Howard Hesseman, beloved actor and comedian who grew to prominence for his role as D.J. Johnny Fever on sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, died Saturday, January 29, according to The New York Times. His wife, Caroline Ducrocq, whom he married in 1989, announced his passing. He was 81.

Hesseman became a household name for his portrayal of the mellow disc jockey in the 1970s sitcom for its four-year run on CBS. As Fever, he personified a resistance toward the rise of disco and hippie culture. His character upheld the counterculture of 1960s rock-n-roll with a punk mentality and an affinity for marijuana. The role earned him two Emmy nominations.

Hesseman, who began acting after the encouragement from his uncle, followed this steady role with teacher Charlie Moore in Head of the Class. In his role as Moore, he taught a star-studded cast of young overachievers on more than just their ABCs. The young cast boasted future stars such as Robin Givens (Boomerang, Head of State), Leah Remini (King of Queens, Saved by the Bell), Michael DeLorenzo (New York Undercover), and producer, Dan Schneider (All That, The Amanda Bynes Show). Head of the Class ran for five seasons from 1986 to 1991 on ABC.

Apart from acting, Hesseman was an acclaimed improvisational comedian, which shined through many of his roles. Prior to his acting career in Hollywood, Hesseman led an improv comedy troupe called The Committee in San Francisco. This ability landed him comedic roles on TV and in film alike.

One of Hesseman’s major film roles was appearing in the musical mockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap, released in 1984. Actor and co-star Michael McKean (Laverne and Shirley) posted on Twitter how it was “impossible to overstate” Hesseman’s influence on the world of improv. In the Twitter thread, McKean stated how “Howard’s character in Spinal Tap didn’t exist until 24 hours before the shoot.”

Impossible to overstate Howard Hesseman’s influence on his and subsequent generations of improvisors. The first time I saw him on stage (Troubadour, ’71, with The Committee) I saw that he was the real deal. He was a friend for 50 years. 1/3

— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) January 30, 2022

Howard’s character in Spinal Tap didn’t even exist until 24 hours before the shoot: we’d discovered that the musician we’d hired to play Duke Fame couldn’t improvise, so Rob said let’s give him a manager. I’ll call Howard. He blitzed it, of course. 2/3

— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) January 30, 2022

In addition to this film role, Hesseman appeared in many more such as Police Academy: Their First Assignment, Wild Oats, and Rubin and Ed. His TV work included appearances on 1970s sitcom One Day at a Time, That 70s Show, The Bob Newhart Show, The Andy Griffith Show, and Sanford and Son. 

Hesseman is survived by his wife, Ducrocq.