Larry King
Born 1933 · Age 92
American TV and radio host, author, and presenter best known for The Larry King Show (radio) and Larry King Live (CNN); conducted tens of thousands of interviews and received multiple major broadcasting awards.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born Lawrence Harvey Zeiger in Brooklyn
Born to Jewish immigrant parents Jennie Gitlitz and Aaron Edward Zeiger in Brooklyn, New York.
Father dies; family on welfare
When King was nine his father died of a heart attack; the family went on government welfare, which affected his schooling and future responsibilities.
Married high-school sweetheart Freda Miller
Married at age 19; the marriage was later annulled at parents' behest.
Annulment of first marriage
Marriage to Freda Miller annulled.
Started mid-morning interviews at WIOD from Pumpernik's
Conducted interviews with people who walked into the deli; soon began interviewing celebrities who walked in, including Bobby Darin two days after he began the segment.
First on-air broadcast at WAHR (now WMBM) in Miami Beach
Hired initially for station chores; placed on air when an announcer quit. Worked 9 a.m.–noon and did newscasts/sports; paid about $50/week.
Legally changed name to Larry King
Adopted the professional name 'Larry King' after station management said 'Zeiger' was hard to remember; legally changed his name within two years of starting on air.
Hosted 'Miami Undercover' on WPST-TV
Hosted a Sunday late-night television program (Miami Undercover) on Miami television station WPST-TV.
Married Annette Kaye; son Larry Jr. born November 1961
Married Annette Kaye in 1961; his son Larry Jr. was born in November 1961 (King did not meet him until Larry Jr. was in his 30s).
Married Alene Akins (first marriage to her)
Married Playboy Bunny Alene Akins in 1961 (they later divorced in 1963).
Adopted son Andy (with Alene Akins)
Adopted Alene Akins' son Andy in 1962.
Married Mary 'Mickey' Sutphin
Married Mickey Sutphin in 1963 (divorced 1967).
Divorced Mickey Sutphin
Divorce from Mickey Sutphin finalized.
Remarried Alene Akins (second marriage)
Remarried Alene Akins in 1969; the couple later had a daughter, Chaia, and divorced in 1972.
Color commentator for Miami Dolphins (NFL)
Served as a color commentator for the Miami Dolphins during their 1970 season and most of their 1971 season.
Hosted Sports-a-la-King (1970s sports talk show)
Hosted a sports talk show for several years during the 1970s featuring guests and callers.
Arrested on grand larceny charge; fired from WIOD and WTVJ
Arrested following accusation by former business partner Louis Wolfson; dismissed from radio and TV roles and lost newspaper column; charges later dropped.
Grand larceny charges dropped; rehired by WIOD
Charges against King were dropped in 1972 and he was later rehired by WIOD as he rebuilt his career.
Launched The Larry King Show (Mutual Radio)
Began hosting a coast-to-coast nightly radio program on the Mutual Broadcasting System; show aired midnight–5:30 a.m. ET and built a devoted audience.
The Larry King Show grew to 500+ affiliates
The radio show expanded from its initial dozens of affiliates to more than 500 stations nationally.
Began writing regular column for USA Today and won Peabody (radio)
Started a regular USA Today column shortly after paper's debut; also won a Peabody Award in 1982 for excellence in radio broadcasting.
Film cameo in Ghostbusters
Appeared as himself in Ghostbusters (one of the earliest high-profile film cameos).
Began hosting Larry King Live on CNN
Ted Turner hired King to host an hour-long nightly interview program on CNN, which became a signature show for the network.
Suffered major heart attack; quintuple bypass surgery
Had a major heart attack and successful emergency quintuple-bypass surgery; he subsequently quit smoking and later founded a cardiac charity.
Founded Larry King Cardiac Foundation
Established a non-profit to pay for life-saving cardiac procedures for people who couldn't afford them (founded following his 1987 heart attack).
Inducted into Radio Hall of Fame
Recognized for significant contributions to radio broadcasting; induction in 1989.
Proposed to Julie Alexander on first date; married Oct 7, 1989
Proposed Aug 1, 1989 and married Julie Alexander Oct 7, 1989; they separated in 1990 and divorced in 1992.
Ross Perot announced 1992 presidential bid on Larry King Live
Billionaire Ross Perot used King's show to announce his independent presidential candidacy, demonstrating the show's political impact.
Won Peabody Award (television)
Larry King's television work won a Peabody Award in 1992 for excellence in broadcasting.
Daytime version of radio show launched; Jim Bohannon took late-night slot
Began hosting a shorter daytime version of The Larry King Show; Jim Bohannon became primary late-night fill-in.
Published 'How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere' (approx.)
One of several books about communication and interviewing; King authored/coauthored multiple books in the 1990s.
Final broadcast of The Larry King Show (radio)
After 16 years on Mutual, King ended the nationally syndicated radio program; Mutual gave his afternoon slot to David Brenner.
Inducted into Broadcasters' Hall of Fame; received Golden Plate Award
Recognized by the Broadcasters' Hall of Fame (1996) and received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.
Published 'Daddy Day, Daughter Day' with daughter Chaia
Dove Books published a children's book written by King and his daughter Chaia about their family/divorce experiences.
Married Shawn Southwick in hospital room
Married Shawn Southwick (his seventh wife) in his Los Angeles hospital room three days before undergoing heart surgery to clear an occluded blood vessel.
Received star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Larry King was given a star at 6616 Hollywood Blvd on May 8, 1997.
Westwood One dissolved Mutual; radio simulcast continued
After Westwood One dissolved Mutual in 1999, the radio simulcast of his CNN show continued until December 31, 2009.
Birth of son Chance
Son Chance (with Shawn Southwick) born March 1999.
Birth of son Cannon
Son Cannon (with Shawn Southwick) born May 2000.
USA Today column dropped
King's long-running USA Today column (started in 1982) was discontinued during a redesign in Sept 2001.
Named top TV talk show host (Talkers Magazine)
Talkers Magazine named King the top television talk show host of all time and the fourth-greatest radio talk show host.
Published 'Taking On Heart Disease'
Coordinated a book (2004) featuring celebrities' experiences with cardiovascular disease and how to triumph over it.
Received Los Angeles Press Club President's Award
Honored with the President's Award for impact on media by the Los Angeles Press Club.
Received first Arizona State University Hugh Downs Award
Awarded the Hugh Downs Award for Communication Excellence (presented via satellite by Hugh Downs).
Received Golden Mike Award for Lifetime Achievement
The Radio & Television News Association of Southern California awarded King the Golden Mike Award for Lifetime Achievement in January 2008.
Reported loss to Bernie Madoff
Reported to have lost $2.8 million in investments held with Bernie Madoff (Madoff scandal timeframe around 2008–2009).
Published autobiography 'My Remarkable Journey'
Autobiography 'My Remarkable Journey' published in 2009 reflecting on King's life and career.
Radio simulcast of CNN show ended
Westwood One ended the radio simulcast of CNN's Larry King Live audio on December 31, 2009.
Announced stepping down from Larry King Live
Announced he would step down after 25 years as host of Larry King Live but remain with CNN for occasional specials.
Final edition of Larry King Live on CNN
The last broadcast of Larry King Live aired on December 16, 2010, concluding a 25-year run and approximately 6,000+ episodes.
Received News & Documentary Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award
Awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 32nd Annual News & Documentary Emmys (2011).
Inducted into Cable Hall of Fame
Inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame (Syndeo Institute/Cable Center) in 2012.
100th episode of 'Larry King Now'
Ora TV celebrated the 100th episode of 'Larry King Now' on January 16, 2013 (100th episode milestone reported January 16, 2013).
Co-founded Ora TV with Shawn Southwick-King and Carlos Slim
In March 2012 King co-founded the production/distribution company Ora TV to produce web and cable talk programming.
Hulu deal; 'Larry King Now' begins streaming exclusivity
Ora TV signed a multi-year agreement with Hulu to exclusively carry King's web series 'Larry King Now' beginning July 17, 2012.
Hosted third-party presidential debate (Ora TV)
Hosted an Ora TV televised debate for third-party presidential candidates on October 23, 2012.
RT America licensed 'Larry King Now' and 'Politicking'
RT America announced a licensing deal to host King's Ora TV shows (the shows remained available on Hulu and Ora.tv).
Launched 'Politicking with Larry King'
Started a weekly political talk show, 'Politicking,' on Ora TV/Hulu/RT America (2013–2020 run).
Guest appearances and voice roles continue
Continued film and television appearances (cameos and voice roles in animated films/shows through the 2010s).
Continued to do guest TV and voice roles
Started and continued appearances in TV series and films, often as himself or voice roles (e.g., Shrek 2, Bee Movie, etc.).
Described himself as fully atheist (public remark)
Publicly said he was fully atheist in 2015, after earlier describing himself as a Jewish agnostic.
Lung tumor discovered and surgically removed
During examination doctors discovered a malignant tumor in his lung which was successfully removed surgically.
Won default judgment vs Nate Holzapfel ($250,000 damages)
In a lawsuit King alleged Nate Holzapfel misrepresented himself and edited an interview; a default judgment awarded fees and $250,000 damages to King.
Suffered stroke and was in a coma (reported later)
King later said (Nov 27, 2019) that he had a stroke in March 2019 and was in a coma for weeks; he later returned to work.
Underwent angioplasty and had stents inserted
On April 23, 2019, King underwent a scheduled angioplasty with stent insertion; earlier erroneous reports of another heart attack were retracted.
Returned to 'Politicking with Larry King'
Returned to hosting 'Politicking' on August 15, 2019 following medical procedures earlier that year.
Filed for divorce from Shawn Southwick (again)
King and Shawn Southwick filed for divorce in 2019; they were estranged and in proceedings at his death (they had earlier filed in 2010 and reconciled).
Estate reported at $2 million (will contested)
After his death reports indicated a handwritten 2019 will left his estate valued at $2 million to his five children; estranged wife Shawn contested the will.
Hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai with COVID-19
Admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with severe COVID-19 but reportedly moved out of the ICU.
Died of sepsis at Cedars-Sinai
Died January 23, 2021, aged 87; he had recovered from COVID-19 but died from sepsis due to prior health issues.
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