Jerry Springer, the former mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio turned controversial talk show host, has passed away. He was 79. New of his passing was confirmed by his former news station, WLWT.

Mr. Springer lead an eclectic life which brought him to the Broadway boards twice, as the slippery lawyer Billy Flynn in Chicago, and the Narrator in The Rocky Horror Show. The response to his Chicago engagement was so great that Mr. Springer even went on tour with the musical for a brief spell.

His self-titled tabloid talk show was considered a bellwether for sensationalism, garnering sky high ratings and courting controversy. The show ran for a landmark 27 seasons, and inspired Jerry Springer – The Opera, a British musical by Richard Thomas and Stewart Lee that irreverently satirized the talk show and its subjects. The show, which began at the Edinburgh Fringe, ran for 609 performances in London, winning four Olivier Awards including Best New Musical, and has since been performed by numerous American regional companies, including a New York debut in 2008 at Carnegie Hall.

Mr. Springer is survived by his daughter, Katie.