Ben Jones, the actor who became a familiar face to television audiences as the lovable mechanic Cooter Davenport on ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ before embarking on a political career in Washington, has died at 84.

Jones died Sunday at his home after suffering what his wife, Alma Viator, described as a “massive heart attack”. According to Viator, Jones was sitting in his favourite chair and preparing to watch a baseball game when he died.

“I lost the love of my life today. Ben passed from a massive heart attack,” Viator wrote in a Facebook post. “He was home resting in his favorite chair waiting for the Braves to come on and whoop the Yankees. 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.”

Jones was best known for playing Cooter Davenport, the owner of Cooter’s Garage in the fictional Hazzard County, on CBS’ ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’. But his career extended well beyond television, taking him from acting and live entertainment to the US House of Representatives.

From Cooter’s Garage to television fame

Jones appeared throughout all seven seasons of ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’, which aired from 1979 to 1985. His character, Cooter, was the mechanic and proprietor of Cooter’s Garage, situated near the sheriff’s office in Hazzard County.

He appeared in 141 episodes of the Georgia-set series alongside John Schneider, Tom Wopat, Catherine Bach, Sorrell Booke and Sonny Shroyer. The show followed the adventures of cousins Bo and Luke Duke and became one of CBS’ biggest hits of the period.

Cooter was known for his distinctive CB-radio persona, “Crazy Cooter”, and his recurring catchphrase, “Breaker one, breaker one, I might be crazy, but I ain’t dumb.”

The role had its roots in ‘Moonrunners’, a 1975 film about bootleggers written and directed by Gy Waldron. Jones played a federal agent in the film, which also featured country singer Waylon Jennings. When Waldron developed the concept into ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’, Jones and Jennings became part of the television adaptation.

Jones later recalled that the series was filmed close to where he lived outside Atlanta.

The actor briefly disappeared from the show during its second season because of a disagreement over Cooter’s appearance. Jones wanted the character to have a full beard, while producers preferred him clean-shaven. The dispute was eventually resolved in favour of the producers.

Acting career before ‘The Dukes Of Hazzard’

Jones had already built a varied acting résumé before landing his signature role.

He appeared in films including ‘Killers Three’ in 1968, ‘Together for Days’ in 1972, ‘The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings’ in 1976, ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ and ‘The Lincoln Conspiracy’ in 1977, and ‘They Went That-a-Way & That-a-Way’ in 1978.

His early years were spent between North Carolina and Atlanta, where he pursued theatre and film after studying radio, television and motion pictures.

In his 2008 memoir, ‘Redneck Boy in the Promised Land’, Jones described throwing himself into student productions and experimental theatre as he searched for a direction in life.

“I would volunteer for every student project, every off-the-wall experimental play and anything else around at which I could throw my inexperience and zeal,” he wrote. “I had found something I thought I was good at. Something besides drinking.”

His later screen credits included the 1998 political comedy ‘Primary Colors’, in which he played media adviser Arlen Sporken for director Mike Nichols.

A second act in US politics

Jones’ popularity as Cooter helped propel him into politics.

A Democrat, he first ran for Congress in 1986 but narrowly lost to Republican incumbent Pat Swindall in Georgia’s 4th Congressional District. He returned to the race two years later and won decisively after Swindall became embroiled in a federal investigation.

Jones served in the US House from 1989 to 1993 and was re-elected in 1990. During his time in Congress, he served as a Democratic whip and sat on the House committees dealing with Public Works and Transportation and Veterans’ Affairs.

His political career was marked by the unusual combination of Hollywood fame and Washington responsibilities. Jones openly acknowledged his troubled past during his 1988 campaign, including his history with alcohol, saying he had “more skeletons in my closet than the Smithsonian”. He said he had stopped drinking in September 1977.

Battles with Gingrich and Cantor

Redistricting eventually changed the political landscape for Jones. He lost his congressional seat to Republican Newt Gingrich in 1994.

Jones later filed an ethics complaint involving Gingrich, an action that became part of the political pressure surrounding Gingrich’s eventual resignation as House speaker in 1998.

After moving to Virginia, Jones made another attempt to return to Congress in 2002. He challenged Republican Eric Cantor for the state’s 7th District seat but was defeated.

More than a decade later, Jones again attracted attention in Virginia politics after a letter he had written criticising Cantor was cited by political commentators during Cantor’s unexpected defeat in the 2014 Republican primary.

In a twist that blurred the line between Jones’ television persona and his political life, Cooter was eventually written as a congressman in the 1997 television film ‘The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!’

Life after ‘The Dukes Of Hazzard’

Jones continued to build on the popularity of Cooter long after the original series ended.

He formed Cooter’s Garage Band and performed at concerts, fairs and festivals. He also operated Cooter-themed stores and ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ museums in Tennessee and Virginia.

He was involved in organising fan events including Dukesfest and Hazzard Homecoming, keeping the show’s connection with its audience alive decades after the series ended.

When ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ was adapted into a 2005 feature film, David Koechner took over the role of Cooter.

Early life and family

Born Ben Lewis Jones on Aug. 30, 1941, in Tarboro, North Carolina, Jones was one of four sons. He grew up in Portsmouth, Virginia, where his father, Buck, worked for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. His mother, Ila, was a homemaker.

The family lived in a railroad section house near the docks, which lacked electricity and indoor plumbing for years.

Jones later described his teenage years as a period of “drinking and drifting”. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth in 1959 before briefly attending East Carolina College and later the University of North Carolina, where he studied radio, television and motion pictures.

He eventually moved to Atlanta in 1969 and pursued acting and theatre, setting the stage for the role that would make him a household name.

Jones married Alma Viator in 1992. He is survived be his wife, Alma Viator and his children, Rachel and Walker.