Regis Philbin, iconic American talk show host, passed Friday from natural causes, according to his family. He was 88.
Philbin began his career as a TV host in San Diego, then became a writer on The Joey Bishop Show, then served as the host of a talk show, The Unknown. Philbin then co-hosted Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee with Kathie Lee Gifford for 15 years before being joined by Kelly Ripa. In addition to his talk show, Philbin also served as the original host of the popular game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from 1999 to 2002. He also hosted the game shows Million Dollar Password, the first season of America’s Got Talent, and had a recurring co-host seat on Rachael Ray.
Philbin won Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding talk show host, and received a Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008.