British-American broadcaster, journalist, actor, producer, lawyer, and politician best known for hosting the tabloid talk show “Jerry Springer” from 1991 to 2018. He debuted the “Jerry Springer Podcast” in 2015. From 2007 to 2008, Springer hosted “America’s Got Talent,” and from 2019 to 2022 the courtroom show “Judge Jerry.” From 1977 to 1978, Springer served as the 56th Mayor of Cincinnati.
The “Jerry Springer” show aired for 27 seasons and nearly 5,000 episodes, peaking in popularity around 1997 and 1998. Springer’s book, “Ringmaster” (1998), takes its readers behind the scenes of the hit show and includes information on his personal life and professional career.
Springer was born in London as his family fled from the Holocaust, and when he was four years old, they immigrated to the United States. They arrived in New York City, full of awe and anticipation, and he describes his life as being dedicated to upholding the freedoms that America and the Constitution offer.
After attending Tulane University and earning his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Springer went on to get his law degree at Northwestern University in 1968. After graduation, he began working as a campaign aide for Senator Robert F. Kennedy. After Kennedy’s assassination, he joined a law firm and began working in politics himself, first turning his efforts toward ratifying the 26th Amendment to the Constitution, designed to lower the voting age.
In 1971, he was elected to Council-at-Large in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he served five terms, and in 1977, he was elected mayor of Cincinnati, one of the youngest mayors in the U.S.
His television career began five years later when he became a political reporter and commentator for WLWT in Cincinnati, and by 1984, he had moved up to the position of anchor and managing editor. His controversial talk show premiered on 30 September 1991, and in January 1993, he gave up his anchor-editor duties to devote himself fulltime to his show.
He made his acting debut in 1993 in a episode of the sitcom “Married… with Children” and appeared in the feature film “Kissing a Fool” in 1998. In November 1998 he starred in “Ringmaster,” and in 1999, he had a role in “Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me.”
Springer works with several charitable organizations such as the Audrey Hepburn Hollywood for Children Fund and has served as a co-host on Jerry Lewis’s annual “Stars Across America” telethon for muscular dystrophy a few times. He also established a scholarship fund for the Kellman School of Chicago, an institution dedicated to helping inner-city youth.
On 17 January 2005, Springer began hosting a liberal radio talk show aired in Cincinnati, Ohio via WCKY-AM. The political talk show would air for three hours each week day, and Springer would continue hosting his TV show as well. Springer intended to sponsor a discussion of political issues to counter conservative talk shows, but said he was reserving the raunchy, raucous antics for his TV show.
Springer died from pancreatic cancer on 27 April 2023 at his home near Chicago, Illinois, aged 79.
Link to Wikipedia biography