Iconic TV and radio host Larry King passed away on Saturday morning at the age of 87. The news comes from King's official Twitter account, and while no cause of death was confirmed, he had been hospitalized with COVID-19 earlier this month.
The statement reads, “With profound sadness, Ora Media announces the death of our co-founder, host, and friend Larry King, who passed away this morning at age 87 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. For 63 years and across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry’s many thousands of interviews, awards and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster."
King had been in the radio business since 1957, but he truly became a household name with the start of his Larry King Live show on CNN in 1985. He continued to host that show until December 16, 2010. The last words of his last show were "I don't know what to say except to you, my audience, thank you. And instead of goodbye, how about so long." After Larry King Live, he continued to work with his own company Ora TV where he hosted Larry King Now and Politicking With Larry King. Over the span of his decades long career, he won a plethora awards including two Peabodys and an Emmy.
King was very well known for his colorful personal life, famously being married eight times to seven different women, but he also had his share of health issues and hardships. He had a heart condition and suffered a heart attack in 1987, he had two cancer diagnoses, and he suffered a stroke in 2019. He also sadly suffered the loss of two of his children, Andy and Chaia, just weeks from each other in 2020. Still, he'll likely be more remembered for what he accomplished and the relationships he built more than anything.
When asked once what he would like his legacy to be, King said, "His life led to more people having information that they didn't have before, and he taught us a lot and we learned a lot and enjoyed it at the same time. He brought a great deal of pride to his business." It seems safe to say that, with his thousands of interviews, he certainly achieved what he set out to do and his impact on the world of broadcast television will always be felt. Ora Media says that funeral and memorial arrangements will be announced at a later date, in coordination with King's family.
Source: Larry King/Twitter