I was all set to do my first Smeconish Saturday in the Joe Biden era when I heard Larry King passed at the age of 87 the day after Hank Aaron passed at the age of 86. What a tough two day span for America.
Larry King in his prime was the best interviewer of his time. His stinct at CNN in a way shaped me in the manner in which I would consume the biggest news stories whether it be sports, politics, entertainment, or even foreign affairs.
I just read Larry’s Wiki profile and it doesn’t surprise he never graduated from college because there was a street smart saavy to Larry’s style which never would have been taught in broadcast circles.
Larry King had an insatiable quest to acquire new knowledge on a myriad of topics. This curisoity of his transmiited to his viewer like me who wanted to see the most recent bestseller author or sports phenom or politician on the air with Larry one on one. I would say Larry King to an extent shaped me a bit as did Tim Russert and Howard Cosell as well.
Unlike Tim Roussert or Howard who asked tough questions like a prosecutor…Larry would simply ask… “How” “Why” “When” and then listen intently and let the person being interviewed be the center of the interview and not vice versa.
Larry King was a complete natutal at the art of the human interview. He was the one person who did interviews my father would actually watch from time to time. My father being the criminal trial lawyer he was couldn’t turn Larry off during the O.J. Simpson trial.
Larry would interview various lawyers on the case from both the prosecutorial and defense teams and Bob would give his oral takes aloud as Larry interviewed say Marsha Clark, Chris Darden, F. Lee Baily, Robert Shapiro, and Johnnie Cochran. This was part of the Bob Jackson School of Law degree I attained. Trust me. In the last week of my father’s life the book he was reading was Jeffery Toobin’s best selling book on the O.J. Simpson case.
Larry King would have been a natural trial lawyer in that he would have easily perfected the knack of making the jury love him with that voice and infectious smile of his.
I’ve missed Larry King being on the air in his latter years. He wasn’t blue, he wasn’t red…he was an old school broadcaster who had the best people from around the world clamoring to be on his show for one hour.
There is no one even close to Larry on any of the three cable news or network news who can interview like Larry did in his gravy days.
So sad to hear Larry passed, but what a tremedous life he truly lived and that’s how I’ll remember Larry King…that being, as a person who took each day as a new challenge and tried to learn something a new and share it with some one else in the process.
God bless you Larry King and the very best wishes on your new journey.