Jerry Springer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jerry Springer
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Springer in 2011
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| Born |
Gerald Norman Springer
February 13, 1944 London, England
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| Died | April 27, 2023 (aged 79) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education |
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| Occupation |
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| Television |
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| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Micki Velton
(m. 1973; div. 1994) |
| Children | 1 |
| 56th Mayor of Cincinnati | |
| In office January 1, 1977 – January 1, 1978 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Luken |
| Succeeded by | Bobbie L. Sterne |
| Member of the Cincinnati City Council | |
| In office January 1, 1976 – 1981 |
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| In office January 1, 1972 – April 29, 1974 |
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Gerald Norman Springer (February 13, 1944 – April 27, 2023) was an American TV host, lawyer, and politician. He was born in London during World War II. His parents were refugees who escaped from the Holocaust, a terrible time when many Jewish people were persecuted. Jerry grew up in Queens, New York City.
He became a lawyer after studying at Northwestern University. Jerry Springer first got involved in politics by working for Robert F. Kennedy's campaign in 1968. He served on the Cincinnati City Council and was even the Mayor of Cincinnati from 1977 to 1978.
Later, he became a local news anchor in Cincinnati. He won several awards for his news commentaries. Jerry Springer was most famous for hosting his talk show, Jerry Springer, which ran from 1991 to 2018. He also hosted America's Got Talent and the courtroom show Judge Jerry.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jerry Springer was born on February 13, 1944. He was born in a London Underground station called Highgate tube station. This station was used as a shelter during German bombings in World War II. His parents, Margot and Richard Springer, were German-Jewish refugees. They had to leave their home in Poland to escape the Holocaust. Sadly, some of his family members who were left behind died during this time.
In 1949, when Jerry was four years old, his family moved to the United States. They settled in the Kew Gardens area of Queens, New York City. He went to Forest Hills High School nearby.
Jerry was very interested in current events from a young age. He remembered watching the 1956 Democratic National Convention when he was 12. He was very impressed by Senator John F. Kennedy at that time.
Jerry Springer earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Tulane University in 1965. He then earned a law degree (Juris Doctor) from Northwestern University in 1968.
Political Career
Jerry Springer started his career in politics. He worked as an adviser for Robert F. Kennedy's campaign in 1968. After Kennedy's death, Springer began working as a lawyer in Cincinnati.
In 1970, Springer ran for the United States House of Representatives. He didn't win, but he got a lot of votes. He also worked to lower the voting age, even speaking to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Springer was elected to the Cincinnati City Council in 1971. He had to resign for a short time in 1974, but he was re-elected by a lot of votes in 1975. He was re-elected again in 1977 and 1979.
In 1977, the Cincinnati City Council chose Jerry Springer to be mayor for one year. This was part of a special agreement at the time. As a council member and mayor, he tried to change how local elections worked. He wanted council members to be elected by different areas of the city, but this change didn't happen.
In 1981, Springer left the City Council to run for governor of Ohio. He didn't win the nomination from his party. Later, in the late 1980s, he helped save the historic Cincinnati Union Terminal.
Jerry Springer thought about running for the United States Senate in 2000 and 2004. However, he decided not to because of how famous his talk show had become. He also thought about running for governor of Ohio in 2018 but decided he was too old. Even after he stopped being a politician, he gave a lot of money to the Democratic Party in his county.
Broadcast Career
Jerry Springer's career in broadcasting began when he was in college. He worked at a college radio station. He continued in radio while he was mayor of Cincinnati, doing commentaries called "The Springer Memorandum." These commentaries became very popular and helped him start his broadcasting career.
Springer was hired as a political reporter and commentator at a TV station in Cincinnati, WLWT. He became the main news anchor. He created his famous sign-off line: "Take care of yourself, and each other." Within two years, he was the most popular news anchor in Cincinnati. He won ten local Emmy Awards for his nightly commentaries. These commentaries later became his "Final Thought" on his talk show.
In 1997, a TV station in Chicago hired Springer as a news commentator. However, this was not popular with viewers, and some news anchors even resigned because of it. After only two commentaries, Springer resigned from this role.
The Jerry Springer Show (1991–2018)
The Jerry Springer show first aired on September 30, 1991. It started as a talk show focused on politics, like a longer version of his news commentaries. Early guests included famous people like Oliver North and Jesse Jackson. Topics included important issues like homelessness and gun politics.
In 1994, Jerry Springer and his producer changed the show's format to get more viewers. The show became more focused on exciting and dramatic stories. Guests were everyday people who would confront each other on stage. These confrontations often involved shouting or arguments. The show became very popular and got a lot of attention. By 1998, it was watched by more than 6.7 million people.
Jerry Springer: The Opera was a musical inspired by him and his talk show.
In 2005, a version of the show called The Springer Show aired in the UK. It was a calmer version of the US show.
In April 2015, Springer started The Jerry Springer Podcast. He later partnered with Westwood One to share his podcast. It was also broadcast in the UK. The podcast ended in 2022.
The Jerry Springer show aired its last new episode on July 26, 2018, after 27 seasons.
Judge Jerry (2019–2022)
Jerry Springer started a new courtroom show called Judge Jerry on September 9, 2019. This show allowed him to host a more "grown-up" program and use his law school education. The show was canceled after three seasons in March 2022.
Other TV Appearances
Jerry Springer hosted America's Got Talent on NBC for its second and third seasons. He also hosted the Miss World pageant in 2000 and 2001, and the Miss Universe 2008 pageant. He was a guest host for WWE Raw in 2010.
From 2010 to 2015, Springer hosted a dating game show called Baggage on GSN. He also hosted Tabloid, a series on Investigation Discovery, starting in 2014.
Springer made guest appearances on many TV shows. He was on Married... with Children and George Lopez. He also voiced a cartoon version of himself in The Simpsons and appeared in Austin Powers: The Spy Who ... Me.
In 2006, Springer was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. He wanted to learn the waltz for his daughter's wedding. He and his dance partner were eliminated in the seventh week.
In 2008, Springer appeared on the BBC show Who Do You Think You Are?. In this episode, he learned more about his family's history and how his grandmothers died during the Holocaust.
In 2022, Springer competed on The Masked Singer as "Beetle."
Personal Life
Jerry Springer was married to Micki Velton from 1973 to 1994. They had one daughter named Katie, who was born in 1976. Katie was born with some health challenges, including being blind and deaf in one ear. In an interview, she said that her parents were always very supportive. In 2006, Jerry Springer donated money to a school in Chicago where his daughter worked. This money helped build a special facility for students with disabilities.
Death
Jerry Springer passed away at his home in Evanston, Illinois, on April 27, 2023. He was 79 years old. A family spokesperson said he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months before his death.
Legacy
Jerry Springer and his show became a huge cultural event. Many people said his show changed television. The Guardian newspaper said that Springer "changed US television for better and worse." He had a large fanbase, especially among young adults who grew up watching his show. The Los Angeles Times even called him the "millennials' babysitter."
Springer is known for creating a new type of television show that often showed conflict between guests. USA Today said he inspired other talk shows like Maury. Forbes magazine said that Springer's influence on television "will live on forever." The Associated Press described his show as "a US cultural pariah, synonymous with lurid drama."
Many people in the TV industry have said that Jerry Springer was a pioneer in reality TV. The BBC noted that Springer showed the "fringes of [American] society to a global audience" and called him an "era-defining TV host."
Images for kids
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Springer giving a speech at Emory University in 2007
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See also
In Spanish: Jerry Springer para niños
