Joe Epperson, ‘Full House’ and ‘Tonight Show’ Camera Operator, Dies at 80

Joe Epperson, a camera operator who brought TV shows like Full House, and The Tonight Show to audiences, has died.

The 80-year-old died of cardiac arrest at Southwest General Health Center in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, on Saturday, June 28, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Epperson operated cameras on All in the Family from 1975 to 1979, The Jeffersons from 1976 to 1982, and Full House from 1987 to 1995. He had a 15-year run on The Tonight Show, starting at the beginning of Jay Leno’s run as host in 1992.

He was also a charter member of the Society of Camera Operators, a director on the organization’s board, and a 1995 recipient of its lifetime achievement award.

Joe Epperson, Camera Operator on ‘The Tonight Show’ and ‘Full House,’ Dies at 80 https://t.co/aPLyZBpVvl

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 29, 2025

“Joe gets the big picture,” cinematographer Steven Poster said in 1995, per THR. “He doesn’t characterize himself as either a lighting director or camera operator. He describes himself as part of the crew with a responsibility to the audience. Every director wants people like Joe on their crew, because this is all about teamwork and collaboration.”

Epperson was born on February 9, 1945, in Camden, New Jersey, and raised in Berea, Ohio, the son of a chief engineer at the Cleveland TV station WEWS. He got his education from Berea High School and Ohio University and did a tour of duty with the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1969. On the professional front, Epperson got his start at WEWS and fellow Cleveland TV station WUAB before moving to Los Angeles and working at KTTV.

Among other credits, Epperson worked on TV specials and concerts starring Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, The Chicks, Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones, and Elton John. He got Primetime Emmy nominations for his work on a 1982 concert special featuring Rod Stewart, a 1983 special with Sheena Easton, and a 2000 special with Cher.

Epperson and his wife, Patty, were high school sweethearts who met in 1959, got together in 1961, and tied the knot in 1966. He is also survived by his and Patty’s daughters, Amanda and Rebecca, and their grandchildren, Jaquelyn, Kirsten, Isabella, and Joseph.

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