Howard Hesseman

Hesseman, who died Jan 29, performed in the San Francisco improv troupe The Committee in the 1960s and later played DJ Johnny Fever on WKRP from 1978 to 1982. Originally broadcast in 1988.

Hesseman played disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever in WKRP in Cincinnati, and now stars as a high school teacher in the comedy Head of the Class. He tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross about how his performances and personal experiences inform each other. Early in his career, Hesseman sold two ounces of marijuana to an undercover police officer; he later had his record expunged.