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This is Fresh Air. I'm Tanya Mosley.

Long-time host of NPR's Morning Edition, Bob Edwards, died on Saturday from heart failure and

complications of bladder cancer. He was 76. At the end of his final morning

edition, Edwards had this to say.

I have been hosting programs on NPR for 30 years, 5.5 years on all things considered,

24 years and 6 months on Morning Edition. But this program is the last

I shall host. Bob Edwards was commonly thought of as having the voice we woke up to and his 2004 removal as an NPR host did not go

over well with listeners. An avalanche of letters followed most in protest of the

decision after a brief stint as a senior followed most in protest of the decision.

After a brief stint as a senior correspondent for NPR,

he went on to host his own interview show on Serious XM.

During his career, Edwards won a Peabody, a DuPont Columbia Award for Journalism, and an

Edward Armero Award.

Terry first spoke with Edwards in 1993 about his book Fridays with Red. It was about his long on-air

relationship with the great sportscaster, Red Barber. But Barbara wouldn't just

talk about sports. He would often spend more time talking about his camellias, his cats, in the weather.

Terry asked Edwards if early on he was panicked by the side tracks and tried to make Red stick to sports.

I panicked early on because Red would turn it around.

Red would ask me questions.

Red would throw me curveballs.

...