Legendary TV presenter Regis Philbin has died at the age of 88, his family revealed in a statement.
"We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night from natural causes, a month before his 89th birthday," the document said.
"His family and friends are always grateful for the time we spend with him, for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his unique ability to make every day something worth talking about," the statement added.
"We thank his fans for their incredible support during his 60-year career, and we ask for privacy as we mourn his loss," they concluded.
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Born on August 25, 1931, Philbin grew up in the Bronx and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1949, before attending the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a degree in sociology in 1953.
After serving in the Navy, he began his show business career as a writer and made his way in front of the camera in 1961 with a local talk show in San Diego called "The Regis Philbin Show."
Then in 1967, he became widely known as Joey Bishop's partner on "The Joey Bishop Show". But it was in 1988 when he began his iconic presenter career on "Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee" alongside Kathie Lee Gifford . They both hosted the daytime program for decades, but after 15 years, Kathie Lee decided to move on.
Subsequently, in 2001, Regis had a new host and the show was renamed "Live! With Regis and Kelly", with the participation of actress Kelly Ripa .
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Regis was also known as the host of the popular game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?". He also hosted the first season of "America's Got Talent," and served as a recurring co-host on the Rachael Ray show , among many other series.
Throughout his long career, the television presenter won many awards, including several Daytime Emmy Awards, as well as receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Philbin had several health problems. He underwent angioplasty in 1993, followed by triple bypass surgery for plaque in his arteries in March 2007.
Regis married twice and is survived by his daughters JJ Philbin and Joanna Philbin , whom he fathered with his wife of 50 years, Joy Philbin . He was also the father of his daughter Amy Philbin , whom he had with his first wife Catherine Faylen . Philbin and Faylen had another son, Daniel Philbin , who died in 2014.
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