Larry King was born as Lawrence Harvey Zeiger in Brooklyn, New York. King always wanted to have a career in radio and got his big break with a Miami radio station WAHR in 1957. King lost his broadcast job in 1971 when he was charged with grand larceny by a former business partner. He was later acquitted of the charges but his reputation was damaged so he worked for years to rebuild his stature. Later in 1978 he was rehired by WIOD and went on to become the first international television call-in show. In 2010, after 25 years of success, King decided to end his reign.
King was raised with the Jewish faith. His father died when King was nine years old and the tragedy caused him to lose most of his religious beliefs. He now pronounces himself an agnostic. King still occasionally prays but he’s not convinced that his prayers are heard. His wife is a Mormon and if he needs the hope of prayer for someone he’ll ask her to pray for them.
