Talk Show Hosts You Might Not Know Died

"The Mike Douglas Show" kept housewives company year after year beginning in 1961, anchored by the former singer. His afternoon talk show remained on the air through 1982, with a wide range of famous faces dropping by. Douglas featured everyone from Muhammad Ali to Little Richard and Liberace. He even had a 2-year-old Tiger Woods, who appeared on Douglas' talk show for his very first TV appearance to showcase his impressive swing.

This varied cast of interviewees kept audiences tuning in day after day. Mike himself reminisced about his years on daytime television in his 1999 memoir, "I'll Be Right Back: Memories of TV's Greatest Talk Show," writing, "People still believe 'The Mike Douglas Show' was a talk show, and I never correct them, but I don't think so. It was really a music show, with a whole lot of talk and laughter in between numbers." One of Douglas' keys to success, according to Tom Kelly, co-author of the memoir, was the host's ability to allow his guests to shine. Kelly said, "He had his ego in check. He was a fine performer. He could sing, he could do comedy; he did it all, but he always gave the guest the spotlight."

Douglas died on his birthday in 2006, at the age of 81. His exact cause of death was never revealed, though he'd reportedly been dehydrated after golfing and ended up being hospitalized shortly before he passed away.

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