Jerry Bishop, the longtime veteran radio personality who was the off-camera announcer for the courtroom show "Judge Judy," died Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 84.
Bishop's death was confirmed by his granddaughter Allison Rosenbloom, who said he suffered from heart complications and kidney failure.
Jerry Bishop, the former L.A. morning drive disc jockey who served as the announcer on 'Judge Judy' since1996, died Tuesday, his family announced. He was 84.https://t.co/iqkwtPYhXo
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) April 24, 2020
Bishop signed on to "Judge Judy" when it first launched 24 year ago and remained a familiar fixture during its run as the most watched show in daytime. Rosenbloom said he recorded his final voiceover session for the program several weeks ago before he entered the hospital.
"His voice was powerful, soothing, and caring, which are three qualities he embodied so well," Judge Judy Sheindlin said in a statement. "Everybody loved him. He had a golden heart and generous spirit. I adored him and will miss him."
“Judge Judy” is set to end production following this season.
Bishop was born Gerald Blume on Oct. 19, 1935, in Hartford, Conn. He earned a degree in broadcast journalism at Emerson College before he embarked on his radio career.
Bishop, a resident of Los Angeles’ Bel Air neighborhood, had a long career as a radio personality in LA for three decades. He got his start in radio at Hartford station WDRC and moved to the west coast in 1963, landing at KCBQ in San Diego. Two years later he moved to Los Angeles to join KLAC.
Bishop joined KFI in 1969, when it was the top "middle of the road" format station in the Los Angeles market. During his five year stint there, he co-hosted "Sports Phone," a call-in program that preceded the station's broadcasts of the Los Angeles Dodgers games. He later moved to KIIS, where he partnered with Tom Murphy to host the "Tom and Jerry Show" in 1979.
Bishop launched a successful voiceover career in the mid-1970s, serving as announcer for the syndicated game show "Cross-wits" and the NBC variety series "Dick Clark's Live Wednesday." He was heard on commercials for several national brands and did on-air promos for ABC, NBC and the Disney Channel.
Bishop married Velma Joan Leventhal in 1956. She died in 2007.
Along with Allison Rosenbloom, Bishop is survived by his three daughters Karen Rosenbloom, Michelle Carriker and Stephanie Blume, grandchildren Allison Rosenbloom, Brandon Rosenbloom and Zachary Carriker, and a brother Daniel Blume.
New York Daily News contributed.
First Published: April 27, 2020, 1:02 a.m.