Ben Jones, the actor who brought Cooter Davenport to life on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” died Sunday at his home in Luray, Virginia. He was 84. His wife announced on social media that he suffered a massive heart attack. Jones played the beloved mechanic for all seven seasons of the CBS hit from 1979 to 1985, making him one of the most recognizable faces of early 1980s television.
But Jones was never content to just be one thing. After the show ended, he ran for Congress and won, serving Georgia’s 4th district from 1989 to 1993. It’s a transition few actors have ever pulled off. In his later years, he became a champion of the show’s legacy, opening Cooter’s Place, a Dukes-themed museum and store, with locations in Nashville, Pigeon Forge, and Luray. He also planned and hosted fan reunions, including a birthday celebration that was scheduled for later this month with his co-star Sonny Shroyer.
Jones once said that when people see Cooter, they smile. “Our show made people happy and it didn’t matter what color they were or where they were from or what their politics were,” he said. For millions of viewers who grew up with the show, that’s exactly how he’ll be remembered. From the back roads of Hazzard County to the halls of Congress, Ben Jones lived a life that was anything but ordinary. What’s your favorite memory of “The Dukes of Hazzard” or Ben Jones? Share it with us in the comments.
