LURAY, Va.– Ben Jones, who played Cooter Davenport on “The Dukes of Hazzard” before serving in Congress, died Sunday at his Virginia home. He was 84.

Jones’ wife, Alma Viator, announced his death through the official Cooter’s Place Facebook page.

Viator said Jones suffered a massive heart attack while resting in his favorite chair. He had been waiting for an Atlanta Braves game to begin.

“I lost the love of my life today,” Viator wrote.

Jones would have celebrated his 85th birthday Aug. 30.

Beloved as Hazzard County’s Mechanic

Jones became a television favorite as the good-natured mechanic nicknamed “Crazy Cooter” Davenport.

The character operated Cooter’s Garage and regularly helped Bo and Luke Duke escape trouble. He appeared throughout the seven-season run of “The Dukes of Hazzard”, which aired on CBS from 1979 until 1985.

The action-comedy combined car chases, country humor, and family themes in fictional Hazzard County, Georgia. Jones’ character became an honorary member of the Duke family and one of the show’s most recognizable personalities.

Jones had appeared in “Moonrunners,” a 1975 film from “Dukes” creator Gy Waldron that helped inspire the television series. His other film credits included “The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings” and “Smokey and the Bandit.”

After leaving Congress, he returned to acting. His later work included “Primary Colors,” “Joe Gould’s Secret,” and two “Dukes of Hazzard” reunion films.

Civil Rights Activism and Public Service

Benjamin Lewis Jones was born Aug. 30, 1941, in Tarboro, North Carolina. He grew up in Portsmouth, Virginia, and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1959.

Jones attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1961 until 1964. According to UNC Libraries, he participated in civil rights protests and performed with the university’s PlayMakers Theatre.

Jones later built an acting career in Georgia. However, his public life eventually extended beyond entertainment.

He first challenged Republican U.S. Rep. Pat Swindall in Georgia’s Fourth Congressional District in 1986. Jones lost that election but sought the seat again two years later.

Voters elected Jones as a Democrat in 1988 and returned him to office in 1990. The U.S. House of Representatives records show that he served in the 101st and 102nd Congresses from Jan. 3, 1989, until Jan. 3, 1993.

Jones lost his reelection bid following redistricting in 1992. He later ran unsuccessfully for Congress from Virginia in 2002.

He remained politically active after leaving office. Jones wrote opinion pieces, appeared as a television commentator, and continued discussing Southern culture and working-class issues.

Preserving the ‘Dukes’ Legacy

Jones and Viator later turned his television fame into an enduring connection with fans.

The couple operated Cooter’s Place, a collection of “Dukes of Hazzard” museums and stores. Locations were established in Luray, Virginia, and Nashville and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

The museums display show memorabilia, replicas of the General Lee, costumes, photographs, and other pieces of “Dukes” history.

Jones and Viator also founded Dukesfest, which brought cast members and fans together for large reunion gatherings. Jones regularly greeted visitors, signed autographs, and performed with Cooter’s Garage Band.

His music group appeared at festivals, concerts, and Cooter’s Place events across the country. Jones also recorded several albums of country and Southern rock music.

In 2008, he published “Redneck Boy in the Promised Land: The Confessions of ‘Crazy Cooter.’” The memoir covered his impoverished childhood, acting career, political life, civil rights work, and recovery from alcoholism.

Jones also became an outspoken defender of “The Dukes of Hazzard” and its imagery. In 2015, he defended the Confederate battle flag displayed on the General Lee after Warner Bros. stopped licensing merchandise carrying the symbol.

That position drew criticism and placed Jones in the middle of a national debate over the show’s legacy. The controversy became another prominent chapter in a public life that had also included civil rights activism.

Tributes Remember Actor’s Friendship With Fans

Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke, remembered Jones as a close friend and advocate for the entertainment community.

“The Dukes of Hazzard lost another integral part of their cast today,” Wopat wrote. He said Jones would be sorely missed.

Jones’ death came a little more than a year after the death of Rick Hurst, who played Deputy Cletus Hogg. Jones had helped announce Hurst’s death and offered a lengthy tribute to his longtime friend.

For decades, Jones remained closely identified with Cooter Davenport. Through his museums, music, reunion events, and personal appearances, he helped keep the show connected to generations of fans long after its original television run ended.

NATIONAL NEWS