Kerr was born in Yonkers, New York and as a teenager worked as an NBC page at the network's Rockefeller Center headquarters.
Kerr's television career began in 1952 at WMAR-TV in Baltimore, where he created The Janitor, a late-night show displaying his talent for improvisation.
Kerr also hosted Dialing for Dollars on WMAR-TV until that show ended its 38-year run on Baltimore radio and television in 1977.
After leaving WMAR-TV in 1981, he was a weatherman on WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C., and also performed in 54 Space Corps, a puppet show televised on WNUV-TV in Baltimore.
He created the recurring character role of "Scoop Toot" on the long-running national network children's program Captain Kangaroo.