Larry King facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Larry King
King in 2017
Born	Lawrence Harvey Zeiger (1933-11-19)November 19, 1933 New York City, U.S.
Died	January 23, 2021(2021-01-23) (aged 87) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Television host radio host spokesman
Years active	1957–2021
Spouse(s)	Freda Miller ​ ​ (m. 1952; ann. 1953)​ Annette Kaye ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1961)​ Alene Akins ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1963)​ ​ ​ (m. 1967; div. 1972)​ Mickey Sutphin ​ ​ (m. 1963; div. 1967)​ Sharon Lepore ​ ​ (m. 1976; div. 1983)​ Julie Alexander ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 1992)​ Shawn Southwick ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	5

Larry King (born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger; November 19, 1933 – January 23, 2021) was a famous American television and radio host. He was known for his friendly interview style. Over his long career, he hosted more than 50,000 interviews. He won many awards, including two Peabody Awards and an Emmy.

King was born and grew up in New York City. His parents came to the United States from Belarus. He started his career in radio in the 1950s. He became well-known in 1978 as the host of The Larry King Show, a popular radio call-in program.

From 1985 to 2010, he hosted Larry King Live on CNN. This nightly show featured interviews with many important people. After CNN, he hosted Larry King Now and Politicking with Larry King online and on TV. Larry King was active in broadcasting until he passed away in 2021 at age 87.

Early Life and Education

Larry King was born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 19, 1933. His mother, Jennie, was a garment worker. His father, Aaron, owned a restaurant. His parents were Jewish and came from Belarus in the 1930s.

King went to Lafayette High School in Brooklyn. When he was nine years old, his father died. This was a very hard time for Larry and his family. They received government help. After his father's death, King lost some interest in school.

After high school, King worked to help his mother. From a young age, he dreamed of working in radio.

Career Highlights

Starting in Radio and TV

A friend suggested Larry go to Florida to find a job in radio. He went to Miami and got his first radio job in 1957. He started at a small station, WAHR (now WMBM), cleaning and doing odd jobs. When an announcer left, Larry got his chance on air. His first broadcast was on May 1, 1957.

His boss thought his last name, Zeiger, was too hard to remember. So, just before going on air, Larry chose the name "King." He saw it in an advertisement for King's Wholesale Liquor. Within two years, he legally changed his name to Larry King.

He began interviewing people on a mid-morning show. He would interview anyone who came into the restaurant where he broadcasted. His first celebrity interview was with singer Bobby Darin. Larry's Miami radio show made him well-known locally. He also hosted a TV show called Miami Undercover starting in 1960.

Comedian Jackie Gleason helped Larry King's local TV career. Gleason's national TV show was taped in Miami Beach. He appeared on King's show and gave him advice. Larry King also worked as a sports announcer for the Miami Dolphins football team.

The Larry King Radio Show

On January 30, 1978, Larry King started a nightly radio show. It was broadcast across the country on the Mutual Broadcasting System. His show quickly became very popular. His loyal listeners were even called "King-aholics."

The Larry King Show was live from midnight to 5:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Larry would interview a guest for the first hour. Then, listeners would call in with questions for the guest. Later in the show, he had an "Open Phone America" segment. Callers could talk about any topic they wanted with him.

The show started with 28 radio stations. Eventually, over 500 stations carried it. Larry King hosted this show until 1994.

Larry King Live on CNN

Larry King Live began on CNN in June 1985. This show became very famous. Larry interviewed a wide variety of guests. These included politicians, movie stars, and other important people. He often had the first or only interview on big news stories.

Larry King's interview style was direct and friendly. He asked open-ended questions. This made many important people want to be interviewed by him. He said he didn't read guests' books beforehand. This was so he wouldn't know more than his audience. Over his career, King interviewed many of the most famous people of his time. CNN said he did more than 30,000 interviews.

In 1992, businessman Ross Perot announced he would run for president on King's show. In 1993, a debate between Al Gore and Ross Perot on the show was CNN's most-watched program for many years.

Larry King also wrote a newspaper column for USA Today for almost 20 years. Larry King Live became the longest-running TV show hosted by the same person. It was recognized by the Guinness World Records. He retired from the show in 2010 after hosting 6,000 episodes.

Leaving CNN

On June 29, 2010, Larry King announced he would leave Larry King Live. He had hosted the show for 25 years. He said he would still host special programs for CNN. His last show aired on December 16, 2010. He thanked his audience for watching and supporting him.

Shows on Ora TV

In 2012, King helped start Ora TV, a production company. He hosted new shows there, including Larry King Now. This web series was available on Hulu and Ora.tv. In 2013, the RT America network also began showing Larry King Now.

Larry King said he loved asking questions to powerful people. He wanted to make sure he was asking questions, not speaking for them. He continued to host his shows until his death.

Other Projects

Larry King also appeared in many TV shows and movies. He often played himself. He had cameos in films like Ghostbusters and Bee Movie. He also voiced the character Doris the Ugly Stepsister in the Shrek movies.

He hosted an educational TV series called In View with Larry King. This show aired on channels like Fox Business Network and Discovery. Larry King was also very active on Twitter. He shared his thoughts and opinions with his followers.

Helping Others

After having a heart attack in 1987, Larry King started the Larry King Cardiac Foundation. This group helped people pay for important heart surgeries. These were for people who couldn't afford them otherwise.

He also hosted a telethon for Chabad in Los Angeles. Larry King donated to the Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial Garden. His name is on the monument there.

Personal Life

Larry King was married eight times to seven different women. He had five children. He also had nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

His children with Alene, Andy and Chaia, passed away in 2020. Andy was 65 and Chaia was 51.

King lived in Beverly Hills, California. He was a big fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. He often watched their games from behind home plate.

Health and Passing

On February 24, 1987, Larry King had a major heart attack. He had surgery to help his heart. After this, he wrote books about living with heart disease. He also quit smoking, which he had done a lot before.

In 2017, doctors found a tumor in his lung. It was successfully removed with surgery. In 2019, he had a medical procedure for his heart. He also shared that he had a stroke in March of that year.

On January 2, 2021, Larry King was hospitalized with COVID-19. He recovered from COVID-19, but sadly passed away on January 23, 2021. He was 87 years old. His death was caused by sepsis, which is a serious infection. He also had other health issues like breathing and kidney problems.

Film and Television Appearances

Larry King appeared in many films and TV shows, often playing himself.

Film

Television

Awards and Honors

King at the 70th Annual Peabody Awards, May 2011

Larry King received many awards for his broadcasting work. He won the Peabody Award for excellence in broadcasting for both his radio (1982) and television (1992) shows. He also won ten CableACE Awards for Best Interviewer and Best Talk Show Series.

In 1989, King was added to the National Radio Hall of Fame. In 1996, he joined the Broadcasters' Hall of Fame. A magazine called Talkers Magazine named him the fourth-greatest radio talk show host and the top television talk show host of all time in 2002.

He received the Golden Mike Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2008. This award recognized his long and successful career in radio and television news. Larry King also received several honorary degrees from universities.

Images for kids

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  Larry King in 1971

See also

In Spanish: Larry King para niños