Jerry Springer, legendary talk show host and television personality, who served as a mayor of Cincinnati for a brief period, has died at 79. According to a family spokesperson, he died peacefully on Thursday at his home in suburban Chicago due to cancer.
”The Jerry Springer Show” ran for 27 years, with more than 4000 episodes, and ended in 2018. His show had high ratings and was known for its chair-throwing and tabloid-style dramatics. The popular show often featured dysfunctional families and lasted for around three decades.
Jerry Springer’s career
After working on his namesake show for so many years, Jerry Springer splashed on other arenas of the entertainment industry. Springer appeared on a famous reality show, ”America’s Got Talent” briefly between 2007 and 2008. After that, he hosted the NBC courtroom reality show ”Judge Jerry”.
Jerry Springer was a former attorney and politician who got elected as the 56th mayor of Cincinnati from 1977 to 1978. He began his political career with a congressional race campaign in 1970 in which he was unsuccessful.
In the following year, he was elected to Cincinnati council from which he resigned in disgrace three years later in a Northern Kentucky sex scandal. A year later, he got re-elected demonstrating his popular appeal. Further in 1982, he took a run at the Democratic nomination for Ohio governor but did not win.
A Brief about Jerry Springer
Jerry Springer was born on February 13, 1944, in London. His family moved to the United States during his childhood and settled in Queens. Springer spent the earlier part of his political career as an adviser to Robert F. Kennedy. Later, he moved to the Cincinnati law firm following Kennedy’s death.
As far as his personal life is concerned, he married Micki Velton in 1973. They divorced in 1994 after sending around two decades together. The couple had a child, Katie Springer, who was born in 1976.
Springer reached global fame with his daytime television talk show in 1991, ”Jerry Springer” which was culturally criticized. Despite his regular ascent in the entertainment industry, he continued to generate some news in the political areas. Recently, Springer gained more popularity with his podcast ”The Jerry Springer Podcast”.
Talk show host Jerry Springer has died at age 79 of pancreatic cancer. Here's what to know about pancreatic cancer. https://t.co/kpmLthgwNg
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 27, 2023
Remembering Jerry Springer
Jene Galvin, a lifelong friend and spokesperson for the family said, ”Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with the people on the street who wanted a photo or a word.” He also stated, ”he’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart, and humor will live on.”
As the funeral services and a memorial ceremony are getting developed, the family asks that in lieu of flowers consider making a donation or an act of kindness to some needy or an organization to remember Jerry.
Former Mayor Charlie Luken, who also anchored Channel 5 newscasts after the Springer era, accepted that he was always a little jealous because he had to work at what seemed to come so easy to Springer. He remembered how Springer could commandeer a moment on the fly.
Luken said, ”Early in his career the city took over the bus company and they had this big press conference at City Hall and a brand new bus. And all these old timers like my dad and Bill Gradison and Ted Berry were around. And they are all angling for publicity. Jerry takes the bus driver’s hat, gets on the bus, drives around the block, and got every ounce of publicity that day. and my dad was furious.”
”Can’t think of a time when I was with Jerry Springer when I wasn’t smiling”, Luken told us.
Springer’s mind was sharp, like his wit. He was a magnetic and pleasant person. The iconic host lived in a fishbowl and understood every aspect of personal well-being and professional success.
Ans because he always said, ”Take care of yourself, and each other.”
