Ben Jones

Ben Lewis Jones was born on August 30, 1941, in Tarboro, North Carolina. He grew up in Portsmouth, Virginia, and attended East Carolina College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In the 1960s, Jones was actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement. He began his acting career with the Carolina Playmakers and later performed in various theatrical productions, including stints at the Kennedy Center and the Berkshire Theatre Festival. Relocating to Atlanta in 1969, he became active in the local theater scene and secured supporting roles in films such as “Smokey and The Bandit” (1977) and “The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings” (1976).

Jones gained widespread recognition for his role as Cooter Davenport in the popular television series “The Dukes of Hazzard,” which aired from 1979 to 1985. During this period, he continued to reside in Georgia, commuting for filming, and served as president of the Georgia Branch of the Screen Actors Guild and chairman of the Georgia Film Commission. Following his acting career, Jones successfully transitioned into politics, serving two terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1989 to 1993, representing Georgia’s 4th congressional district. He ran for Congress again in 1994 and in Virginia’s 7th Congressional District in 2002.

After his time in Congress, Jones returned to acting, appearing in films like “Primary Colors” (1998) and “Joe Gould’s Secret” (2000), and reprised his role as Cooter in “The Dukes of Hazzard” reunion specials. In 1999, along with his wife Alma Viator, he established “Cooter’s Place,” a “Dukes of Hazzard” museum and store, which has since expanded to multiple locations and hosts popular reunion festivals. Additionally, he has authored a memoir, “Redneck Boy in the Promised Land” (2007), and released multiple music albums with Cooter’s Garage Band.