Ben Jones, who achieved widespread fame playing the mechanic Cooter Davenport on the television series The Dukes of Hazzard
and later served two terms in the United States House of Representatives, has died at the age of 84. According to his wife, Alma Viator, Jones suffered a massive heart attack at his home in Washington, Virginia, while waiting to watch an Atlanta Braves baseball game. Rappahannock County Sheriff Connie Compton confirmed his death.
Ben Jones, Cooter Davenport Actor and Former U.S. Congressman, Dies at 84
Born in Tarboro, North Carolina, Jones attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he performed with the Carolina Playmakers and became involved in acting and civil rights. Before landing his breakout television role, he worked in summer stock theater, performed in the outdoor drama Unto These Hills
in Cherokee, North Carolina, and relocated to Atlanta in 1969 to act with various local theater groups. His early screen credits included commercials and supporting film roles in projects such as Smokey and the Bandit
, as well as an independent film titled The Moonrunners,
which served as the basis for The Dukes of Hazzard.
Outside of performance, Jones served as president of the Screen Actors Guild’s Georgia branch and chairman of the Georgia Film Commission.
Television Stardom on “The Dukes of Hazzard”
Jones achieved lasting recognition as Cooter Davenport, the friendly mechanic who assisted cousins Bo and Luke Duke as they navigated probation for running moonshine and worked to thwart the corrupt Boss Hogg in fictional Hazzard County, Georgia. He appeared in all seven seasons of the CBS series from 1979 to 1985. The show became a massive hit, featuring frequent car chases involving a modified 1969 Dodge Charger known as the General Lee. Cooter’s character was frequently heard on his pickup truck’s CB radio delivering his signature catchphrase: Breaker one, Breaker one. I might be crazy but I ain’t dumb. Crazy Cooter coming at you.
Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke, paid tribute to his co-star on Instagram. The Dukes of Hazzard lost another integral part of their cast today,
Wopat wrote. 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.
Following the conclusion of the original series, Jones reprised his role in subsequent reunion specials, including the 1997 reunion movie and the 2000 special Hazzard in Hollywood.
In later years, he and his wife opened “Cooter’s” country stores and museums in locations including Nashville and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and near his Virginia home, selling memorabilia and merchandise related to the show.
Transition to Politics and Congressional Career
After his acting tenure on the series, Jones transitioned into politics as a Democrat. Following an unsuccessful initial bid, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1988 for Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District, later winning re-election in 1990 to serve a total of four years in Washington.
After his congressional district was redrawn, Jones lost a 1992 election and subsequently ran against Newt Gingrich in 1994, losing in the election cycle that elevated Gingrich to the position of House Speaker.
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