IN MEMORIAM: Ben Jones — The Heart, Humor and Soul of Hazzard County
Remembering the extraordinary life of the man who made “Crazy Cooter” one of television’s most beloved friends
For millions of people who grew up watching The Dukes of Hazzard, there was something comforting about knowing that somewhere down the dusty roads of Hazzard County, Cooter Davenport would be waiting at the garage.
Maybe Bo and Luke had wrecked something. Maybe the General Lee needed another seemingly impossible repair. Maybe Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane was closing in. Whatever the trouble, Cooter was rarely far away.
On August 9, 2026, Ben Jones, the actor who brought Cooter to life, died at age 84 after suffering what his wife, Alma Viator, described as a “massive heart attack.” Jones was at his home in Washington, Virginia, relaxing in his favorite chair and waiting for an Atlanta Braves game to begin. It was an unexpectedly ordinary ending to an extraordinarily colorful American life.
Jones had traveled a long road before arriving in Hazzard County.
Before becoming a television institution, he worked as an actor in film and television, appearing in productions including Together for Days, Smokey and the Bandit and As the World Turns. But everything changed when he became Cooter Davenport in 1979.
At first, Cooter really was “Crazy Cooter”—a rough-edged, mischievous Southern mechanic who seemed perfectly comfortable bending a few rules. As The Dukes of Hazzard continued, however, something changed. Cooter became less of a wild man and increasingly one of the emotional anchors of the series: loyal, dependable and always willing to help the Duke family when trouble came roaring around the corner.
Jones remained part of The Dukes of Hazzard throughout its seven-season run from 1979 through 1985, sharing the screen with John Schneider, Tom Wopat, Catherine Bach, Denver Pyle, Sorrell Booke and the unmistakable narration of Waylon Jennings. He later returned as Cooter for the 1997 reunion movie and 2000’s Hazzard in Hollywood.
Yet when the television cameras stopped rolling, Jones did something few sitcom stars could ever imagine.
He went to Congress.
Jones was elected as a Democrat from Georgia in 1988 and reelected in 1990, serving two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his time in Washington, he worked on the Veterans’ Affairs and Public Works and Transportation committees and served as a Democratic whip. He later challenged Newt Gingrich in a highly publicized 1994 congressional race.
But Jones never abandoned Hazzard County.
Instead, he embraced what the series meant to generations of fans. With Alma, he created Cooter’s Place, museums and stores dedicated to preserving the history and memories of The Dukes of Hazzard. The couple also founded DukesFest, bringing fans and cast members together for enormous celebrations featuring cars, music and the sense of community that had always surrounded the show. Jones even toured with Cooter’s Garage Band and published his memoir, Redneck Boy in the Promised Land.
After news of his death spread, Tom Wopat remembered Jones as both a cherished friend and an important advocate for entertainment, saying that losing him felt like losing another member of the Duke family.
Perhaps that is Ben Jones’s greatest legacy.
Cooter Davenport may have started as the mechanic who kept the General Lee running, but Ben Jones became something larger: a keeper of the memories.
For the children who spent Friday nights watching orange Chargers jump creeks, listening to CB radios crackle and believing the Duke boys would somehow escape Rosco again, Cooter will always be standing outside that garage.
The wrench is finally resting.
Rest easy, Ben Jones. Hazzard County won’t be the same without you.
Ben Jones: August 30, 1941 – August 9, 2026
