Joe Franklin, Late-Night TV & Radio Host, Dies At 88

Joe Franklin, the iconic New York City late-night television and radio host, died Saturday. He was 88.

Joe Franklin Dies

Franklin’s longtime friend and producer, Steve Garrin, announced his death. “Joe went unexpectedly and passed away Saturday night,” Garrin told CNN in a statement.

“The last two weeks were the first time he ever missed a broadcast in over 60 years,” Garrin added.

Over the course of his decade-spanning career, Franklin hosted late-night radio programs on WJZ, WOR, and, most recently, at the Bloomberg Radio Network. On his popular talk shows, Franklin held interviews with upwards of 300,000 big names, including Woody Allen, Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman and Liza Minnelli.

Not only did Franklin interview people who were already household names, he also had complete unknowns on as guests, giving local people with interesting stories or talents a platform.

Following his death, celebrities who knew Franklin took to Twitter to remember the New York City icon.