Ben Jones, ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ star and former Congressman, dies at 84

By Charlotte Reck, CNN

(CNN) — Actor Ben Jones, best known for playing trusty mechanic Cooter Davenport in the hit TV comedy “The Dukes of Hazzard,” has died at age 84.

Jones’ death was confirmed by his wife of more than three decades, Alma Viator, who shared the news in a post on Facebook.

“I lost the love of my life today,” Viator wrote in a tribute, alongside a recent picture of a smiling Jones, sitting with a dog on his lap.

“Ben passed from a massive heart attack,” she added.

The actor suffered the fatal cardiac arrest at home on Sunday while waiting to watch his favorite baseball team the Atlanta Braves “whoop the Yankees,” Viator explained.

“Ben had the most amazing rich full life. He loved and was loved by so many. He will be missed. I loved him so so much,” she said.

Jones rose to fame when he was cast as Cooter Davenport, the sidekick to cousins Bo and Luke Duke, in the action comedy “The Dukes of Hazzard,” which aired on CBS between 1979 and 1985.

Davenport was a mischievous rogue, and fans loved the character — often called an “honorary Duke” — for his wild, rebellious ways and his aversion to the law.

Packed with adventure and car chases, “The Dukes of Hazzard” had great success during its seven-season run. The first three seasons ranked in the top 10 most viewed television shows in the US, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Jones appeared in all seven seasons and returned for 1997’s TV movie “The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!” and again in 2000 for “The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood.”

His friendships with cast members stood the test of time, as proven last year when Jones reflected on the death of Rick Hurst, who played Deputy Cletus Hogg in the show.

“It doesn’t seem right that Rick Hurst passed away,” Jones wrote in a message posted on the Facebook page of the Cooter’s Place museum, which is dedicated to the show.

“I have known Rick for over 45 years and there wasn’t a minute of that time that he didn’t leave me smiling or laughing … he just had a heart as big as Texas,” he added.

When news of Jones’ death broke, his co-star Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke in the show, shared an image on Instagram of himself arm-in-arm with Jones on stage.

“The Dukes of Hazzard lost another integral part of their cast today,” Wopat wrote in a caption. “Ben Jones was a fine friend and a fierce advocate of all the best things we can offer in the entertainment business. He will be sorely missed.”

After “The Dukes of Hazzard” wrapped, Jones made a shift into politics.

He was elected to the United States Congress in 1988 and was in office as a Democratic member of the US House of Representatives from Georgia’s 4th district between January 1989 and January 1993.

During his stint in office, Jones served as a Democratic whip, was a member of the Committee on Veteran’s Affairs and a member of the Committee on Public Works and Transportation.

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