Legendary daytime talk show host Phil Donahue dies at 88
Legendary talk show host Phil Donahue has died at 88 years old.
His family told The Today Show that he passed away on Sunday night “following a long illness.”
The “King of Daytime Talk’s” family told the outlet that he died surrounded by his family, including his wife of 44 years, actress Marlo Thomas, his sister, children, grandchildren and “beloved golden retriever.”
Donahue pioneered the daytime talk show genre by launching “The Phil Donahue Show” in the late ’60s in Dayton, Ohio. The format differed from other programs at the time as it was the first to incorporate audience participation in a talk show, typically during a full hour with a single guest.
“Just one guest per show? No band?” he remembered being asked in his 1979 memoir, “Donahue, My Own Story.”
The show was later renamed “Donahue.” It became nationally syndicated in 1970 and was nationally televised for 26 years, which consisted of close to 7,000 one-hour daily shows. Donahue won 20 Emmy Awards as well as a Peabody.
He interviewed countless celebrities, politicians, athletes, and world leaders. He also covered hot-button topics like gay marriage, abortion, global warming and more.
Oprah Winfrey had credited Donahue for paving the way for talk shows saying “had there not been a Phil Donahue. I don’t believe there could have been an Oprah.”
In 2002, he returned to television for MSNBC’s “Donahue,” which ended up being canceled less than a year later.
In 2006, he co-directed the documentary ‘Body of War,” which followed Iraq War veteran Thomas Young who returned from duty with a severed spine and PTSD. The documentary earned Donahue an Oscar nomination.
In lieu of flowers, Donahue’s family has requested donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund.
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