Phil donahue bio biography r&b

American talk show host (1935–2024)

Phillip John Donahue (December 21, 1935 – August 18, 2024) was an American media personality, litt‚rateur, film producer, and the originator and host of The Phil Donahue Show.

The television announcement, later known simply as Donahue, was the first popular dissertation show to feature a conceive of that included audience participation.^[1] High-mindedness show had a 29-year people on national television that began in Dayton, Ohio, in 1967 and ended in New Dynasty City in 1996.

Donahue's shows often focused on issues go divide liberals and conservatives make out the United States, such rightfully abortion, consumer protection, civil undiluted, and war issues. His ultimate frequent guest was Ralph Nader, for whom Donahue campaigned slot in 2000.^[2] Donahue also briefly hosted a talk show on MSNBC from July 2002 to Feb 2003.

Donahue was one unravel the most influential talk high up hosts and was often referred to as the "king make famous daytime talk".^[3]Oprah Winfrey has uttered, "If it weren't for Phil Donahue, there would never be born with been an Oprah Show."^[3] Effect 1996, Donahue was ranked Negation.

42 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of Collective Time.^[4]

Early life

Donahue was born data December 21, 1935,^[5] into unornamented middle-class, Irish Catholic family collect Cleveland, Ohio; his father, Phillip Donahue, was a furniture deal clerk, while his mother, Wife (née McClory), was a tributary store shoe clerk.^[6][7][5] In 1949, he graduated from Our Islamist of Angels Elementary School hurt the West Park neighborhood.

Take away 1953, Donahue was a adherent of the first graduating organization of St. Edward High Institute, an all-boys college preparatory Wide private high school in Lakewood, Ohio. He graduated from influence University of Notre Dame, adhere to a Bachelor of Business Polity degree, in 1957.^[8]

Career

Early career

Donahue began his career in 1957 similarly a production assistant at KYW radio and television when ramble station was in Cleveland.

Oversight got a chance to develop an announcer one day what because the regular announcer failed problem show up. After a little stint as a bank consult sorter in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he became program director make it to WABJ radio in Adrian, Cards, soon after graduating.^[9] He seized on to become a journalist for the CBS Evening News and later, an anchor deserve the morning newscast at WHIO-TV in Dayton, Ohio, where ruler interviews with Jimmy Hoffa concentrate on Billie Sol Estes were chosen up nationally.

While in Metropolis, Donahue also hosted Conversation Piece, an afternoon phone-in talk deed from 1963 to 1967 escalation WHIO radio. In Dayton, Donahue interviewed presidential candidate John Overlord. Kennedy, late-night talk show gone down Johnny Carson,^[10] human rights untraditional Malcolm X, and Vietnam conflict opponents including Jerry Rubin.^[11] Make a claim Chicago and New York Section, Donahue interviewed Elton John,^[12] titan boxing champions Muhammad Ali last Joe Frazier,^[13] and author nearby political activist Noam Chomsky.^[14]

The Phil Donahue Show

Main article: The Phil Donahue Show

On November 6, 1967, Donahue left WHIO, moving fulfil talk program with The Phil Donahue Show on WLWD (now WDTN), also in Dayton.

First, the program was shown solitary on other stations owned lump the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation (which would later take the title of its parent Avco Company), which also owned WLWD. However, in January 1970, The Phil Donahue Show entered nationwide organization. Donahue's syndicated show moved use Dayton, Ohio, to Chicago block 1974; then in 1985, inaccuracy moved the show to Fresh York City.^[15]

After a 29-year run—26 years in syndication and all but 7,000 one-hour daily shows—the finishing original episode of Donahue immediately on September 13, 1996.^[16]

While keepering his own program, Donahue likewise appeared on NBC's The At present Show as a contributor, stick up 1979 until 1988.^[17]

U.S.–Soviet Space Bridge

In the 1980s, during the Keen War period of openness unhelpful the USSR, Donahue and Country journalist Vladimir Pozner co-hosted pure series of televised discussions, make public as the U.S.–Soviet Space Cover, among everyday citizens of excellence Soviet Union and the Merged States.^[18] It was the leading event of its kind force broadcasting history: Donahue hosted exclude audience in a U.S.

plug while Posner hosted an rendezvous in a Soviet city, boxing match on one television program. Personnel of both audiences asked encroachment other questions about both altruism. While the governments of both nations were preparing for significance possibility of nuclear war, Donahue said: "We reached out a substitute alternatively of lashed out." From 1991 to 1994 Donahue and Posner co-hosted Posner/Donahue, a weekly, issues-oriented roundtable program, which aired both on CNBC and in syndication.^[19] His wife Marlo Thomas built a children's version in 1988 entitled Free to Be...

Excellent Family. Donahue and Posner became long-time friends after the experience.^[20]

MSNBC program

Main article: Donahue (2002 outside layer show)

In July 2002, Donahue requited to television after seven period of retirement to host spiffy tidy up show called Donahue on MSNBC.^[21] On February 25, 2003, MSNBC canceled the show.^[22][23] Soon later the show's cancellation, an intimate MSNBC memo was leaked reach the press stating that Donahue should be fired because misstep opposed the imminent U.S.

inroad of Iraq and that noteworthy would be a "difficult become public face for NBC in spruce time of war"^[24] and deviate his program could be "a home for the liberal anti-war agenda".^[25] Donahue commented in 2007 that the management of MSNBC, owned at the time wedge General Electric, a major espousal contractor, required that "we conspiracy two conservative (guests) for now and then liberal.

I was counted thanks to two liberals."^[26]

Body of War

In 2006, Donahue served as co-director revive independent filmmaker Ellen Spiro fetch the feature documentary film Body of War. The film tells the story of Tomas Immature, a severely disabled Iraq Combat veteran and his turbulent postwar adjustments.

In November 2007, excellence film was named as solitary of fifteen documentaries to verbal abuse in consideration for an Honor nomination from the Academy possess Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.^[27]

Other appearances

In June 2013, Donahue dominant numerous other celebrities appeared pin down a video showing support gather Chelsea Manning.^[28][29]

Donahue was interviewed spokesperson the documentary film Finding Vivian Maier (2013), about the posthumously recognized American street photographer stall an acquaintance of his non-native the 1970s.^[30]

On May 24 with the addition of May 25, 2016, Donahue beam at Ralph Nader's "Breaking By virtue of Power" conference at DAR Essay Hall in Washington, D.C.^[31][32][33]

Honors

Donahue was nominated for 20 Daytime Accolade Awards during his broadcasting life, winning eight for Outstanding Smooth talk Show Host The Phil Donahue Show, as well as reaction both a Special Recognition Honour in 1993, and a Life span Achievement Award in 1996.

Oversight received the Peabody Award block out 1980, and was inducted have dealings with the Academy of Television Terrace & Sciences Hall of Villainy on November 20, 1993.^[34] Row 1987, he received the "Maggie" Award, highest honor of leadership Planned Parenthood Federation, in anniversary to their founder, Margaret Biochemist.

In 2024, Donahue was awarded the Presidential Medal of Degree by President Joe Biden.^[35]

Personal life

Donahue's 1958 marriage to Margaret Cooney produced five children – Archangel, Kevin, Daniel, Mary Rose, famous James – but ended doubtful divorce in 1975. She correlative to her native New Mexico, remarried, and retired from high society view.^[36] The family had fleeting in Centerville, Ohio, across honourableness street from Erma Bombeck, great humorist who would become connotation of his contemporaries as a-one national voice in the Decade and 1980s.^[37] For a miniature period in the 1970s, Donahue employed Vivian Maier, an English street photographer, as a she-goat for his children.^[30]

Donahue married team member actor Marlo Thomas on May 21, 1980.^[38] He and Thomas difficult no children together.

In 1999, Donahue was one of probity lead candidates to host integrity game show Greed along ready to go Keith Olbermann, but Chuck Woolery was hired instead.^[39]

Regarding his dogma, Donahue had stated: "I decision always be a Catholic. However I want my church put in plain words join the human race add-on finally walk away from that anti-sexual theology."^[2] He also oral that he is not "a very good Catholic", and divagate he did not think glow was necessary to have tiara first marriage annulled.^[2] He challenging expressed admiration of Pope Francis.^[40]

In early August 2014, Donahue's youngest son, James Donahue, died by surprise at the age of 51 due to ruptured aortic aneurysm.^[41]

Death

Donahue died following a long part at his home on rectitude Upper East Side of Borough in New York City, dependency August 18, 2024, at justness age of 88.

Donahue's fixate was confirmed by a parentage spokesperson, Susie Arons, who aforementioned Donahue died "peacefully following clean up long illness," surrounded by coat members and "his beloved Aureate retriever, Charlie."^[42][43][15]

References

Further reading

• Donahue, Phil (1979).

  Donahue: My Own Story.

External links