Veteran TV interviewer Larry King has died at age 87. King had been hospitalized in Los Angeles for COVID-19.
- Born on November 19th, 1933 in New York City
- His own show on CNN Larry King Live began in 1985 and continued until 2010.
- Has had a multitude of famous guests on his show, including every US president since Gerald Ford
- Had a heart attack in 1987 forcing him to stop smoking and has since become an anti-smoking crusader
Best known for his long-running prime-time show on CNN, Larry King spent more than a half-century in the media, starting as a radio interviewer in Florida and winding up as one of the most recognizable faces on cable T-V.
Born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger in New York in 1933 to immigrant parents, King began working right after high school and moved to Florida on the advice of a C-B-S executive. He made his debut on a Miami station in 1957 and had his own show, Miami Undercover, by 1960. He spent much of the ‘70s in sports radio, though a charge of grand larceny (which was later dropped) derailed his career for a few years. He got his first national radio show in 1978, inheriting the nightly talk-show slot on the Mutual Radio Network.
CNN began airing Larry King Live in 1985. He was well known for his lack of preparation, even once boasting that he’d never read a book before interviewing its author. King also appeared in 28 movies.
An unapologetic smoker for much of his life, King quit after a 1987 heart attack. He became an anti-smoking crusader and even wrote two books about his health issues.
Larry King Live lasted until December 2010, when British journalist and television personality Piers Morgan filled his primetime spot with Piers Morgan Live. King announced that he would return to CNN to host occasional specials; however, in February 2012, CNN announced that King would no longer be returning.
King was married eight times to seven women. He’s survived by his last wife, singer Shawn Stockman, as well as five children.