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Rickey Smiley & Larry King

Source: CR8 Agency / Larry King Now

Larry King, the broadcast legend who spent several decades on the air and became a newsworthy interviewer, has died. He was 87.

The longtime CNN host of “Larry King Live” for over 25 years was a cultural icon, interviewing thousands of people from U.S. Presidents, world figures, celebrities, athletes, and Hollywood elites. King who was recognized by his suspenders and black-rimmed glasses, taped over 6,000 episodes of the show over the years. He retired in 2010, but went on to do guest appearances on television show and hosting infomercials.

King also did some acting and voice work over the years. He guest starred in episodes of PBS’s Arthur, NBC’s 30 Rock and Disney’s Gravity Falls. He also had an appearance in the 1984 blockbuster film ‘Ghostbusters’ and Jerry Seinfeld’s ‘Bee Movie’. The multi-talented King voiced ‘Doris the Ugly Stepsister’ in Shrek 2 and its sequels. He also played himself in FX’s crime drama ‘The People v. O. J. Simpson’, and appeared as himself in an episode of NBC’s smash hit Law and Order.

As a radio broadcaster, King started out at WAHR-FM in Miami as a disc jockey in 1957. He stayed in the market doing various jobs for over a decade and was also the color commentator for the Miami Dolphins for two seasons on WIOD during 1970 and 1971.

King had multiple health problems over the past five years including a lung cancer diagnosis and a stroke. King died at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after a battle with COVID-19.

A statement was posted on Twitter about his passing.

“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 statement read. “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.”

King received several awards in his lifetime including Peabody Awards and Cable ACE Awards. In 1989, he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame and later into the Broadcaster Hall of Fame in 1996. In 2002, Talkers Magazine named King the fourth-greatest radio talk show host of all-time and the top television talk show host of all-time.