Real-Life 'Sound of Music' Son Dead at 91

Oct 14, 04:58 PM

Current Headlines: Werner von Trapp, the real-life son of the family portrayed in The Sound of Music, died last week in Waitsfield, Vt., at the age of 91.

The BBC reported Sunday that von Trapp had been portrayed as the character Kurt in the musical, which his stepmother wrote in 1949, when it was performed on Broadway and in the corresponding movie.

Maria von Trapp's original book told the story of an Austrian woman who falls in love with a widower who employs her as his governess.

Along with the widower's seven children, the couple flees Austria as the Nazi Party attempts to annex the nation into its growing empire.

Prior to his death last Thursday in the Vermont town, von Trapp served in the U.S. Army during World War II and later enjoyed a career as a singer.

The BBC said he is survived by a brother and three sisters.