Popular radio and talk show host- Michael Robin Jackson was reported to have passed away at 87 years old after more than 50 years in the industry.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Jackson has been the voice behind the Southern California airwaves for the past five decades and as the onetime dean of LA's talk radio before his sudden death this Saturday, December 15.

The host's spokesperson informed news outlets that he peacefully died surrounded by his three children at his family home in California. The publication also reported that Jackson had Parkinson's disease for the past decade before his untimely death.

Michael Jackson's Gift

The same spokesperson who confirmed his passing turns out to be Jackson's longtime friend and producer of 30 years- Lyle Gregory. In a statement, the producer clarified the reason why the host made such a significant impact in the radio and entertainment industry.

"It was a testament to Michael, that so many of the guests and celebrities preferred to actually come in studio, rather than do phones, with his British accent and boyhood charm, Michael made people comfortable, they opened up. That was his gift," Gregory said.

He continued to share more about the former entertainer and revealed that "Michael molded an interview into conversation, news and information. Like two people sitting at a kitchen table talking. A table, an open window, where millions tuned in daily across the nation, so many of them referring to Michael as their personal university."

The Career of Michael Jackson

Based on an article by Variety, Jackson began his career as a DJ in San Francisco, working at stateside radio stations KYA and KEWB before relocating to Los Angeles to work at KHJ and news station KNX. It wasn't until the host moved to KABC in 1966 that his career kickstarted, and he became a household name to remember.

However, after 32 years with KABC, Jackson decided to leave the station in 1998 and move across talk shows at KRLA, KLAC, and LGIL until finally retiring from the industry in 2007 when he was 73 years old.

The highlight of Michael Jackson's career includes his KABC broadcast being syndicated on the ABC Radio Network for nearly ten years, being awarded four Golden Mike Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an induction into the Radio Hall of Fame, and an honorary doctorate of laws from Western School of Law.

Additionally, over 2,000 of his radio interviews are archived in the Library of Congress. These include the recordings of several interviews with famous public figures over the years- namely former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.


May his soul rest in peace.