The legendary talk show host Phil Donahue died on Sunday after a “long illness.” He was 88 years-old.

Donahue Passes Away

Donahue’s family told TODAY that he died on Sunday night surrounded by his family. This includes his beloved wife Marlo Thomas of That Girl fame. The couple were married for 44 years. It also includes “his sister, his children, grandchildren and his beloved golden retriever, Charlie.”

No specific cause of death has been given at this time. His family only said that he “passed away peacefully following a long illness.” They have asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Phil Donahue/Notre Dame Scholarship Fund.

“You know, we overuse sometimes the word trailblazer, but he certainly was, indeed,” said TODAY host Sheinelle Jones.

Born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 21, 1935, Donahue launched his talk radio and television career in the late 1950s. He scored his own eponymous talk show, The Phil Donahue Show, in 1967 in Dayton, Ohio. The show quickly gained traction by tackling controversial topics like race relations, feminism, and child abuse in the Catholic Church.

Donahue relocated his show to Chicago in 1974 and renamed it Donahue. It was then that it truly took off.

“When Phil came to Chicago, he found his most important element — the Chicago studio audience,” Ron Weiner, the former director of Donahue, told WGN-TV last year. “From that point, the program really took off.”

Donahue’s talk show was the first to ever ask the audience questions.

“One day, I just went out in the audience, and it’s clear there would be no Donahue show if I hadn’t somehow accidentally brought in the audience,” Donahue later said.

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Donahue Gets Even Bigger

In 1985, Donahue moved his show to New York City. Once he started broadcasting from 30 Rockefeller Plaza, his show got even bigger, as he began interviewing politicians, activists, musicians, athletes, and actors. 

Donahue filmed the final episode of his talk show in 1996 after being on the air for 29 years.

Donahue would ultimately win 20 Emmy Awards (10 for outstanding host and 10 for the talk show itself). He paved the way for such legendary talk show hosts as Oprah Winfrey, who honored him in the September 2002 issue of O, the Oprah Magazine.

“If there had been no Phil Donahue show, there would be no Oprah Winfrey Show,” Winfrey wrote. “He was the first to acknowledge that women are interested in more than mascara tips and cake recipes — that we’re intelligent, we’re concerned about the world around us and we want the best possible lives for ourselves.”

Back in May, President Joe Biden honored Donahue and 18 others with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The White House said in a statement at the time that he “pioneered the daytime issue-oriented television talk show. Donahue was the first daytime talk show to feature audience participation and one of the most influential televisions programs of its time.”

Donahue’s Personal Life

In his personal life, Donahue was first married to Marge Cooney from 1958 until they divorced in 1975. He then married the That Girl star Marlo Thomas in 1980. They had met three years before when she was a guest on his talk show. Thomas would later write on Facebook that “it was instant chemistry.”

Last year, Thomas told People Magazine that “love, listening and lust” were the keys to their long-lasting marriage.

“You have to listen, and then you’ll know what the other person is really thinking and going through,” she explained. “You have to love each other. And without lust, you don’t have anything,” before adding, “He’s the best. I’m very lucky.”

Full Story: Marlo Thomas, 85, Of ‘That Girl’ Fame Reveals Secret Behind 43 Year Marriage To Phil Donahue, 87

Donahue is survived by Thomas and four children from his first marriage. He was sadly predeceased by one son James “Jim” Patrick, who died in 2014 of an aortic aneurysm at age 51.

Donahue was a true legend, and there will never be another one like him. Please join us in saying a prayer for his family during this tragic time!

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