Oprah Winfrey, another talk show icon, said Donahue paved the way for her success. In a 2002 article for O, The Oprah Magazine, she wrote, “If there had been no Phil Donahue show, there would be no Oprah Winfrey Show.” She praised his recognition of women’s intelligence and their desire for knowledge.
Donahue won 20 Emmy Awards during his career, evenly split between hosting and the show itself. This year, President Joe Biden gave him the Medal of Freedom, the U.S.’s highest civilian honor.
He’s survived by his wife, actress Marlo Thomas (whom he married in 1980), and four children from his first marriage. His legacy as a TV pioneer and his contribution to talk shows will be remembered for a long time.