Jerry Springer
Just as Jerry Springer seemed to be happy as the reigning king of trash talk shows, he reinvented himself as a reality television star. It is true, Jerry Springer has thrown his hat into the reality show arena and fans still love him. Actually, reality shows aren’t that far a stretch from Jerry’s talk show, which definitely gave him experience in dealing with people who are unique and different. After all, when confronted with a drag queen while hosting “America’s Got Talent,” Springer said, “these are my people.”
Gerald Norman Springer was born in London, England on February 13, 1944 after Jerry’s family fled the Holocaust. They moved to Queens, New York in 1949 when Jerry was 5 years old. It may surprise you to know that Jerry has a B.A. in Political Science from Tulane University in New Orleans and a J.D. from Northwestern University in Chicago. He started out his career in politics, serving as a campaign aide to Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. By 1977, Jerry was elected mayor of Cincinnati.
In 1982, Jerry turned his attention to media, serving as a political report, commentator, and eventually news anchor and managing editor for WLWT-TV in Cincinnati. WLWT-TV developed “The Jerry Springer Show” as a replacement for the much-loved “The Phil Donahue Show.” However, the serious format eventually gave way to campy guests who teetered on violent (although it was mostly acting). Jerry was on his way to making talk show history. By 1999, he had to adhere to a no-violence rule, which meant his guests could no longer fight on stage, but Jerry already had his core audience.
Before you start to think of Jerry only as a television personality, you should know that he is also a lover of country music. He has opened for Billy Ray Cyrus and sung at LA’s Viper Room. You can even purchase his “Dr. Talk” music CD from Amazon.com.
Jerry’s latest gig with reality television started when he was asked to be on “Dancing with the Stars” in the fall of 2006. Although it was obvious Jerry was not the best dancer, the fans loved him and continued to vote for him. He wasn’t eliminated until week 7 – very late in the competition. VH1 began airing “The Springer Hustle” as part of their celebreality series this year. The show focuses on how “The Jerry Springer Show” is produced. In March 2007, NBC announced that Jerry would be replacing “America’s Got Talent” host Regis Philbin. After two episodes, he has already appeared topless (with male belly dancer contestant Galadin).
Although sometimes seen as controversial, Jerry is not without his own charm and altruism. He has served as the co-host of the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Labor Day Telethon. He has also served as the Vice President of the national Muscular Dystrophy Association and has been on the advisory board of the Audrey Hepburn Hollywood for Children Fund. He also set up a scholarship from at the Kellman School in Chicago to help inner city youth.
Just remember next time you stumble upon “The Jerry Springer Show” and begin to think that Jerry is just a trashy talk show host, remember that he is indeed a multifaceted entertainer loved by many.
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