Gordon Jump Dies -- of WKRP, Maytag Ads

AP/Newsday ^ | September 22, 2003 | Lynn Elber

[lainie]

LOS ANGELES -- Gordon Jump, who played a befuddled radio station manager on the sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati" and made his mark in commercials as the lonely Maytag repairman, died Monday. He was 71.

Jump suffered from pulmonary fibrosis, said his cousin, Katherine Jump Wagner. The illness causes scarring of the air sacs of the lungs, leading to heart or respiratory failure.

Wagner, of Arcanum, Ohio, said she learned of her cousin's death from her father, also named Gordon Jump. Her cousin was under hospice care at his home southeast of Los Angeles, she said.

Jump played Arthur Carlson in "WKRP in Cincinnati," which aired on CBS from 1978-82 and featured Gary Sandy, Loni Anderson, Tim Reid, Howard Hesseman and Richard Sanders as the ragtag station's crew.

A native of Dayton, Ohio, Jump began his career working at radio and TV stations in the Midwest. He worked behind the microphone and the camera, including jobs as a producer for Kansas and Ohio stations.

Jump portrayed the Maytag repairman "Ol' Lonely," a well-recognized advertising symbol, from 1989 until he retired from the role in July and another actor took over.

"Gordon was an incredibly talented actor and a remarkable human being," said Ralph Hake, chairman and chief executive officer of Maytag Corp.

Jump came to appreciate the attention he got for the ad campaign and the steady work it provided, Wagner said. But his heart was elsewhere professionally.

"What he loved more than anything was doing theater. He was a marvelous actor," she said, recalling a visit to Florida to watch him perform in "Norman, Is That You?"

...

Jump is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son, Maytag said in a statement. He also had a brother, Wagner said.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Trivia, The closing theme on WKRP has no real lyrics. Go to link for;

"WKRP In Cincinnati": Frequently Asked Questions
http://members.allstream.net/~jacjud/wkrpfaq.html

[eddie willers]

Bailey was hotter than Jennifer.

[lainie]

WKRP..with more music and Les Nessman.

Do you remember an exchange with Venus where Les butchers names?

Venus: "what's that golfer's name, Les?"
"Chy-Chy ROD-ri-gwez?"
"What are those little dogs from Mexico, Les?"
"chuh-hooa-hooas?"

There was a third one but I can't remember now.

[lainie]

way. I wanted to be Bailey.

[shadowman99]

"Stupid title. He didn't die of WKRP and Maytag ads"

Too late. Les already read it on the air.

[MarkL]

Bailey was hotter than Jennifer.

Absolutely!

Bailey Smithers BUMP!!!!

Mark

[MarkL]

IMHO, that episode is tied as the all-time funniest TV episode of any show that I've ever seen... The other is the Fraiser espisode where he's trying to set up his new program manager with Daphne, and the PM thinks that Fraiser is trying to "hook up" with him! I still laugh thinking about either episode... "The humanity! The turkeys are hitting the ground like bags of wet concrete!"

Mark

[lainie]

'This is Les Nessman saying,
This is Les Nessman.'

[Diddle E. Squat]

Yep, Loni never did anything for me.(I'm not into cottage cheese...)

[MarkL]

Oops!!!! Bailey Quarters... Had The Simpsons on my mind...

Mark

[Diddle E. Squat]

You've got a thing for Mr. Smithers?!?

[HighWheeler]

Bailey was hotter than Jennifer.
Absolutely!

Bailey Smithers BUMP!!!!

Mark

+++++++

She played Bailey Quaters, her real name was Jan Smithers! Thanks for the laugh! and I agree, she was my choice over the other Burt Reynolds throw-away. But she was married to James Brolin, BION, for a few years.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Nice hair.

[OldEagle]

Baily QUARTERS. JAN Smithers.

[Keith in Iowa]

The turkeys epsode was one of my favorites.

Another I remember is the Tornado - where Herb yanks the plug on the teletype because it was making too much noise, Les gets on the air with his nuclear attack book, replacing "comunists" with tornado...and Johnny making references to how tornados alwayys seem to go after traile parks...and near the end where they take the phone call from a frightened child, and they talk the kid into going to their basement.

[Centurion2000]

"The humanity! The turkeys are hitting the ground like bags of wet concrete!"

Mark

And Johnny Fever: "For those just tuning in the Cincinatti mall has just been BOMBED with live turkeys, film at 11"

[lainie]

...and the Japanese tourists pointing at the tornado out the window. Carlson says 'they must have seen a fotomat' or something similarly non-PC.

[WackyKat]

Bailey was hotter than Jennifer

You are so right. She had brains and a great body.

[Centurion2000]

Don't forget Les Nessman and his coveted Silver Sow award too .... that was an awesome series.

I'll never forget the episode with the band "Scum of the Earth" ... and the banner hanging in the WKRP lobby "Welcome SCUM"

[Diddle E. Squat]

Here ya go