Dukes Of Hazzard star and former U.S. congressman Ben Jones ᴅᴇᴀᴅ at 84

The Dukes Of Hazzard star Ben Jones pᴀssed away at the age of 84 on Sunday, August 9 after suffering a heart attack. 

The late actor’s death was announced by his wife, Alma Viator, in an emotional Facebook post. 

‘I lost the love of my life today,’ she wrote on Sunday. ‘Ben pᴀssed from a mᴀssive heart attack.’

Viator, who had married Jones in 1992, continued, ‘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, who had also served four years in the U.S. House of Representatives, was known for his role as Cooter Davenport on The Dukes Of Hazzard series which aired on CBS. 

The Dukes Of Hazzard star Ben Jones pᴀssed away at the age of 84 on Sunday, August 9 after suffering a heart attack; seen above in 2000 in L.A. 

‘I lost the love of my life today,’ she wrote on Sunday. ‘Ben pᴀssed from a mᴀssive heart attack’

The late star was born on August 30, 1941 in the state of North Carolina and later graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1959. 

Jones was accepted into the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and began to pursue his interest in acting by being a part of productions through the Carolina Playmakers. 

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After relocating to Atlanta, he took to the stage through theater companies such as The Theatre of the Stars and Alliance Theatre. 

In the late 60s, Jones began to appear on the screen. 

He received an uncredited role in the 1968 movie Killers Three, per his official IMDB page. 

Four years later, he starred in the project Together For Days (1972) which also marked Samuel L. Jackson’s film debut. 

Jones kept busy during the decade with other movie credits such as Moonrunners (1975) and Smokey And The Bandit (1977). 

He additionally had guest roles in shows including Movin’ On, Nashville 99 and The Magical World Of Disney. 

‘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,’ his wife also wrote

Jones, who had also served four years in the U.S. House of Representatives, was known for his role as Cooter Davenport on The Dukes Of Hazzard series which aired on CBS; seen in 1997 in L.A. 

Jones notably played Cooter Davenport on the show alongside other cast members such as Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach, Denver Pyle and Rick Hurst; seen bottom right with Schneider and Wopat

Moonrunners was later reworked into the hit CBS series The Dukes Of Hazzard. 

Jones notably played Cooter Davenport on the show alongside other cast members such as Tom Wopat, John Schneider, Catherine Bach, Denver Pyle and Rick Hurst. 

The show aired from 1979 through 1985 for seven seasons, and Jones portrayed his character on The Dukes of Hazzard for 141 episodes. 

‘The Dukes was that kind of show where nobody really gets hurt. You can fall off a cliff and have a stagecoach land on you and just brush yourself off,’ he said of the series, per Wide Open Country. 

‘The good guys always won, and they won because they made the right moral choice. They did the right thing, and they were willing to sacrifice anything to help someone out.’ 

After his time on The Dukes Of Hazzard, he went on to appear in more shows such as Dallas and the 1988 drama film Dakota. 

In 1997, he reprised his role of Cooter in the TV movie The Dukes Of Hazzard: Reunion! 

The following year, Jones worked alongside John Travolta, Emma Thompson and Billy Bob Thornton in the movie Primary Colors. 

The show aired from 1979 through 1985 for seven seasons, and Jones portrayed his character on The Dukes of Hazzard for 141 episodes

‘The Dukes was that kind of show where nobody really gets hurt. You can fall off a cliff and have a stagecoach land on you and just brush yourself off,’ he said of the series, per Wide Open Country; Jones seen above with Catherine Bach

He also appeared in the television movie The Dukes Of Hazzard: Hazzard In Hollywood in 2000. 

The star’s last acting credit was the 2021 project тιтled Unbreakable. 

Jones had also stepped into the world of politics when he ran for Congress in Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District in 1986, but lost to Pat Swindell. 

However, he later beat Swindell after running again two years later. Jones won a re-election in 1990. 

‘People ask me in Washington if I’m doing any acting any more. More than ever,’ the late star expressed in a past interview, per The Hollywood Reporter. 

‘The skills I learned on stage and in film are invaluable in politics, because we’re talking about communication and being comfortable around a camera, being in front of an audience, finding that bond, that chemistry. And being energized by it.’ 

Jones’ former Dukes Of Hazzard co-star Tom Wopat paid tribute to the actor following the news of his pᴀssing on Sunday. 

However, he later beat Swindell after running again two years later. Jones won a re-election in 1990; seen in 2015 in Washington D.C. 

Jones had also voiced his defense for the Confederate flag in the past, saying that it is ‘not a hateful symbol’; seen in 2002 

Jones’ former Dukes Of Hazzard co-star Tom Wopat paid tribute to the actor following the news of his pᴀssing on Sunday

Wopat shared a pH๏τo to his Instagram page as both he and Jones were on stage while surrounded by a crowd. 

‘The Dukes of Hazzard lost another integral part of their cast today. Ben Jones was a fine friend and a fierce advocate of all the best things we can offer in the entertainment business,’ he wrote in the caption. 

‘He will be sorely missed… Denver Pyle frequently said to Ben, “I’m not your Uncle Jesse!” But I feel like we lost a Duke cousin today.’ 

Jones had also voiced his defense for the Confederate flag in the past, saying that it is ‘not a hateful symbol.’