, and people still associate him with his beloved ‘second home.’ He was known to most as Mr. Belding from Saved by the Bell, but to us, he was much more than that.
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About eight years ago, he became ill. He had been silent about his fight with Parkinson’s, among other health concerns, because he did not want the attention. He did not want to have to tell people. He would say, ‘What do I even say?’ So I respected his wishes and stayed quiet, and I helped him through his journey into the next chapter of his life.
Late last night, that journey ended for him. He is now at peace and is probably entertaining the people in the sky….”
Haskins was born in Chattanooga on Nov. 18, 1950. He attended Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Notre Dame High School and UTC. He was a very active student at UTC. During his attendance, he was a reporter for the student newspaper, he was a performer with the Drama Club and Harlequins, he served as Student Government Association entertainment chairman and belonged to Blue Key Honor Fraternity and the Raven’s Society. Haskins would arrange a wide array of events for the school, including getting Ike and Tina Turner to perform for a special school concert.
Haskins’ early TV work included a ton of guest spots on shows like CHiPs, Knots Landing and The Dukes of Hazzard. However, TV history was made when he was cast as Mr. Belding in the school sitcom Good Morning, Miss Bliss in 1988. The next year, the series was reworked into Saved by the Bell and it became a massive hit on Saturday morning television.
Haskins earned the nickname “America’s Favorite Principal” through Saved by the Bell and even when the incarnation with the original cast ended, he continued his duty as Mr. Belding in the long-running continuation, Saved by the Bell: The New Class, which ran to the year 2000.
Haskins continued showing up in character parts throughout the duration of his career, which include roles in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and A Million Ways to Die in the West.
