Actors, musicians and longtime news reporters took to Twitter on Saturday to pay their respects to Larry King.
The famed talk show host, who interviewed countless celebrities, athletes and heads of state over the years, died Saturday morning at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 87.
“I lost a dear friend and mentor,” wrote Ryan Seacrest, co-host of morning television show “Live with Kelly and Ryan.”
The Atlanta native added: “Truly an American treasure. Rest in peace, Larry King.”
No official cause of death has been released, but The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other media outlets reported that King was hospitalized earlier this month after contracting COVID-19.
In a statement released Saturday afternoon, Atlanta media mogul Ted Turner called King one his dearest friends and “the world’s greatest broadcast journalist of all time.”
“If anyone asked me what are my greatest career achievements in life; one is the creation of CNN, and the other is hiring Larry King,” the statement read. “Like so many who worked with and knew Larry, he was a consummate professional, an amazing mentor to many and a good friend to all.”
“Rest in peace to a broadcasting legend,” wrote journalist Katie Couric, who shared an MSNBC newsreel of King, clad in his signature suspenders, interviewing some of America’s most iconic politicians and celebrities over his decades on television.
Among those to extend their condolences was the Rev. Franklin Graham, who called it a privilege to have been interviewed by King on several occasions.
Graham also shared a clip of his father, the late Rev. Billy Graham, discussing death with King on his primetime show “Larry King Live,” which ran for a quarter-century on CNN.
“He will certainly be missed,” Franklin Graham wrote. “My condolences to his family and loved ones.”
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who occasionally filled in for King when he was on vacation, called him a legendary radio and television pioneer.
“Larry will be missed but left fond memories,” Gingrich wrote.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo described King as a “Brooklyn boy” who became a newsman who interviewed the newsmakers.
“He conducted over 50,000 interviews that informed Americans in a clear and plain way,” he wrote. “New York sends condolences to his family and many friends.”
In a tweet, CNN shared video of King signing off for the final time in 2010 after taping more than 6,000 episodes that were broadcast into Americans’ living rooms each evening.
“I never thought it would ever last this long or come to this,” King told viewers in his final episode. “Instead of goodbye, how about so long?”
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