K&F Show #374 – BONUS: Remembering Ben Jones – The Man Behind Cooter Davenport
The Kibbe and Friends ShowShow Notes
This week we lost a true member of the Dukes of Hazzard family. Ben Jones, forever known to millions of fans as Cooter Davenport, has passed away. In his memory, we're stepping away from our regular format to revisit something we're incredibly grateful to have in the Kibbe & Friends archives: our full 2019 conversation with Ben himself.
We originally spoke with Ben ahead of the 40th anniversary of The Dukes of Hazzard, and he was everything you'd hope he would be. Funny, candid, thoughtful, opinionated, and incredibly generous with his time. He told us how he landed the role of Cooter, how the character evolved, what those early Georgia episodes were really like, his memories of John Schneider, Tom Wopat, Denver Pyle, Sorrell Booke and the rest of the cast, and even his tiny role in Smokey and the Bandit. We also talked cars, Cooter's tow trucks, the incredible stunt work, the departure and return of Bo and Luke, and the lasting phenomenon of the General Lee.
More than anything, Ben understood what The Dukes of Hazzard meant to its fans. He and his wife Alma spent decades keeping that community together through Cooter's Place, DukesFest and the enormous fan gatherings that brought generations of Dukes fans together.
Ben once told us that no matter what else he accomplished in life, he'd still be Cooter — and that was a very good thing.
We couldn't agree more.
Rest in peace, Ben Jones. Thanks for the memories, the stories, and for always keeping Hazzard County alive.
The post K&F Show #374 – BONUS: Remembering Ben Jones – The Man Behind Cooter Davenport first appeared on The Muscle Car Place.
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