Jerry Springer: Talk Show Host and Former Cincinnati Mayor Dies at 79

Jerry Springer was a British-born American television host, lawyer and politician, best known for the chaotic talk show The Jerry Springer Show. Born on February 13, 1944, in London, in a Tube station that was used as a wartime air-raid shelter, he was the son of Jewish refugees from Germany.

Springer was elected to the Cincinnati City Council in 1971. He resigned in 1974 after admitting he had paid for a sex worker, was re-elected the following year and served as mayor in 1977 and 1978. He worked as a news anchor on WLWT in Cincinnati and won ten regional Emmys. His show ran from 1991 to 2018 and became the textbook example of "trash TV."

Springer also hosted America's Got Talent from 2007 to 2008 and the courtroom show Judge Jerry from 2019. He studied at Tulane and Northwestern University School of Law. He married Micki Velton in 1973, and they had a daughter, Katie. He died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Evanston, Illinois, on April 27, 2023, at age 79.

Achievements: Mayor of Cincinnati (1977-1978), ten regional Emmy Awards, hosted The Jerry Springer Show (1991-2018), hosted America's Got Talent (2007-2008).

Birth: February 13, 1944 - London, England.

Profession: Television host, lawyer and politician.

Interesting Facts: His show's audience used to chant his name. He ended every episode with a short, thoughtful "Final Thought."