He was last admitted to the hospital with Covid-19.
Larry King, the king of talk show hosts, has now died at the age of 87.
The celebrity world is in mourning.
For 25 years he hosted "Larry King Live" - that brought him into the Guinness Book of Records
He interviewed great people from Barack Obama to Henry Kissinger
His trademark were suspenders
The king is dead. “Long live the king!” His famous followers chirp on social networks.
Larry King, who hosted the CNN talk show "Larry King Live" for 25 years, died at the age of 87.
To Celine Dion, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Kimmel, Elizabeth Taylor, and so many other actors, show people, top politicians, King was like a friend.
"You always gave one the feeling of being alone in the room with you," wrote Bette Midler on Saturday when the news of death bypassed.
That was his secret.
And its biggest weak point.
Goodbye and Godspeed to Larry King;
a great interviewer and a great listener, and they are not the same thing.
He always made me feel as though I were the only person in the room.
Condolences to his family, friends, and fans around the world.
pic.twitter.com/mOi5v6RAdB
- bettemidler (@BetteMidler) January 23, 2021
Here they wanted to get him, the envious colleagues and critical spirits who never took Larry King, who was born in Brooklyn in 1933 and whose birth certificate Lawrence Harvey Zeiger, said, very seriously.
Because actually, journalists' multiplication tables, one shouldn't fraternize with the interviewees.
Critical distance, “tough questions” is the professional motto.
Not so with King.
He hadn't gone through any journalism school, his guide in every interview was personal interest.
His real name was Lawrence Harvey Zeiger - too complicated, the boss thought
As the son of a Jewish-Orthodox immigrant family, he grew up in humble circumstances, and after high school he got by with odd jobs.
At 22 he moved to Florida;
worked there as a DJ on the radio.
Here he got his stage name.
Lawrence Harvey Zeiger, that wasn't handy enough for his boss.
The boss saw an advertisement for "King's Liquor" - and unceremoniously renamed him Larry King.
Nomen est omen: After many years of moderation for television at WLBW, the program started on June 3, 1985 on CNN under his new name - he became the king of talk shows.
"I don't pretend to know it all," he once formulated his recipe for success.
He doesn't pretend to know everything.
That is why, according to King, he did not ask a US president about political conflicts like the Cuban Missile Crisis - but rather: "What don't you like about this job?" Or "What's the biggest mistake you made?" would interest everyone on the street, that fascinated him.
I enjoyed my 20+ interviews with Larry King over the years.
He had a great sense of humor and a genuine interest in people.
He gave a direct line to the American people and worked hard to get the truth for them, with questions that were direct but fair.
Farewell, my friend.
pic.twitter.com/Q28Xy4F91W
- Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) January 23, 2021
The fact that he never exploited the weaknesses of his counterpart earned him confidence.
That's why they all came.
Even men like Frank Sinatra or Marlon Brando, who were notorious for rejecting any interview.
At the same time, the unexcited chat atmosphere that he created caused criticism.
A conversation like among friends may be legitimate with people like Lady Gaga.
But is that also the case with ambivalent types like Vladimir Putin or O. J. Simpson?
The latter was allowed to speak to King the day after his controversial acquittal.
Activated by phone.
More than the question "How are you?" Formulated with a grin, King could hardly say in these three and a half minutes.
Simpson said what he thought needed to be said, then thanked King for being fair - and hung up.
Because of uncritical "interviews" like this, the "New York Times" columnist Maureen Dowd called Larry King the "vacation spot of American journalism".
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Legendary: Marlon Brando's kiss (right) after the interview with Larry King.
© CNN
He has now passed away after having survived two heart attacks, quadruple bypass, lung cancer and a stroke, among other things.
King was last admitted to the hospital in December for Covid-19.
He leaves behind seven ex-wives, five children - and the memory of values that lose their meaning in our sometimes loud, over-the-top world: listening.
Affection.
Reliability.
For 25 years it always appeared on the screen at the same airtime.
A royal record.
