Larry King

Who Was Larry King?

Larry King, born on November 19, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York, was a renowned American television and radio host known for his approachable and conversational interviewing style. His career breakthrough came in 1978 when he launched The Larry King Show, a nightly coast-to-coast radio program on the Mutual Radio Network. His success in radio caught the eye of media mogul Ted Turner, who hired him to host Larry King Live on CNN in 1985. King became a household name through his 25-year tenure on the show, where he interviewed some of the most prominent figures in politics, entertainment, and culture. In 2010, King stepped down as host, marking the end of an iconic era in broadcasting.

Early Life

Larry King, originally named Lawrence Harvey Zeiger, was the son of Jewish immigrants Edward Zeiger, a bar owner, and Jennie Gitlitz, a garment worker. His father’s untimely death from heart disease when King was just nine years old had a profound impact on him, both emotionally and financially. The family, struggling to make ends meet, relied on welfare support, and King lost interest in school, barely managing to graduate from high school. Despite these early challenges, King remained passionate about a career in radio. To help support his family, he took a job as a mail clerk after high school, but his ambitions never wavered.

Radio Career

King’s radio career began by chance when he met a CBS television announcer who encouraged him to move to Florida, where the burgeoning media market offered more opportunities for newcomers. In 1957, King landed a job at WAHR in Miami Beach, initially performing odd jobs around the station. His first on-air opportunity came when one of the station’s announcers abruptly quit, and King was asked to step in. He quickly impressed his superiors and was given the 9:00 AM to noon shift, along with duties as a newscaster and sportscaster. At the time, he was earning just $55 a week, but the young King felt he was living his dream.

Due to concerns from his station manager about his birth name sounding “too ethnic,” King adopted the surname “King,” choosing it after seeing an advertisement for King’s Wholesale Liquor. This marked the beginning of his rise to fame. By 1960, King had his own television program in Miami and became a local celebrity, expanding his work to include a newspaper column in the Miami Herald and Miami News. During this time, he also developed a close friendship with television icon Jackie Gleason, who served as a mentor and taught him the ins and outs of television production.

Television Career

In December 1971, Larry King faced a major setback when he was charged with grand larceny by a former business partner, leading to the immediate loss of his broadcasting and newspaper positions. Although he was acquitted of all charges in 1972, King found himself deeply in debt and publicly disgraced. Determined to rebuild his career, he spent the following years writing magazine articles and working in radio on the West Coast. By the late 1970s, the controversy had subsided, and King returned to Miami broadcasting. In 1978, he was rehired by WIOD and began hosting The Larry King Show, a nightly coast-to-coast talk show on the Mutual Radio Network. The program, featuring interviews and listener call-ins, became a tremendous success, expanding to over 500 affiliate stations.

This resurgence in popularity attracted the attention of media mogul Ted Turner, who hired King to host a talk show on the fledgling Cable News Network (CNN) in 1985. Larry King Live became the first international TV call-in show, and over the next 25 years, King built a dedicated audience. The show featured interviews with presidents, athletes, actors, foreign dignitaries, and individuals thrust into the public eye, becoming the highest-rated talk show on television. Known for his direct, non-confrontational interview style, King’s platform became a critical stop for celebrities promoting their projects. The influence of Larry King Live was evident when Ross Perot announced his 1992 presidential bid on the show. King also used his platform to raise funds for various causes, including disaster relief in New Orleans and Haiti.

In June 2010, King announced that he would be stepping down from his role as host of Larry King Live after 25 years. Later that year, CNN named British media personality Piers Morgan as his successor.

Other Projects

Beyond his iconic talk show career, King made several appearances as himself in films and television series, including voice work in animated features such as Shrek 2 (2004), Shrek the Third (2007), and Bee Movie (2007). Following a heart attack in 1987, King also authored several books about heart disease and its impact on his life. His autobiography, My Remarkable Journey, was published in 2009.

‘Larry King Now’

In 2012, King launched his own web series, Larry King Now, which closely followed the format of his previous CNN talk show, offering interviews with high-profile guests from various fields.

Death

Larry King passed away on January 23, 2021, at the age of 87 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. While no official cause of death was announced, it was revealed that King had been diagnosed with COVID-19 a few weeks earlier. A statement from his media company, Ora Media, expressed their profound sadness at the loss of their co-founder, host, and friend. King’s style of asking short, direct, and uncomplicated questions was hailed as a hallmark of his interviewing technique, one that garnered insightful responses from his guests.

Personal Life

King’s personal life was marked by multiple marriages, tying the knot eight times with seven women. His first marriage was to high school sweetheart Freda Miller when he was just 19. Over the years, King fathered four children from his various marriages. In 1997, King married his seventh wife, Shawn Southwick, a former singer and television host, in a hospital room just days before he underwent heart surgery. The couple had two sons, Chance and Cannon, while Southwick had another son, Danny, from a previous marriage. In 2010, the couple announced their intention to divorce but later halted proceedings, citing their children’s well-being as the reason for their reconciliation.