Sir Michael Parkinson has died, aged 88.
His family released a statement this morning:
“After a brief illness Sir Michael Parkinson passed away peacefully at home last night in the company of his family.
“The family request that they are given privacy and time to grieve.”
Parkinson became one of the most famous faces on television, interviewing some of the world’s biggest names on his long-running chat show.
Born near Barnsley, the proud Yorkshireman was the son of a miner and started out as a local newspaper journalist – including writing for the Manchester Guardian and Daily Express.
His move to television, he once said, was slightly accidental.
I was fortunate enough to speak to “Parky” after he’d just done a live interview on Granada Reports with his “mate”, Anthony Wilson. They were talking about his portrait of hero, George Best. While the film kit was cleared up, he explained his love for Granada Television and how it set him on his broadcast career.
He said he was called up out of the blue to produce a show on Granada – despite having no television experience. That show was Scene at 6.30 and he brought in a young, unknown group called The Beatles as his house band. There is archive of Paul McCartney and John Lennon introducing Cilla Black on the show.
Parkinson continued as a reporter and presenter on Granada and the BBC, before his big break in the 1970s, with the BBC series, Parkinson. During his career he estimated that he’d interviewed 2000 celebrities on his talk-shows.
“Michael was the king of the chat show and he defined the format for all the presenters and shows that followed,” said Tim Davie, BBC Director-General.
“He interviewed the biggest stars of the 20th century and did so in a way that enthralled the public. Michael was not only brilliant at asking questions, he was also a wonderful listener.
“Michael was truly one of a kind, an incredible broadcaster and journalist who will be hugely missed.”
While his favourite was said to be Muhammed Ali, he is often quoted as saying he’ll mainly be remembered for being attacked by an emu.
Parkinson also presented TV-AM, Give us a Clue, Going for a Song and Michael Parkinson: Masterclass for Sky Arts. Viewers of a certain age will also remember him presenting Ghostwatch, a BBC One mockumentary, which was presented as a live ghost-hunting show and sparked panic as people believed the 1992 show was real.
When he was younger, Parkinson was a keen cricketer and played alongside Sir Geoffrey Boycott and Dickie Bird at Barnsley Cricket Club. It’s said that in the 50s, he managed to keep Boycott out of the team.
In 2013 he revealed he had prostate cancer, but got the all clear 2 years later.
