Shalit made his first appearance on “Today” back in 1968, and by early 1973, he’d been made a regular on the show’s panel. He would remain on the show right up until 2010 when he officially retired from his spot. At the time, Shalit’s longtime producer gave a touching interview to “Today” about his cultural significance, pointing out Shalit’s special rapport with celebrities. In fact, Guy Ludwig noted that there were some stars, like Warren Beatty, Robert De Niro, and Barbra Streisand, who’d only speak exclusively with Shalit when it came time to promote their work. The producer also added Shalit had once scored an exclusive interview with Sophia Loren amid her tax woes in Italy. “She flew to the United States specifically to be interviewed by Gene exclusively because she knew her story would be fairly told but also that Gene would be sensitive to some of the things about it that were sensitive to her. It was still a news interview. Gene was articulate and sensitive, but also got the story,” Ludwig recalled.
At the time of his retirement, Ludwig joked that Shalit’s role at “Today” was that of “foxy grandpa.” “He’s been the foxy grandpa for… probably 30 years,” he said. In real life, Shalit was both a father and grandfather. (And yes, he maintained his iconic ‘stache up until the end.)
Clive Davis
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