Regis Philbin, legendary TV host with career spanning 6 decades, dies of natural causes aged 88
American media personality, actor, and singer Regis Philbin died on Friday, July 24, at the age of 88. In a statement to People Magazine on Saturday, July 25, Philbin’s family said, “We are deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis Philbin passed away last night of natural causes, one month shy of his 89th birthday.”
The statement further said, “His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him -- for his warmth, his legendary sense of humor, and his singular ability to make every day into something worth talking about. We thank his fans and admirers for their incredible support over his 60-year career and ask for privacy as we mourn his loss.”
Born Regis Francis Xavier Philbin on August 25, 1931, in the Bronx, New York City, Philbin attended Our Lady of Solace grammar school and graduated from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1949 before attending the University of Notre Dame. He graduated in 1953 with a sociology degree. Philbin served in the United States Navy as a supply officer, before finding a career in television.
Philbin entered show business as a writer but it wasn’t until 1961 that he made it to the front of the camera. It was a local talk show in San Diego called ‘The Regis Philbin Show’. In 1967, he gained some popularity as Joey Bishop's sidekick on ‘The Joey Bishop Show’.
Philbin’s television fame arrived in 1988 when he began hosting ‘Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee’ alongside Kathie Lee Gifford. He stayed as the ABC show’s host for 15 years.
Philbin also served as the original host of the globally popular game show ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ from 1999 to 2002. His other television host credits included titles like ‘Million Dollar Password’ and the first season of ‘America’s Got Talent’. He was also a regular co-host on ‘Rachael Ray’.
Philbin has won Daytime Emmy Awards for outstanding talk show host for ‘Live!’, and outstanding game show host for ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’. He also received a Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards in 2008. Philbin also holds the Guinness World Record for the most hours on US television.
Philbin was married twice. He is survived by daughters J.J. Philbin and Joanna Philbin, whom he shared with his wife of 50 years, Joy Senese. He was also father to daughter Amy Philbin, whom he shared with his first wife Catherine Faylen. Philbin and Faylen had another child, son Daniel Philbin, who died in 2014.