In June 1985 Larry King brought his down to earth talk show style to CNN. At the end of 2011, King’s contract with CNN will expire. Speculation has already begun to stir that the 73 year old King might retire at the end of his contract. It would be the end of an era, the close to one of the longest and most successful nighttime talk shows. It is hard to imagine that anyone could replace Larry.
Early Life Struggles for CNN’s Larry King
Larry was born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger on November 19, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York. His mother and father, Edward and Jennie Zeiger, worked in the restaurant business. His father died when he was only nine years old.
The Zeiger family struggled financially following Edward’s death. As reported at the Academy of Achievement, Larry took the death of his father hard. He began to struggle in school, but soon set his sights on radio. He busied himself trying to land work with one of the local New York radio stations, but to no avail.
Following the advice of a CBS employee, Larry moved to Miami, Florida and landed a spot with a radio station there. It was the late 1950s / early 1960s and Larry was ready. He built a strong listener base and changed his last name to King. His hard work was paying off. He even started a newspaper column and appeared on television.
Financial and Image Troubles for Larry King
A chance meeting with an unscrupulous financial businessman left Larry broke and in debt. It also cast doubt upon his name. King departed Florida and moved to the West Coast for awhile. He reestablished a solid fan base when he returned to Florida.
1978 was the year that The Larry King Show gained a national audience. It was the first time that a national television show took live calls from its viewing audience. Seven years later the Cable News Network (CNN) brought The Larry King Show to its network. Over the years, millions of people around the globe have watched Larry King conduct down-to-earth interviews with internationally acclaimed entertainers, politicians, attorneys, community leaders and other global attention grabbing citizens.
Currently Larry King Live airs Monday through Sunday nightly from 9:00 until 10:00 ET. The hour long program is CNN’s longest on air interview show. Some of the people who have been featured on the show include President Barack Obama, former president and first lady, George and Laura Bush, former President Bill Clinton, singer Chris Brown, presidential candidate Ross Perot, Oprah Winfrey, Kate Gosselin, Paris Hilton, Susan Boyle, Joseph Jackson, actress Suzanne Somer and comedian Chris Rock.
Celebrity Guests Talk to Larry King
Fans of the late night talk show host can keep up with him by following his blog at CNN’s official website. Recent blog posts by King include discussions on the late actor John Travolta’s extortion case, Michael Jackson’s life and legacy, actress MacKenzie Phillip’s revelation that she had sex with her late father for several years and an upcoming interview with Jon Gosselin of the television reality series Jon and Kate Plus 8.
In addition to hosting Larry King Live, the talk show host is a bestselling author who has penned books such as Larry King My Remarkable Life, How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere, Remember Me When I’m Gone and Love Stories. His talk show has won an Emmy Award. He has received the George Foster Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. In 1996 Larry King was inducted into the Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame.
Should Larry actually retire at the end of 2011 when his contract with CNN expires, a gaping hole will remain across the nighttime talk show circuit. It wasn’t just that Larry held one-on-one discussions with some of the major movers and shakers across various industries. It was Larry’s style and openness that endeared him to millions of viewers around the globe, that would make him hard to replace.
Sources:
CNN. Larry King Live Official Website. 30 September 2009.
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