- Born
- Died
- Birth nameBenjamin Lewis Jones
- Height6′ 3″ (1.91 m)
- Ben Jones was born on August 30, 1941 in Tarboro, North Carolina, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for The Dukes of Hazzard (1979), CBS Summer Playhouse (1987) and Primary Colors (1998). He was married to Alma Joyce (Baxter) Viator, Vivian Leigh Walker, Mary Alice Beall and Vicki Sara Anderson. He died on August 9, 2026 in Washington, Virginia, USA.
- SpousesAlma Joyce (Baxter) Viator(October 11, 1992 - August 9, 2026) (his death)Vivian Leigh Walker(1979 - March 1992) (divorced, 1 child)Mary Alice Beall(1969 - ?) (divorced, 1 child)Vicki Sara Anderson(May 30, 1964 - October 3, 1968) (divorced)
- ChildrenJeanne JonesWalker JonesRachel Jones
- ParentsHubert Clee Jones Sr.Ila Virginia Stephens
- RelativesBryan Lane Jones(Sibling)Hubert Clee Jones Jr.(Sibling)James Stephen Jones(Sibling)
- Grew up in a railroad shack near the docks in Portsmouth, Virginia. Resided in a log cabin built before the Revolutionary War, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.
- Owned "Cooter's", a tourist attraction and museum in Gatlinburg and Nashville, Tennessee.
- Defeated by Republican Eric Cantor for the U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia's 7th District.
- Democratic member of Congress, 4th district of Georgia, 3 January 1989 - 3 January 1993. Lost in 1986, won in 1988 and 1990, lost in 1992 after Georgia's districts were redrawn, putting Jones in the 10th district. Ran against Newt Gingrich in the 6th District in 1994. His later ethics complaint against the Speaker, regarding a tax-funded college lecture Gingrich was teaching at the time, led to a full-fledged investigation and Gingrich's eventual resignation from his seat. Gingrich was later exonerated by the IRS of all charges.
- Passed away from a massive heart attack at his home in Luray, Virginia on August 6, 2023, only three weeks away from what would have been his 85th birthday on August 30, 2026.
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