At the age of 87, legendary American talk show host ‘Larry King’ has died. Ora Media announced the talk show host’s death stating, “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 added, “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’s cause of death was not stated but it follows years of health problems which included both lung and prostate cancer, as well as surviving a heart attack in 1987 and a stroke in 2019.
Star Trek actor George Takei paid tribute to King’s death on Twitter stating, “Thanks for the countless interviews and insights, Larry King. You understood human triumph and frailty equally well, and that is no easy feat. There was no one else like you, and you shall be missed. Rest with the heavens now.”
Originally born as Lawrence Zeiger, King began his career as a journalist before moving to radio in 1957 when he would adopt his new name ‘Larry King’ on the advice of his station manager.
He legally changed his name to Larry king two years later. In the year 1960, King moved to TV and worked with a local news show called Miami Undercover and got a chance to work with comedian Jackie Gleason.
Arrested in 1971 after being accused of ripping off a business associate, King became a radio announcer after losing his radio and TV job. Four years later, he got back into TV and begun hosting his own national radio show.
After hosting the show ‘Larry King Live’ for 25 years, the show was handed over to Piers Morgan.