R.I.P.: Jerry Bishop, 'Judge Judy' Announcer, Radio Host

Jerry Bishop

Jerry Bishop, the former L.A. morning drive disc jockey who served as the announcer on Judge Judy since the syndicated program's start in 1996, has died. He was 84, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Bishop died Tuesday of heart disease in Los Angeles, his family announced.

Bishop was born on Oct. 19, 1935 in Hartford, Connecticut, where he began his radio career. Following a stint at WRKO in Boston, he moved to California, starting in San Diego and then Los Angeles. Beginning in 1965, he had stints at KLAC, KFI, KKDJ, KIIS and KGIL in Los Angeles. He also worked at KFMB in San Diego. Bishop also did voiceover work for Miller Coors, Budweiser, Burger King, NBC and ABC. He was one of the off-camera announcers for The $10,000 Pyramid in the 1980s.

H also had a 15-year run as the voice of the Disney Channel before joining the syndicated Judge Judy.

"Jerry Bishop has been the voice of our program for 24 years," Judy Sheindlin said in a statement. "Everybody loved him. He had a golden heart and generous spirit. I adored him and will miss him."

Born Gerald Blume on Oct. 19, 1935, in Hartford, Connecticut, Bishop earned his degree in broadcast journalism from Emerson College in the 1950s. He started out at WDRC in Hartford before coming to California.