“Sometimes, the simplest question is the best.”
– Larry King

Cal Fussman (@calfussman) is a New York Times bestselling author and a writer-at-large for Esquire magazine, where he is best known for being a primary writer of the “What I’ve Learned” feature. He has transformed oral history into an art form, conducting probing interviews with a long list of icons who’ve shaped the last 50 years of world history.

I’ve been trying to get Cal to do his own podcast. Rather than overthinking it, I simply asked Cal to interview a friend who I would also love to have on the podcast: Larry King. This episode is the result of that request.

Larry King (@kingsthings) has been dubbed “The most remarkable talk show host on TV, ever” by TV Guide and “Master of the mic” by Time Magazine. Larry’s been described as the Muhammad Ali of the broadcast interview, and he’s been inducted into five of the nation’s leading broadcasting halls of fame. He’s the recipient of the Allen H. Neuharth Award for Excellence in Journalism, an Emmy, the George Foster Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting, ten CableACE awards — the list goes on.

Enjoy!

Want to hear my first episode with Cal Fussman? — In this episode, we discuss Cal’s interviews with the most influential people in history, how he made himself a guinea pig (Cal boxed against world champion Julio Cesar Chavez), and his best life lessons (stream below or right-click here to download):

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QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

Scroll below for links and show notes…

Selected Links from the Episode

• Connect with Cal Fussman:

Website | Twitter | Kevin “The Manager”

• Connect with Larry King:

Larry King Now | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Show Notes

• Two legendary interviewers enter. [04:37]
• From Brooklyn to Miami: How Larry got involved in broadcasting. [06:18]
• Why Larry’s last name was changed from Zeiger to King. [12:36]
• Thanks to stage fright, Larry’s first time behind the mic was almost his last. [14:21]
• The secret of Larry’s business. [15:18]
• The real reason for Larry’s career longevity. [18:45]
• What scared Cal the most about going from writing to podcasting. [20:20]
• An Al Pacino story about confidence; a Marlon Brando story about ad-libbing (and wine). [21:51]
• Larry on being in the moment. [25:43]
• Cal’s favorite Larry King story. [27:10]
• When Larry took emergency broadcasting to a whole new level. [31:55]
• Even with relaxed standards, Larry still won’t curse on the air. [36:05]
• Is curiosity ingrained, or is it something that can be taught? Larry’s rules for making curiosity work for him. [37:40]
• Contrary to popular opinion, there are dumb questions. Here’s how Larry avoids asking them. [41:18]
• Can Larry’s methods be used by people in other fields? [43:08]
• What does communication lose when eye contact is no longer part of the equation? [43:58]
• How would Larry have interviewed Hitler with curiosity rather than judgment? [44:51]
• The power of control in questions. [48:49]
• Is the podcast the modern inheritor of the traditional long-form interview? [51:48]
• What does Larry consider his “bible?” [52:58]
• Larry’s lifelong broadcasting motto. [55:30]
• Does Larry have advice for young people who want to learn to ask better questions? How can someone become a better listener? [56:25]
• What’s Larry’s secret for getting a sincere response from people? [59:24]
• How you ask a question is often more important than what you’re asking. [1:00:37]
• What would Larry’s billboard say? [1:02:20]
• Books that have had an impact on Larry, what he’s reading now, and the book he’s gifted most. [1:02:52]
• “The ‘why?’ person fears death.” [1:05:05]
• Larry prefers paper tickets he can hold in his hand — whether they’re for ballparks or airplanes. [1:07:27]
• What advice would Larry give to a college senior about to enter the real world? [1:09:04]
• What has Larry learned from his failures? [1:10:25]
• Bad advice Larry hears often? [1:14:07]
• The most worthwhile investment in time, money, or energy that Larry has made. [1:18:03]
• If Larry finds he’s lost focus, what does he do to regain it? [1:19:32]
• How do Larry and Cal’s bucket lists differ? [1:21:13]
• Cal has a bucket list request for Larry. [1:24:40]

People Mentioned

Posted on: August 16, 2017.

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