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This story appeared in the January 2002 issue of Esquire. See the full issue at our online archive, Esquire Classic.
I gambled only on horses. I liked the thrill of them turning into the stretch. I still like it. Except it s not as much fun when you don t need the money. It s much more fun when you re riding on the rent.
The best day I ever had at the track it could never fit the way you do this story, because it s a whole magazine piece. I m dead broke. Station I was working at had just switched to ethnic. Hired all black and we were all let go at once.
2007: Jerry Seinfeld
In another misstep and true to his belief in not preparing for interviews King didn t realize what a hit
Seinfeld was when talking to star Jerry Seinfeld in 2007, asking if the show had been canceled. You re not aware of this? You think I got canceled? the actor asked. You re under the impression that I got canceled? That was the No. 1 show on television, Larry. Do you know who I am?
2007: Tammy Fay Messner
Messner, a former televangelist once married to disgraced televangelist Jim Bakker, appeared on
Larry King Live multiple times, but it was her 2007 chat that was the toughest, with the singer announcing she was down to 65 lbs. and couldn t swallow food due to her latest bout of cancer. She died the next morning. Anyone who saw her on our show this week knew that she didn t have long, King said of the 65-year-old when sharing news of her death.