C-U-R-I-O-S-I-T-Y: King's 'Everyman' Moxie

I’m about to tell you what may be the least surprising thing ever: Larry King was one of my inspirations for pursuing a life in FRONT of the camera and hosting a multimedia program with very engaging and inspiring individuals!

Sadly Larry King, the TV and radio host extraordinaire has died at age 87, weeks after testing positive for COVID-19. King conducted over 50,000 high-profile interviews with presidents, world leaders, Hollywood royalty, and sports stars during the course of his 65-year-long career as a TV and radio host! He started in 1957 as a 22-year-old radio disc jockey in Miami Beach with no experience or college education!

YES, I even had the chance to meet him at the Kentucky Derby many years ago. It was a delight to meet him in person, even it was for just a moment! I would have loved to have had the opportunity to bump into him again and perhaps turn the tables on him and interview him, but it’s not meant to be.

King was the … well, king (sorry, there’s just no other word) of the evening talk show format for decades. He sat down with athletes, musicians, actors, political leaders – just about anyone worth talking to – and deftly drew out their stories night after night before audiences that numbered in the millions. I was inspired by King's affable, "everyman-style", and his ability to disguise his skill for getting the biggest names into the chair across his desk and getting them to "spill their souls."

It takes moxie to master the airwaves, and King had it. Here’s how:

Moxie moves to the right place at the right time.

King’s dream of becoming a broadcaster was born in Brooklyn, where he grew up. A friend recommended that he head south to Florida, where the radio market was growing, and he might have a chance to break-in.

King found his way to Miami and landed a job at a radio station. But he wasn’t on air – he was the janitor and errand boy. His big break came when the station needed a last-minute replacement for a host. King was so nervous that he at first couldn’t bring himself to speak, so he just kept playing the intro music over and over again. When he was finally able to find his voice, his first words were explaining what had just happened.

Audiences must have loved the awkward, transparent vulnerability because King found a following. He soon launched a live interview show from Pumpernik’s Restaurant in Miami Beach.

He didn’t have guests scheduled ahead of time; he just interviewed whoever walked through the door and was willing.

Word got out, and within a few days, King landed his first celebrity interview when Bobby Darin strolled through the front door. Darin, who was in town for a concert, had heard about the show and sought him out.

King’s success came because he put himself in places where it could happen. It takes moxie to make those kinds of moves, and King had it.

“You make your own luck; luck is the residue of design,” said King.

Moxie finds its groove.

King seemed to hit upon his style with the restaurant interview show. In that context, he never knew who would show up and couldn’t prepare. So he just let his curiosity take over and asked what was on his mind.

However, the legendary host suffered a massive career setback in 1971 when he was arrested on charges of grand larceny, it was revenge from a former friend for not agreeing to bribe President Nixon on his behalf! Here is King's 1971 mugshot below....go figure?

King carried that style throughout his career as an interviewer, both on radio and later TV. He never read guests' books ahead of time and didn’t do deep research. Instead, he just asked them questions and listened to their answers. A far cry from my approach as a host and interviewer! You see, my take is VERY different. The more religiously I prepare, the more "flattered" a guest becomes, AND it shows them that I care about their story AND I care about them, etc.

In a way, King became the voice of the viewer/listener and asked what they might ask of interesting people. The interviews didn’t become an opportunity for him to display his knowledge but instead became an opportunity for the person he was interviewing to shine.

“I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening. I never learned anything while I was talking,” King explained.

Without the stress of an anticipated “gotcha!” guests were free to relax and share their stories with less fear of embarrassment. That relaxed atmosphere yielded revealing, personal moments.

It takes moxie to go with the flow in front of an audience, and King had it.

Moxie never gives up.

King was married an astounding eight times to seven different women! Only one of his marriages – the last with actress Shawn King– made it past the decade mark. Despite his many failed attempts at holy matrimony, he didn’t seem to be able to give up on the notion.

Not to mention, he had 5 children from these 8 unions of matrimony!

Sadly, in 2020, King mourned the loss of two of his adult children; his adopted son Andy (far left above) in July from a sudden heart attack, and within less than a month his daughter Chia (centered above) succumbed to lung cancer in August. Upon their passing, King stated, "It is with sadness and a father’s broken heart that I confirm the recent loss of two of my children, Andy King, and Chaia King. Both of them were good and kind souls and they will be greatly missed.”

After launching on June 3rd, 1985, King’s perhaps most well-known venture as a host of Larry King Live drew to a close on December 16th, 2010, after 25 years on the air with CNN. Many would have retired at the "tender age" of 77, NOT Larry King!

King launched a new production company and found deals with Hulu and RT America. He created interview, political, and education shows until just a few years ago such as Larry King Now

and Politicking with Larry King

Despite setbacks, King never gave up! He found different paths forward and embraced the challenges with moxie.

Although Larry didn't believe in an afterlife, he did go so far as to state that he wanted to be frozen (cryogenics) upon his death! Who knows.....maybe we will see Larry King back in the spotlight a few centuries from now....

Rest well, my friend!

Although I did have my chance encounter with Larry King at the Kentucky Derby many years ago, it wasn't until his passing that I learned that one of our own MoxieTalk with Kirt Jacobs crewmembers had worked with the T.V. icon back in 1992, the one and only Mr. Steve Wills. See the picture below-Steve is the one on the far left-with mustache & CNN cap!

Below is the YouTube video created by Nick Nanton, featuring Larry King as the guest and dedicated to Larry King's life.

Larry King's Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_King

The Larry King Show's (1978-1994) Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_King_Show

Larry King Live's (CNN-1985-2010) Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_King_Live

Larry King Now's (Ora TV 2012-2020) Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_King_Now

Politicking with Larry King's (Ora TV-2013-2020) Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politicking_with_Larry_King

Cryogenics Wikipedia Page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryogenics