Remembering Larry King
The CNN star broadcaster and journalist will not be forgotten.
Larry King will go down as one of the most influential and talented broadcasters of all time.
January 27, 2021
Legendary CNN talk-show host, Larry King, tragically passed away on January 23rd at the age of 87. He was famous for many different things, including hosting Larry King Live on CNN for over 25 years before retiring in 2010. Although the name Larry King sadly might not ring a bell for many Gen Z individuals, he became one of cable TV’s most well-known talk show hosts of his time and left behind a legacy in the news industry.
Larry King was born on November 23rd, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. He learned his education at Lafayette High School but lost interest in his schoolwork after the tragic death of his father. After he graduated from high school, Larry worked primarily to support his mother. However, early on in his life, King established an interest in radio broadcasting, recognized his potential talents in the field, and decided to pursue that as a career. He accomplished this goal and landed his first job at a small radio station, WAHR, where he was paid just $50 a week.
His birth name was actually Lawrence Harvey Zeiger. Just minutes before his first airtime on May 1, 1957, he changed it to Larry King, however, after being told by his manager at WAHR that his name was too difficult to remember and pronounce. Within two years after changing his name for radio, he legally changed it as well.
After many years of jumping from station to station, King landed his famous role at CNN in June of 1985. Shortly after this, he made his name by taking a non-confrontational approach which made his interviewees very comfortable. King distinguished himself from other intense TV interviewers for his reputation of asking straight-forward, Q&A formatted questions that the public wanted to know.
King spent more than five decades in the radio and TV broadcasting industry, and from his count, interviewed more than 60,000 people, including every sitting president from Gerald Ford to Barack Obama. The last episode of his show aired in 2010, and he was recognized by an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the longest-running television show with the same host in the same time slot.
After his retirement, Larry King remained active as a TV personality. He guest-starred in episodes of Gravity Falls, Arthur, Law and Order, and 30 Rock and made cameos in Ghostbusters, Bee Movie, and Shrek 2. He also even played himself in the smash-hit TV series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
Famous individuals such as Oprah Winfrey, Barbra Streisand, Jimmy Kimmel, Celine Dion, Andrew Cuomo, and Reese Witherspoon have all shared their condolences on social media to King’s family and friends. He was described as a kind and noble gentleman, a unique interviewer, and a remarkable individual.
“If anyone asked me what are my greatest career achievements in life, one is the creation of CNN, and the other is hiring Larry King,” CNN founder Ted Turner explained. “He was a consummate professional, an amazing mentor to many, and a good friend to all. The world has lost a true legend.”
Before the news of his passing, headlines read that King had been hospitalized with COVID-19. Early morning on January 23rd, Larry King’s family released the official statement announcing his death.
“We are heartbroken over our father’s death,” the statement signed by his sons, Larry King Jr., Chance King, and Cannon King, said. “The world knew Larry King as a great broadcaster and interviewer, but to us, he was dad.”
The world hurts for the loss of Larry King, but his accomplishments in his life will never be overlooked. He was one of the most unique news broadcasters of all time and was an even better role model and family man. May he rest in peace.
