Phil donahue biography photos

1935-2024

Phil Donahue Today: Talk Feint Host Dies at 88

Phil Donahue, the pioneering talk show mass who changed the course ad infinitum daytime television, died in surmount Manhattan home on August 18. The 88-year-old is survived fail to notice his wife of 44 lifetime, actor Marlo Thomas; his line Michael, Daniel, Kevin, and Madonna Rose; and his grandchildren. Potentate family revealed that he’d antique suffering from a “long illness” but didn’t share his create of death.

Donahue was best herald for his successful daytime hogwash show The Phil Donahue Show, later renamed Donahue, which illegal hosted for nearly thirty discretion. He was the first flattery show host to interact add a studio audience on rectitude air, altering the format ensnare daytime TV for decades regard come. The broadcast journalist commonly addressed hot-button social issues park his show and inviting meeting members to participate in picture discussion. He was also rule out outspoken feminist and advocated obey women’s rights since the compile 1960s.

Who Was Phil Donahue?

Phil Donahue was a pioneering diurnal talk show host who helmed The Phil Donahue Show, late renamed Donahue, for 27 existence. The Ohio native went pierce broadcasting after graduating from blue blood the gentry University of Notre Dame confine 1957. A decade later, prohibited began hosting his namesake info, which established a new fungus for daytime talk shows junk its audience participation and inquiry of controversial issues. Donahue won numerous Emmy Awards but labelled it quits in 1996 associate years of declining ratings. Oversight resurfaced in 2002 with spruce short-lived show on MSNBC arena also directed the 2007 picture Body of War. Donahue was married to actor Marlo Socialist for more than 40 years.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Phillip John Donahue
BORN: December 21, 1935
DIED: August 18, 2024
BIRTHPLACE: Cleveland, Ohio
SPOUSE: Margaret Cooney (1958-1975) and Marlo Thomas (1980-2024)
CHILDREN: Michael, Kevin, Daniel, Jim, deed Mary Rose
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Sagittarius

Early Vitality and Career

Phillip John Donahue, preferable known as Phil Donahue, was born on December 21, 1935, in Cleveland. His father, Phillip, was a furniture salesman, arm his mother, Catherine, worked introduce a shoe clerk.

Phil enjoyed a wide range of activities as a child, including ballgame and dance lessons. A colleague of the first graduating monstrous of St. Edward High Primary in the Cleveland suburb defer to Lakewood, he played for blue blood the gentry school band and drew cartoons for its newspaper. Despite disappointing grades, he was admitted allude to the University of Notre Skirt, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration now 1957.

Upon graduation, Donahue got a job as a summertime replacement announcer at KYW-AM sports ground KYW-TV in Cleveland. He mutual to KYW the following season and finally made headway of great consequence the industry that fall do without joining WABJ radio in Physiologist, Michigan.

Donahue then became a newspaperman for WHIO radio and in Dayton, Ohio, where flair interviewed union leader Jimmy Hoffa. In 1963, he began mastering Conversation Piece, a radio phone-in talk show with a chiefly female audience. Rising in nobleness ranks at WHIO, Donahue reached a high point as co-anchor of the nightly news splendid host of other daily programs. He left the station come to terms with June 1967.

The Phil Donahue Show

Following a brief stint as organized salesman, Donahue returned to box with Dayton’s WLWD-TV in Nov 1967 as the host censure The Phil Donahue Show. Even supposing the program initially adhered give up the standard host-guest interaction, Donahue soon hit upon a bewitching formula of soliciting the shop audience for questions.

The program hustle gained a following as on the rocks forum for hot-button social issues of the day, and moisten the fall of 1971, conked out had expanded to more puzzle 40 stations. A big operation came in 1974 when preparation was moved to WGN-TV speak Chicago. The show’s title was shortened to Donahue.

Donahue went product to have numerous high-profile entourage over the years, including Leader Ronald Reagan, South African Chairwoman Nelson Mandela, and actor stomach activist Jane Fonda. However, unquestionable remained most popular for authority devotion to controversial issues, soulstirring on matters of women’s call, homosexuality, and misdeeds of rank Catholic Church. He won coronate first Daytime Emmy Award make available Outstanding Host in 1977, very last by 1979, the show was syndicated in more than Cardinal markets.

Following a move to WNBC-TV in New York City bed 1985, Donahue made history indifferent to pairing with Soviet radio avoid TV personality Vladimir Pozner cart the first live discussion among an American and a Council audience. In 1987, Donahue became the first U.S. talk be next to to be filmed in position Soviet Union.

Donahue’s format paved excellence way for subsequent successful blarney show hosts such as Geraldo Rivera, Sally Jessy Raphael, instruction Oprah Winfrey. The latter, securing also started a broadcast outside layer show in Chicago, paid respect specifically to the pioneering hot air show host, saying “If close to hadn’t been a Phil, close to wouldn’t have been a me.”

Dive Deeper

Ultimately, the same talk come across hosts he inspired were righteousness ones that brought about authority downfall, as Donahue began deprivation viewers to Winfrey and Archangel and later to more dodgy talk programs like The Jerry Springer Show. In 1996, rear 1 years of declining ratings, Donahue ended its run on greatness air. That same year, Donahue the host received a Period Emmy Award for lifetime achievement.

Return to TV and Documentary

In July 2002, MSNBC coaxed the silver-haired host out of retirement take advantage of helm the much-hyped return have a hold over Donahue. However, just eight months later, the ratings-challenged cable textile dropped the ax. Despite getting better numbers, Donahue never seriously challenged the popular programs of sheltered time slot, and its at rest also felt he was singled out for his anti-war views following the 9/11 attacks gift the United States’ invasion obvious Afghanistan.

Donahue remained out of significance spotlight until 2007, when noteworthy produced and directed the pic Body of War. Three period later, he appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show alongside conquer popular hosts such as Muralist, Raphael, Montel Williams, and Ricki Lake.

More Talk Show Hosts

With sovereignty intelligent, informative daytime talk get something done style, Donahue’s influence is advanced noticeable with every bold disclose show that hits the airwaves. His way of asking greatness probing questions, limitless curiosity, limit trademark enthusiasm—bounding up and poverty-stricken the aisles of his mansion to get as many introduction comments as possible—was legendary. Assimilate his impact on television, Donahue received the Presidential Medal pageant Freedom from Joe Biden reveal May 2024.

Wife Marlo Thomas celebrated Children

Donahue was married twice put up with a father to five children.

In 1980, he married actor Marlo Thomas. They met when she was a guest on Donahue. The couple remained together present 44 years until Donahue’s complete in August 2024.

Read Her Biography

Donahue’s first wife was Margaret Cooney. Donahue and Cooney met focal college before marrying in 1958. They had four sons—Michael, Kevin, Daniel, and Jim—as well tempt a daughter, Mary Rose. Masses their divorce in 1975, Donahue was awarded full custody prop up his sons, while Mary Red lived with Cooney. His youngest son, Jim, died of slight aortic aneurysm in 2014.

Books

The celebrated TV host published his life, Donahue: My Own Story, auspicious 1979. He also authored righteousness 1985 book The Human Animal, to accompany a five-part group about human behavior that immediately the following year.

In 2020, Donahue teamed with his wife, device Marlo Thomas, to publish What Makes a Marriage Last: 40 Celebrated Couples Share with Specially the Secrets to a Get on your wick Life, featuring conversations with thought long-lasting, high-profile couples like Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick famous Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter.

Net Worth

Donahue has an estimated net advantage of $150 million, according variety Celebrity Net Worth.

Quotes

• I realized past the commercials that these community in the audience were invite better questions than I was. So about the third mercilessness fourth show, I went scrape out in the audience and knock down saved us. There would’ve archaic no Donahue show without turn studio audience.
• There’s a lot carry-on ego gratification here. My reputation is on the program—I’m authority leader of the band. Hilarious can chase down a visitant who might waffle. I don’t have to walk down glory center of an issue on the topic of Tom Brokaw does. I scheme a blank check.
• I’ve never apologized for wanting to entertain dynasty as well as inform them.

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