Veteran Australian talk radio host John Laws, dubbed the “Golden Tonsils” for his trademark voice, has died.
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Laws’ career spanned more than 70 years, and at the height of his fame, he was one of the world’s highest-paid commercial radio hosts. His extensive resume included interviews with 17 Australian prime ministers and numerous celebrities.
In a statement on Nov. 9, Laws’ family confirmed that their “beloved father/grandfather/uncle” had passed away peacefully at his Sydney home earlier that day.
“While fame and prominence had become a mainstay of his life, for us he was always the person who meant so much, away from the microphone, the cameras, and the headlines,” the statement said, per the BBC.
Laws was 90.
Hugely successful but also polarizing, Laws retired last November. He worked at several Sydney radio stations, including 2UE and 2GB, before concluding his career with a final 13-year run at 2SM. His shows were broadcast across Australia, earning a loyal following, especially in rural New South Wales.
At his peak, Laws’ morning radio show attracted two million listeners. He opened each show with his signature greeting, “Hello world”.
In 2003, to celebrate his 50 years as a radio host, 2UE presented him with a gold-plated microphone, which was stolen years later.
John Laws’ Legendary Radio Career Also Marked with Controversy
However, his career was also marked by controversies, including asking a child sex abuse victim if she was to blame.
In 2000, Laws received a suspended jail sentence for contempt of court after interviewing a juror following a murder trial.
Years later, Laws and another 2UE presenter were found guilty of violating homosexual vilification laws for using derogatory language about a young gay couple.
In 2021, Laws breached industry regulations again when he called a listener “mentally deficient” and asked them to “say something constructive, like you’re going to kill yourself”.
Laws Began His Radio Career as a Teen in 1953
Laws was born in Papua New Guinea in 1935, and his family moved to Australia during World War II. He grew up in Sydney and began his radio career in regional Victoria in 1953 at age 18.
He pioneered talkback radio when new laws allowed calls to be aired. For decades, he dominated the medium, with politicians using his platform to reach voters during elections.
Former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating once said Laws’ ability to reach the masses was crucial for any politician, stating, “if you could convince John Laws, you could convince Australia”.
Laws also branched out into television, hosting his own shows and appearing as a talk show panellist. He even had a role on the silver screen, starring alongside Mick Jagger in the 1970 film Ned Kelly.
Throughout his career, Laws was inducted into the Australian Media Hall of Fame and received the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to broadcasting and charity, an award later upgraded to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Generations of Fans Mourn the Passing of Radio Pioneer John Laws
Meanwhile, Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe joined celebrities, politicians, former colleagues, family, and generations of loyal John Laws listeners to farewell a legend of Australian broadcasting. The talk radio icon drew a crowd of over 1,000 to St Andrew’s Anglican Cathedral in Sydney’s CBD on Wednesday.
The public began lining up outside the 800-capacity church several hours before the service. Notable attendees included Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce, Olympic swimmer Dawn Fraser, former Prime Minister John Howard, billionaire Lindsay Fox, singer Marcia Hines, and former NSW Premier Nick Greiner. Also present were NSW Governor Margaret Beazley, 2GB hosts Ben Fordham and Mark Levy, and Nine entertainment editor Richard Wilkins.
Crowe delivered a eulogy, sharing that Laws had asked him years ago to speak at his funeral.
“I said yes, and then he just kept on living,” Crowe joked, per ABC News.
“Year after year after year, I mean, he lived so long that I thought at one point I might have lost the gig; however, here we are.”
Crowe also discussed the influential broadcaster’s motto: “Be kind to each other.”
“One of the things I learned over time, kindness is wisdom,” Crowe added.
“Kindness is strength. Acts of kindness are proof of intelligence. John Laws, my neighbor, my mischievous mate, my good friend, was a very kind man.”