Legendary broadcaster, Larry King, died on Saturday at age 87. King nosted Larry King Live on CNN for over 25 years. America’s Got Talent judge Piers Morgan began hosting the time slot after King retired in 2010. Piers left CNN in 2014.

Here’s a snip of King’s obit from CNN:

Larry King, the longtime CNN host who became an icon through his interviews with countless newsmakers and his sartorial sensibilities, has died. He was 87.

King hosted “Larry King Live” on CNN for over 25 years, interviewing presidential candidates, celebrities, athletes, movie stars and everyday people. He retired in 2010 after taping more than 6,000 episodes of the show.

A statement was posted on his verified Facebook account announcing his passing. His son, Chance, confirmed King’s death Saturday morning.

“With profound sadness, Ora Media announces the death of our co-founder, host and friend Larry King, who passed away this morning at age 87 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles,” the statement said.

“For 63 years and across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry’s many thousands of interviews, awards, and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster.”
The statement did not give a cause of death.

King had suffered a number of health problems. Most recently, he tested positive for COVID-19 in December. In 1987 he underwent quintuple bypass surgery. In 2017 he had been diagnosed with lung cancer, undergoing surgery to treat it. In 2019 he underwent a procedure to address angina.

King interviewed tons of entertainment celebrities including some of our favorite reality stars. Back in American Idol’s heyday in the mid aughts, King would interview the entire group. Nearly the entire hour would be dedicated to American Idol.

I nearly forgot this, but Idol host Ryan Seacrest used to guest host the show for him at times. He posted at tribute on social media in the wake of King’s death:

I lost a dear friend and mentor. Truly an American treasure. Rest in peace, Larry King. pic.twitter.com/eQhSYgPqNy

— Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) January 23, 2021

Searching through the mjsbigblog archives I discovered a ton of videos from those interviews. Larry was known for, uhm, not preparing for interviews as well as he could have, especially in his later years on CNN.

Here are a few interviews from that time.

American Idol 7 winner and runner up David Cook, David Archuleta spring 2008.

King interviews with the entire Season 7 Top 10

…was, uhm….interesting.

In 2009, David Cook talks about the death of his older brother, Adam.