Renowned “King of Daytime Talk” Phil Donahue, who rose to fame in the late 1960s as the first host to interact with a studio audience, died on Sunday, Aug. 18. He was 88.
A representative for the family, Susan Arons, confirmed his death.
“Groundbreaking TV talk show journalist Phil Donahue died Sunday night at home, surrounded by his wife of 44 years, Marlo Thomas, his sister, his children, grandchildren, and his beloved golden retriever, Charlie,” said a statement from his family. “Donahue was 88 years old and passed away peacefully following a long illness.”
In lieu of flowers, loved ones have asked for donations to be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund.
Donahue was born on December 21, 1935, in Cleveland, Ohio. Though he studied business in college, he embarked on a career as a radio journalist in the late 1950s.
He worked at various radio stations and as a reporter for the CBS Evening News before securing several prominent roles at Dayton, Ohio’s CBS affiliate, WHIO, including morning news anchor and host of an afternoon radio talk show. In 1967, he moved to a rival station, WLWD, and launched The Phil Donahue Show.
The Phil Donahue Show—later renamed Donahue—gained credibility and acclaim for tackling controversial topics and, in 1971, taking viewers behind bars for a weeklong series at the Ohio State Penitentiary.
