Actor Howard Hesseman Dies at 81 - Starred as Dr. Johnny Fever on Sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati"

Actor Howard Hesseman Dies at 81 - Starred as Dr. Johnny Fever on Sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati"

Actor Howard Hesseman, best known as the hard-rocking disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever on the sitcom "WKRP in Cincinnati" has died, according to his manager, Robbie Kass.

Kass told CNN, Hesseman died Saturday afternoon from complications related to colon surgery. . Hesseman was 81.

In addition to earning two Emmy nominations for his role on "WKRP," Hesseman also appeared on "Head of the Class" and "One Day at a Time," along with guest appearances on "That 70's Show," among others. The Oregon native also hosted "Saturday Night Live" several times.       

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"He was a groundbreaking talent and lifelong friend and longtime client, whose kindness and generosity was equaled by his influence and admiration to generations of actors and improvisational comedy throughout the world," Kass told CNN in an email on Sunday.

“I think maybe Johnny smokes a little marijuana, drinks beer and wine, and maybe a little hard liquor,” Mr. Hesseman told The New York Times in 1979. “And on one of those hard mornings at the station, he might take what for many years was referred to as a diet pill. But he is a moderate user of soft drugs, specifically marijuana.”