Jerry Springer, King of Cincinnati and Our Hearts, Dies at 79 Jerry Springer, the provocative, daytime talk show legend and former mayor of Cincinnati, died after a battle with pancreatic cancer at his Chicago home on April 27. He was 79. Before Springer was “Jerry! Jerry!” he spent a decade in Cincinnati politics, serving on city council and as the city’s 56th mayor in 1977. He then spent another ten years as WLWT’s nightly news anchor where Springer earned several Emmys. Starting in 1991, The Jerry Springer Show debuted to a limited audience as a political talk show. Springer’s namesake show quickly evolved into a shocking daytime display of conflict between everyday people. Springer would facilitate paternity test reveals, marriage confessions and in-studio brawls that blurred the lines between reality and scripted television. Chants of "Jerry! Jerry!" from audience members soon became an iconic battlecry for messy drama in America. The Jerry Springer Show ran for 27 seasons with nearly 5,000 episodes and countless censorship bleeps. Before the show officially wrapped in 2018, Springer returned to his roots as a political and cultural commentator with The Jerry Springer Podcast (subtitled Tales, Tunes & Tomfoolery) which was recorded at the Folk School Coffee Parlor in Ludlow, Kentucky. Cincinnati remembered Springer in a celebration at Memorial Hall that was broadcast to pedestrians at Fountain Square. Attended by local leaders, family and fans, guests were given t-shirts featuring his signature catchphrase: "Take care of yourself and each other." Photo: Justin Hoch, Wikimedia Commons

In June, the late pop culture icon Jerry Springer will be memorialized in a larger-than-life way. ArtWorks’ plans for a mural on the Tender Mercies building in Over-the-Rhine are underway, along with an open call to artists for a mural designer.

The mural will depict a vertical image of Springer holding up a peace sign with the words “Take care of yourself, and each other,” according to an ArtWorks press release. It will also include a QR code that viewers can scan to make a donation to Tender Mercies, a cause that was “close to Springer’s heart.” Springer was a “generous” supporter of Tender Mercies for 25 years, the press release states.

Tender Mercies helps adults experiencing homelessness by providing housing and resources. The organization was established in 1985, and it creates opportunities through benefits like employment training, independent living skills and counseling.

Photo: Provided by ArtWorks

Work on the mural will begin in June, a little over a year after Springer’s death in April 2023. For now, ArtWorks is hosting an open call to artists until April 9. An artist to design the mural will be selected by April 15. Once a designer is selected, ArtWorks apprentices and teaching artists will begin work on the mural at 27 West 12 St.

Cincinnati City Councilmember Jeff Cramerding and longtime friend of Springer, Jene Galvin, proposed the creation of a mural to honor Springer’s life in a meaningful way.

“We believe Jerry would not want simply a mural to pay homage to him, but instead he would want a mural to help him, even in death, to continue the work that was in his spirit, meaning he would want to try to help others through the mural, in this case, Tender Mercies. It all fits the theme of, ‘take care of yourself and each other,’“ Galvin said in the release.

Springer is remembered not only for his contributions to pop culture, but as Cincinnati’s 56th mayor and a WLWT news anchor. The Jerry Springer Show was a daytime talk show that ran for 27 seasons and hosted “ordinary people with extraordinary stories,” often stirring unforgettable drama, to which the audience would famously chant, “Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!”

Support for the ArtWorks mural comes from Springer’s friends and family like Galvin, Louis Beck of Union and Guardian Savings Banks and Marcia Spaeth of Union Savings Bank, the press release states.

ArtWorks senior director of marketing and communications Jill Dunne said that the Jerry Springer mural aligns with the organization’s aim to produce and facilitate impactful community art.

“We’re always eager to respond to community needs and requests, and we are attuned to the voice of Cincinnati and its requests,“ Dunne said in the release. “Through partnerships and collaboration, we aim to create impactful community art, and this project is no exception. Jerry’s show often featured ordinary people with extraordinary stories, making it truly remarkable. Now, we’re focused on finding the perfect designer who can embody Jerry’s philosophy in this mural.”

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This article appears in Mar 20 – Apr 2, 2024.

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Katie Griffith is CityBeat’s arts and culture reporter. She proudly hails from the West Side of Cincinnati and studied journalism at the University of Cincinnati. After freelancing for CityBeat for many...