On January 23, 2021, legendary interviewer Larry King passed away. During his 87 years of life, King battled numerous health issues and was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the time of his death.
Born a New Yorker on November 19, 1933, King began his life with an early dream of being on the radio. However, his family faced many hardships including poverty and the sudden death of King’s father, Edward Zeiger. King was eventually able to obtain a position as a radio announcer on a Miami radio station WAHR (now WMBM) in 1957. From there, his radio career took off, landing King his own show with the Mutual Radio Network in 1978, The Larry King Show.
After gaining notoriety and an excellent reputation in the media biz, King was offered to have his first TV show, Larry King Live, which first aired internationally on CNN in 1985. From there King’s TV career took off, allowing him to interview celebrities like Michael Jordan, Lady Gaga, and The Beatles.
After 25 years of broadcasting, King decided to end Larry King Live in 2010. But though his legendary show ended, King did not stop interviewing. In 2012, he co-founded Ora TV and started Larry King Now, the show that continued his legacy until 2020.
King inspired millions of people all over the world with his talk show, his books, and his philanthropist activities. King’s television journalism was the gold standard in the industry for decades, as he spurred spirited conversations between himself and his guests. King emphasized the importance of listening, important not only to an interviewer, but also to the individual. In one of my favorite King quotes, he said, “I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening.”
Though he is no longer with us, we will all remember King, not just as that old guy with suspenders, but as the man who revolutionized TV journalism.
References:
Kludt, Tom, et al. “Larry King, Legendary Talk Show Host, Dies at 87.” CNN, Cable News
Network (CNN), 24 Jan. 2021.
“Larry King.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 23 Jan. 2021.
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