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PHIL DONAHUE: Talk Show Legend Dead at 88

Build Series Presents Phil Donahue Debuting His MAKERS Men Video

Donahue's family told the Today show that he died Sunday night after a long illness. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, actress Marlo Thomas, plus four children from his first marriage. (The couple met in 1980 when she was a guest on his show)Photo: WireImage

Phil Donahue, who blazed the trail for daytime talk show hosts for almost three decades, has died at the age of 88.

Donahue's family told the Today show that he died Sunday night after a long illness. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, actress Marlo Thomas, plus four children from his first marriage. (The couple met in 1980 when she was a guest on his show)

  • Phil Donahue was born in Cleveland on December 21st, 1935.
  • He held various jobs in radio and news until he launched a radio call-in talk show in 1963. On November 7th 1967, he brought a version of his radio show to TV on WLWD in Dayton. 
  • In 1969 the show was syndicated nationally. In 1974 he moved it to Chicago and then finally to New York City in 1980.
  • Donahue pioneered covering controversial topics and invited his studio audience to participate, carrying his microphone into the crowd to get comments. At its peak it had nine-million viewers per day.
  • Donahue had the highest rated show in daytime TV until Oprah Winfrey came along and topped him in 1987.
  • After turning 60 in 1996 Donahue called it quits. Overall he hosted over 6,000 episodes of his show acorss 29 years.
  • He received 11 Daytime Emmys, and this past May he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

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