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Springer died peacefully after a brief illness
at his home in suburban Chicago, his family said in a statement.
The cause of death was not specified.
“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 people on the street who wanted
a photo or a word,” lifelong friend and family spokesman Jene
Galvin said in the statement.
Springer was born in London on Feb. 13, 1944, and immigrated to
New York City when he was 4 years old. In 1965, Springer
graduated from Tulane University and then went to Northwestern
University where he got a law degree, before serving in the
United States Army Reserves.
He moved to Ohio, where he served on the city council and then
as the city's 56th mayor in 1977. Five years later, he ran for
the Democratic nomination for Ohio governor, but lost.
Springer then worked as a news anchor at WLWT 5, an NBC
Cincinnati affiliate. In 1991, Springer landed his own
television program, a syndicated talk show broadcast across the
United States until 2018.
The daytime program, known as "The Jerry Springer Show," was
initially a politically oriented show but later featured
everyday people discussing sensationalistic topics, often
related to unconventional sexuality.
On his Twitter page, Springer described himself as a "talk show
host, ringmaster of civilization’s end."
His show was the subject of a British musical known as "Jerry
Springer: The Opera" which was performed in London, Las Vegas
and New York City between 2001 and 2019.
In 2006, Springer enjoyed a long run on the popular "Dancing
With the Stars" TV show. He also hosted several TV shows,
including "America's Got Talent" and pageants such as the 2008
Miss Universe contest.
(Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar and Farouq Suleiman; Editing by
Howard Goller)
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