Legendary talk show host Larry King died on the morning of Saturday, January 23 at the age of 87. No cause of death has been revealed, but the news comes weeks after it was confirmed that he had contracted coronavirus.The award-winning Brooklyn native became a household name for his long-running CNN show Larry King Live. Ora Media, which Larry launched in 2012, announced the sad news on his twitter.
“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,” the statement read on Larry’s account.
— Larry King (@kingsthings) January 23, 2021
“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,” the announcement continued.
“Additionally, while it was his name appearing in the shows’ titles, Larry always viewed his interview subjects as the true stars of his programs, and himself as merely an unbiased conduit between the guest and audience. Whether he was interviewing a U.S. president, foreign leader, celebrity, scandal-ridden personage, or an everyman, Larry liked to ask short, direct, and uncomplicated questions. He believed concise questions usually provided the best answers, and he was not wrong in that belief.”
Earlier this year, Larry lost his son Andy and daughter Chaia within weeks of each. Throughout his grief, Larry continued to release new episodes of his YouTube series Larry King Now and planned to enter the world of podcasting.
The Associated Press estimates that Larry led over 50,000 interviews throughout his illustrious career. Now, some of the celebrities and politicians he spoke with are honoring him. See all the star tributes below (and check back for updates):
Andrew Cuomo
Larry King was a Brooklyn boy who become a newsman who interviewed the newsmakers. He conducted over 50,000 interviews that informed Americans in a clear and plain way.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) January 23, 2021
New York sends condolences to his family and many friends.
Craig Ferguson
Just heard the awful news about Larry King. He taught me so much. He was a true mensch. He probably even taught me that word.
— Craig Ferguson (@CraigyFerg) January 23, 2021
So long pal, thanks for all the laughs. Say hi to Rickles. #RIPLarryKing
Elissa
One of the all time great television and radio hosts!!
— Elissa (@elissakh) January 23, 2021
RIP #larryking 🙏 pic.twitter.com/jnLlT31AM0
Piers Morgan
Larry King was a hero of mine until we fell out after I replaced him at CNN & he said my show was ‘like watching your mother-in-law go over a cliff in your new Bentley.’ (He married 8 times so a mother-in-law expert) But he was a brilliant broadcaster & masterful TV interviewer. pic.twitter.com/1JsXeeZYEk
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 23, 2021