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Phil Donahue, Pioneering Talk Show Host, Dies at 88

Clay Cane
August 19, 2024

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Phil Donahue, the legendary “King of Daytime Talk” and creator of “The Phil Donahue Show,” passed away peacefully at 88 on Sunday, Aug. 18, surrounded by his family, including his wife of 44 years, actress Marlo Thomas.

Phil Donahue blows a kiss to Oprah Winfrey as she presents him with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 23rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in New York Wednesday, May 22, 1996. Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre, has died. He was 88.(AP Photo/Ron Frehm, File)

Donahue, who revolutionized TV talk shows, succumbed to a long illness at his home. In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund.

Talk show host Phil Donahue, left, joins hands and sings with civil rights leaders Coretta Scott King, from second left, Martin Luther King III, and Rosa Parks on the set of the “Donahue” show, April 1, 1988. Donahue, whose pioneering daytime talk show launched an indelible television genre, has died. He was 88. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

“The Phil Donahue Show” aired from 1967 to 1996. The show won 20 Emmy awards and Phil Donahue received a Peabody Award in 1980.

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Clay Cane is an award-winning journalist, writer, radio host, and political commentator. A graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in African-American Studies, his work on race, culture, and politics have appeared in national publications, including the Washington Post, CNN, and The Grio. Clay is a regular political commentator on MSNBC. Twitter: @claycane