Joe Franklin’s former producer and friend Steve Garrin indicated that the New York City radio and television icon died “unexpectedly” on Saturday night at the age of 88, CNN reports. Garin indicated that the prior two weeks had been the first time he’d missed a broadcast in over half-a-century.
The last two weeks were the first time he ever missed a broadcast in over 60 years
Franklin, who is still in the “Guinness World Records” for the longest continuously running talk show, embodied the spirit of New York. He reportedly passed away as a result of prostate cancer, according to a report published on the NY Daily News.
The fixture of New York late-night radio and television worked at WJZ, WOR, and more recently at the Blomberg Radio Network.
Bill Cosby, Dustin Hoffman, Woody Allen, Liza Minnelli, and Barbra Streisand all received early exposure on his show. He also interviewed a number of offbeat characters, according to CNN. A report on Bloomberg stated that his interviews had included the likes of Andy Warhol, Howard Stern, Muhammad Ali, and John Wayne.
The self-crowned “king of nostalgia” who interviewed celebrity A-listers and D-listers alike passed away in a Manhattan hospice.
Long-time New York musician Bill Popp was quoted by the NY Daily News as having said about the recently deceased that “he’d treat you like a star” when you walked into his studio.
That’s what was so great about him […] You’d walk into his studio and he’d say, ‘Hey, c’mon, let’s go on the air.’ And he’d treat you like a star.
What are your thoughts on Joe Franklin’s death?
