Lawrence Harvey “Larry” King is an American television and radio host. He is recognized in the United States as one of the premier broadcast interviewers. King has conducted some 40,000 interviews with politicians athletes entertainers and other newsmakers. He has won an Emmy Award, two Peabody Awards, and ten Cable ACE Awards.
King began as a local Florida journalist and radio interviewer in the 1950s and ’60s. He became prominent as an all-night national radio broadcaster starting in 1978, and then began hosting the nightly interview TV program Larry King Live on CNN, which started in 1985.
King grew up in a religious and observant home. King rode a bus to Miami. After initial setbacks, King got his first job in radio through persistence. When one of their announcers quit, they put King on the air. Two days later, singer Bobby Darin, in Miami for a concert later that day, walked into Pumpernick’s as a result of coming across King’s show on his radio; Darin became King’s first celebrity interview guest.
His Miami radio show launched him to local stardom. King credits his success on local TV to the assistance of another showbiz legend, comedian Jackie Gleason, whose national TV variety show was being filmed in Miami Beach during this period. “That show really took off because Gleason came to Miami,” King said in a 1996 interview he gave when inducted into the Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame. WIOD gave King further exposure as the color commentator for the Miami Dolphins broadcasts during the early part of the Miami Dolphins’ 1971 season. King also lost his weekly column at the Miami Beach Sun newspaper. For several years during the 1970s in South Florida, he hosted a sports talk-show called “Sports-a-la-King” that featured guests and callers.
King managed to get back into radio by becoming the color commentator for broadcasts of the Shreveport Steamer of the World Football League on KWKH. Eventually, King was rehired by WIOD in Miami. Little went on to become president of Mutual and was the one who hired King when Nebel died. King’s Mutual show developed a devoted audience.
King would interview a guest for the first 90 minutes, allowing callers to continue the interview for another 90. “Mr. Radio” had over 200 calls to King during Open Phone America. The afternoon show was eventually given to David Brenner and radio affiliates were given the option of carrying the audio of King’s CNN evening program. He started his CNN show in June 1985, and the Westwood One radio simulcast of the CNN show continues.
On the Larry King Live show, King hosts guests from a broad range of topics. Unlike many interviewers, King has a direct, non-confrontational approach. King, who is known for his general lack of pre-interview preparation, once bragged that he never pre-reads the books of authors who appear on his show. Throughout his career King has interviewed many of the leading figures of his time. David King, comedian, actor and singer: born Twickenham, Middlesex 23 June 1929; married (two daughters); died 15 April 2002.
King was born in Twickenham, Middlesex, in 1929, and left school when he was 12. In 1955, the good-looking King followed Norman Wisdom and Benny Hill as the compere of the BBC-TV variety series Showcase and this led to his own monthly series The Dave King Show, followed by a Royal Command Performance. King continued his success, however, with The Dave King Show for ITV in 1958/59 and was a major success at the London Palladium.
