Goodbye and goodnight to a legend.
It was announced earlier today that talk show and radio host Larry King has passed away. According to TMZ, Larry King died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center due to complications from a COVID-19 infection. King was diagnosed with the coronavirus over the holiday season and was hospitalized in the ICU at one point. While he had recently been moved to a regular hospital room and had been breathing on his own, his condition took a turn for the worse.
Larry King’s representation released a statement early Saturday to share the news. Part of the statement reads:
“For 63 years an across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry’s many thousands of interview, 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 programs, and himself as merely an unbiased conduit between the guest and audience. Whether he was interviewing a U.S. 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.”
— Larry King (@kingsthings) January 23, 2021
Larry King will be remembered as a longstanding name, face, and talent within the entertainment industry. According to the Hollywood Reporter, he hosted 6,120 episodes of his CNN show and interviewed a variety of celebrities. King also conducted more than 30,000 interviews in his 60-year career.
As for his impact on LGBTQ people, Larry King was an ally who interviewed (or was interviewed by) several LGBTQ figures. For instance, King spoke at length about LGBTQ Rights in a talk with Dave Rubin, of the Rubin Report, in a 2016 video.
Chan-Massey, of LA-based LGBTQ Rights group The Personal Stories Project, wrote on Facebook;
“We lost one of our staunchest allies this morning. Larry King has died of complications from COVID-19. He was 87. Here’s a clip from Larry’s interview with Tyler Oakley several years ago, just one of many times he showed his support for our community’s civil rights. RIP, Larry, and thanks for all you did to help our movement over the years.”
Source: TMZ, The Hollywood Reporter,
