JERRY SPRINGER

Legendary talk show host, died at 79

Jerry Springer has been a household name throughout America and much of the world for the last three decades. Even if you are not a fan of Reality TV, talk shows, or daytime trash TV; you probably know the name Jerry Springer. He started out his career in politics and later became one of the most widely watched talk show hosts of all time.

He was born Gerald Norman Springer on February 13, 1944. His birth has a crazy and sad origin story, his family was a group of German Jews fleeing the Nazi’s during World War II and he was actually born in a London subway station that was being used as a bomb shelter during an air raid. At age 5, his parents immigrated to the United States, and he grew up in Queens, NY. He was a lifelong Yankees fan.

Jerry began his political career working as an aide in the Robert F. Kennedy Presidential Campaign that ended in tragedy when RFK was assassinated. He then worked for a law firm in Cincinnati, OH, where he ran for Congress in 1970. Losing that bid opened up a new door where he was elected to Cincinnati’s City Council. His political career almost ended in disgrace when he was forced to resign in 1974 after being caught paying for prostitutes with personal checks, by the local vice squad. However, after owning up to his mistakes, he was forgiven and in 1975 he regained his City Council seat and later in 1977 he was elected as Mayor. In the 1980’s he ran, but failed to win the spot for Governor of Ohio and in 2003 he even considered running for Senate. His World famous talk show and Trash TV originator The Jerry Springer Show was running at the time of the Senate consideration and Jerry was quoted as saying that he was going to run to touch base with and represent the common folk, the “regular folks ... who weren't born with a silver spoon in your mouth.”

The Jerry Springer show was the literal first instance of true Trash TV, it was full of gratuitous blurred breasts, fist fights and bleeped obscenities. And the masses loved it, The Jerry Springer Show, ran for nearly thirty years from 1991 to 2018. It was the most shocking TV talk show that ever appeared on any network. At one point the show was reaching nearly 7 million day time viewers and had higher ratings than Oprah. The show was full of controversy, with cheating spouses, parents of bastard children, strip club and redneck and trailer park shenanigans being disputed on the stage in front a national audience every day. It was glorious chaos and the people loved it. It was, as quoted by Jerry Springer, “Escapist Entertainment,” where people could escape the monotony of their daily lives and enjoy the chaos in the lives of others.

Jerry Springer created a new form of entertainment that has been incredibly popular for more than 30 years, and he also starred in the movie Ringmaster, competed on Dancing With the Stars, and even hosted the incredibly popular America’s Got Talent during Seasons 2 and 3. He even had his own Judge show for 3 seasons until 2022, where he utilized his real Law degree and real judgeship.

Jerry died peacefully in his home after a recent diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer. Jerry Springer you will be missed but never forgotten, Your political career was centered around representing the average Joe’s in America and your TV talk show changed the landscape of daytime television and your mark will be there forever in the airwaves and in the hearts of your fans and family. Rest in Peace. By

Michael Devine

HandleBar

Shaky Knees

Festival 2023

May 5-7 2023

Dindie scene to the streets of downtown Atlanta, Georgia. In an era where most festival headlin ers feature a variation of EDM/DJ acts, Shaky Knees lives to show another side of modern day music. With more than 60 bands each year Shaky Knees is a rock-lover’s dream. Since its inception in 2013, Shaky Knees has fea tured a diverse lineup ranging from worldrenowned acts to up-and-com ing artists.

-Friday, May, 5 2023

-Saturday, May 6, 2023

-Sunday May 7, 2023

Venue: Central Park 400 Merritts Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30308