The talk show host who let the stars shine

LARRY King’s sons have remembered the broadcaster as “an amazing father” and “fiercely loyal” after his death at the age of 87.

The veteran US talk show host was famous for his shows including CNN’s Larry King Live which he hosted from 1985 to 2010.

He died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles, shortly after it was reported that he had Covid-19.

A statement from Larry King Jr, Chance King and Cannon King, which was shared on their father’s Facebook page, said: “We are heartbroken over our father’s death, and together with our extended family mourn his passing.

“The world knew Larry King as a great broadcaster and interviewer, but to us he was ‘dad’.

“He was the man who lovingly obsessed over our daily schedules and our well-being, and who took such immense pride in our accomplishments – large, small, or imagined.

“And, through it all, we knew without a doubt in the world that he loved us more than life itself.

“He was an amazing father, and he was fiercely loyal to those lucky enough to call him a friend. We will miss him every single day of our lives.

“The outpouring of love and the remembrances of his remarkable career have touched us deeply and we are so thankful.”

The news of King’s death was shared on his Twitter page by Ora Media, the studio and network he co-founded in 2012.

The statement said: “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.

“Additionally, while it was his name appearing in the shows’ titles, Larry always viewed his interview subjects as the true stars of his programmes, and himself as merely an unbiased conduit between the guest and audience.

“Whether he was interviewing a US president, foreign leader, celebrity, scandal-ridden personage, or an everyman, Larry liked to ask short, direct and uncomplicated questions. He believed concise questions usually provided the best answers, and he was not wrong in that belief.”

Over the years King interviewed some of the biggest names across the globe including former US president Bill Clinton, singer Frank Sinatra and Beatles Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

After his show relocated from Washington DC to Los Angeles, he made headlines with his interviews with people such as Paris Hilton, after she was released from jail.

The famed interviewer announced he was retiring from his CNN show after his 25th anniversary at the network in June 2010.

He was replaced by Piers Morgan, who hosted the show until 2014.

King had health issues over the years including suffering a major heart attack in the late 1980s, which resulted in quintuple-bypass surgery. He was also diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and in 2017 he told CNN that he had been diagnosed with lung cancer.

He was married eight times to seven different women, most recently to country singer and actress Shawn Southwick.

The pair wed in 1997 and the couple filed for divorce in 2010. The filing was then rescinded only for them to divorce again in 2019.

Last year King lost his two eldest children, Andy King and Chaia King, who died of unrelated health problems within weeks of each other.

> Larry King with his seventh wife, Shawn Southwick