A reporter's tenacity... a politician's tact.... a lawyer's logic... an entertainer's charisma... a father's compassion... add a little dose of talk show host... and you have Jerry Springer!
Jerry was born in London, England in 1944 in the midst of his family fleeing from the Holocaust. At age five, Jerry immigrated to New York City with his parents. He can still recall the sense of awe and anticipation he felt as he first saw the Statue of Liberty and passed through the gates of freedom on Ellis Island. In America, they could live without persecution. Jerry's dedication to upholding the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution is a hallmark in his life. For his family saw firsthand what happens when these freedoms are denied.
After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Tulane University in 1965, he went on to earn a law degree from Northwestern University in 1968. His first job after college was working as one of Senator Robert F. Kennedy's presidential campaign aides. After Kennedy's death, Jerry joined a law firm in Cincinnati, Ohio and moved into the political arena himself. He was elected Cincinnati's Council-at-Large in 1971, serving five successive years. In 1977, Springer was elected Mayor of Cincinnati with the largest plurality in the city's history. At the age of 33, he was one of the country's youngest mayors.
In 1982, Jerry launched his career in broadcasting as a political reporter and commentator on Cincinnati's WLWT-TV. Two years later, Jerry became anchor and managing editor and was Cincinnati's number one news anchor until he relinquished the post in January of 1993. Springer received seven Emmy Awards for his nightly commentaries, the forerunner to his now famous "Final Thought," and was voted television's "Best Anchor" for five consecutive years by readers of "Cincinnati Magazine." Of his professional achievements, Springer is most proud of his involvement with "Cincinnati Reaches Out," contributing on-site reporting from Ethiopia and Sudan documenting the effort to provide assistance to famine-stricken Africans.
Multimedia Entertainment, Inc., which owned WLWT-TV in Cincinnati, also owned the Phil Donahue Show. One day his employers took Jerry out to lunch and gave him a new assignment... a talk show. Always ready to accept new challenges, Jerry launched the "Jerry Springer Show," a daily, one hour talk show, which premiered on September 30, 1991. Now entering its sixth season, the "Jerry Springer Show" is seen in over 150 U.S. markets and in over 30 foreign countries.
"We celebrated our 1,000th show in May of 1996," said Springer, "and I recently signed a contract to continue doing the show for another six years. I'm looking forward to celebrating show number 2000!"
Springer just completed his third consecutive year as co-host on Jerry Lewis' annual "Stars Across America" Muscular Dystrophy Labor Day Telethon. Recently elected to serve as Vice President of the national Muscular Dystrophy Association, Jerry says, "Helping to raise funds for this vital research on behalf of children stricken with these life-threatening illnesses is a privilege." For several years, he has been on the Advisory Board of the Audrey Hepburn Hollywood for Children Fund (AHHCF), an umbrella foundation to continue Audrey Hepburn's formidable work for needy children around the world. Dedicated to improving the standard of our children's education, Jerry has established a scholarship fund at the Kellman School in Chicago that serves the inner city youth.
Now this lawyer turned politician turned news anchor turned talk show host has added "country singer/songwriter" to his repertoire. "It struck me that the subjects of country songs and the subjects of talk shows are very similar." So Jerry penned the title cut of his new country music CD "Dr. Talk." Jerry is now opening for Billy Ray Cyrus on his concert tour, when scheduling allows.
Jerry's determination to succeed and his natural ability to take what life dishes out and turn it into a positive have contributed to his wide ranging appeal. He loves to have a good time on the show and ensures that his audience does too. Consider that this one-time mayor has impersonated Elvis, opened for Billy Ray Cyrus, sung rock-and-roll at Johnny Depp's Viper Room, sat astride a Harley Davidson in a leather jacket and suited up to play goalie for the Intemational Hockey League's Milwaukee Admirals. Balance that Jerry Springer with the Jerry Springer who dissects serious subjects on "Larry King Live" and "Nightline," holds the hands of AIDS stricken children, interviews such notables as George Bush and Jesse Jackson, and is the concerned humanitarian helping to raise millions of dollars for charity. Be it lawyer, politician, anchorman, father, talk show host, country music singer, New York savvy with mid-westem warmth... they're all Jerry Springer.