Howard Hesseman, the D.J. Johnny Fever in 'WKRP in Cincinnati,' dies at 81

Howard Hesseman, the actor and improvisational comedian best known for playing a stuck-in-the-’60s radio disc jockey in the TV sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati,” died on Saturday in Los Angeles. He was 81.

Mr. Hesseman, who had himself been a radio DJ in the '60s, received two Emmy nominations for playing Dr. Johnny Fever on “WKRP in Cincinnati,” which ran on CBS for four seasons from 1978 to 1982.

Mr. Hesseman, who was also admired for his improvisational talent, played small parts in “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Sanford and Son.”

George Spiro Dibie, the former national president of the International Cinematographers Guild, recalled in an interview with the Television Academy Foundation that Mr. Hesseman’s experience was evident on the set of “Head of the Class,” a sitcom that ran on ABC from 1986 to 1991.

Actor Howard Hesseman, 1940-2022, in his iconic role as the irreverent D.J. Johnny Fever in WKRP in Cincinnati.

Hesseman had himself been a radio DJ in the '60s.