Legendary TV Host Larry King Dies at 87

Larry King, the iconic television host and interviewer, has died. He was 87 years old. The news was confirmed on King's official Facebook page with a statement from a spokesperson for King's production company, Ora Media. The TV personality passed away on the morning of Jan. 23 at Cedar-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles. The host and broadcast legend was hospitalized on Jan. 2 after testing positive for COVID-19. 

"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. 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," the statement reads.

King, who rose to prominence hosting his nightly talk radio show, The Larry King Show, from 1978 to 1994, was known for his direct, non-confrontational approach to interviewing. He brought that style toLarry King Live, his CNN show that he hosted for 25 years, where he interviewed presidential candidates, celebrities, athletes, authors, and more prominent public figures. In 2010, he retired and stepped away from the show after taping over 6,000 episodes.

Not long after, he came out of retirement to host Larry King Now on Ora TV, which premiered in 2013, and began simultaneously hosting Politicking with Larry King, a weekly political talk show, the same year.

The recipient of many broadcasting awards, including two Peabodys and an Emmy, King became an entertainment world staple over the course of his decades-spanning career, making cameos on a host of television shows including30 Rock,The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story, and Gravity Falls, and appearing in movies such as Ghostbusters,Bee Movie, and the Shrek film series.

King, who lost his two oldest children, Andy and Chaia, in August 2020, is survived by three sons -- Larry Jr., Chance, and Cannon -- and nine grandchildren. Funeral and memorial arrangements will be announced at a later time.