Bodybuilding legend Bill Pearl has died at the age of 91

Former Mr. Universe champion and legendary Golden Era bodybuilder Bill Pearl has died at the age of 91. Pearl, who had incredible success on stage, had been battling Parkinson's disease and it may have played a role in his death. The news was announced Wednesday by Pearl's wife, Judy Pearl, on his official Facebook page.

Pearl competed mainly from the 1950s to the 1970s. His balanced proportions and full chest were among his most famous "weapons." He won the Mr. Universe title four times (1953, 1961, 1967, 1971) and in 1974 was named "World's Best-Built Man of the Century."

In addition to his many bodybuilding titles, Pearl was awarded the prestigious Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 for his lasting impact on the sport of bodybuilding.

In April, Pearl was hospitalized after being trapped under a Craftsman lawn mower in an accident. As a result of the accident, doctors told Bill he had a compression fracture of his T-10 vertebrae, prompting emergency surgery that lasted over six hours.

Arnold Schwarzenegger also paid tribute to Bill Pearl's memory, writing the following on his social media:

Bill Pearl will live forever in the millions of people he inspired. I know this because I am one of them - when my goals were just dreams, it was Bill Pearl, one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, who motivated me to make the impossible possible. I put a picture of him above my little bed in Austria to remind me to keep pushing, stay hungry, and never give up. My thoughts are with his family.

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