Judge Judy’s longtime announcer Jerry Bishop has died at 84: ‘He had a golden heart’

Jerry Bishop, who appeared in thousands of episodes of the beloved courthouse program Judge Judy, died from heart disease on Tuesday.  

Before becoming the longtime announcer of the long-running syndicated program in 1994, he was a prominent radio host in the 1960s throughout the 1980s. 

‘Jerry Bishop has been the voice of our program for 24 years,’ Judge Judy Sheindlin said in a statement, according to People. ‘I adored him and will miss him.’

Additionally, the television personality, who worked with Bishop since her show’s debut in 1994, spoke of his ‘golden heart and generous spirit.’

‘His voice was powerful, soothing, and caring, which are three qualities he embodied so well,’ the statement said, before noting the Emerson College alum worked into his final days.  

In the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Bishop was laid to rest in a private funeral service with immediate family, according to his daughter Karen Rosenbloom via People. 

Over the years, he worked on a number of TV shows including, the 1983 series The $10,000 Pyramid and the 2007 project Destination Truth.

He also had a 15-year run as the voice of the Disney Channel.  

In 2017, he appeared on Larry David’s hit show Curb Your Enthusiasm as himself. 

Bishop, born Gerald Blume, was also known by his nickname ‘the Bish.’   

After earning his degree in broadcast journalism, he started his radio career at Hartford’s WDRC, before moving to the West Coast and working at stations KFI, KIIS and KLAC. 

Over the years, he interviewed ‘industry notables such as Natalie Wood, Steve McQueen and Frank Sinatra,’ according to Variety.  

He was married to Velma Leventhal for nearly 50 years, before her passing in 2007. 

The pair shared three daughters Karen, Michelle Carriker and Stephanie Blume.