Broadcasting giant Larry King, who achieved worldwide fame for his interviews of political personalities and celebrities, passed away at 87. He breathed his last at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after he was recently treated for COVID-19. It was reported that he had faced quite a few health problems in recent years.
A statement was posted on his verified Facebook account announcing his passing. His son, Chance, confirmed King’s death Saturday morning. “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 said.
King became famous as the host of the popular CNN talk show Larry King Live. He is said to have conducted 50,000 interviews in a career that spanned over 60 years. King’s long list of interviewees ranged from every US president since 1974, world leaders Yasser Arafat and Vladimir Putin, and celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando and Barbra Streisand.
He earned a number of honours, including two Peabody awards, but was also criticised for his non-confrontational approach and open-ended questions. A longtime nationally syndicated radio host, from 1985 through 2010 he was a nightly fixture on CNN.