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The James Altucher Show

Uncovering the Legend: A Personal Look at the Life and Legacy of Larry King | Cal Fussman

The James Altucher Show

James Altucher

Education, Business

4.6 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 27 January 2023

⏱️ 137 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

James sits down with legendary journalist Cal Fussman to discuss the life and career of the iconic Larry King. Cal, who knew Larry for over 30 years, shares personal anecdotes and insights into the man behind the microphone.Cal and James begin by discussing Larry's early days in radio, where he got his start as a disc jockey in Florida. From there, they delve into the story of how Larry landed his first national television gig on the Mutual Broadcasting System's "The Larry King Show." Cal describes Larry as a masterful interviewer, who had a unique ability to make his guests feel comfortable and open up to him.The conversation then turns to Larry's time at CNN, where he hosted "Larry King Live" for 25 years. Cal talks about the significance of the show, and how it helped to establish CNN as a major player in the world of cable news. He also shares some of his favorite moments from the show, including interviews with world leaders and celebrities.James and Cal also discuss Larry's impact on the media industry, and how he helped to pave the way for other talk show hosts. They also touch on Larry's personal life, including his marriages and health struggles in recent years.Throughout the interview, Cal provides a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the life and legacy of Larry King. He paints a picture of a man who was not only a skilled journalist but also a kind and generous person who is deeply missed by those who knew him.This is a must-listen episode for fans of Larry King and anyone interested in the history of media and journalism.Big Questions Podcast with Cal Fussman ------------What do YOU think of the show? Head to JamesAltucherShow.com/listeners and fill out a short survey that will help us better tailor the podcast to our audience!Are you interested in getting direct answers from James about your question on a podcast? Go to JamesAltucherShow.com/AskAltucher and send in your questions to be answered on the air!------------Visit Notepd.com to read our idea lists & sign up to create your own!My new book, Skip the Line, is out! Make sure you get a copy wherever books are sold!Join the You Should Run for President 2.0 Facebook Group, where we discuss why you should run for President.I write about all my podcasts! Check out the full post and learn what I learned at jamesaltuchershow.com------------Thank you so much for listening! If you like this episode, please rate, review, and subscribe to "The James Altucher Show" wherever you get your podcasts: Apple PodcastsiHeart RadioSpotifyFollow me on social media:YouTubeTwitterFacebookLinkedIn See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

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0:00.0

You know, it's so important to ask the right questions.

0:13.1

I'm not talking about just in a podcast, you need to show that you're interested in

0:19.4

and curious about the people you're with.

0:22.4

But knowing how to ask questions, knowing how to be a good interviewer, I studied all

0:27.6

of them. Whether you like these people or not, Howard Stern, Joe Rogan, David Letterman,

0:33.7

and Larry King. I want to study the master interviewers so that I could be a good interviewer.

0:39.9

And 1300 podcasts in, I feel I'm still learning the craft. So that's why it was such a pleasure

0:47.1

to have one of the best interviewers on the planet, Cal Fustman, who interviewed people

0:51.9

like Mikhail Gorbachev and 1000 other people for Esquire magazine. He was also best friends

0:57.9

with Larry King. They had breakfast together every single morning for years. And you know,

1:02.0

Larry King, Reston PC, explains to me exactly what Larry King, how he did it, why did it,

1:10.0

how he came to be doing it. And it was like a masterclass in interviewing. So I hope

1:14.6

you enjoy this as much as I did. Thanks. This isn't your average business podcast. And he's

1:22.5

not your average host. This is the James Altiger show.

1:36.2

So Cal, Cal Fustman, you were arguably one of Larry King's best friends. And I'm not

1:43.5

exaggerating too much when I say this, particularly in his latter years.

1:47.6

Yeah, I had breakfast with him almost every day for more than a decade.

1:54.6

Well, every single day, not Saturday and Sunday.

1:57.6

No, every single day when we were both in town. Now, there were times, especially toward

2:02.8

the end when I started to speak around the world. And so I would leave. But when I came

2:13.2

back, there would Larry be at the breakfast table. And sometimes he went out. But when

2:18.3

we were both in LA, we had breakfast every day. And sometimes in the beginning, when

...

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