Regis Philbin, effervescent TV everyman, dies at 88
LOS ANGELES - Regis Philbin, the effervescent broadcast personality whose everyman shtick, pithy one-liners and ability to relate to a live studio audience on talk shows such as "Live! With Regis and Kelly" kept him face-to-face with America for seven decades, has died.
Philbin died Friday of natural causes, according to a statement his family released to People. He was 88.
Self-effacing and given to amusing and sometimes sarcastic banter about the mundane ups and downs of life - a visit from his mother-in-law, a night at the Mets game - Philbin became a familiar and comfortable guest in America's living rooms while perfecting the format of television morning talk shows.
Known affectionately as Reege and "Outregis," Philbin got his start in television as an NBC page. He made a name for himself guest-hosting "The Tonight Show" and serving as comedian Joey Bishop's sidekick and announcer on "The Joey Bishop Show" in the 1960s. "Late Show" host David Letterman regarded Philbin as "a master communicator" and had him on his show more than any other guest in the show's history.
In a 2000 Times interview, when asked what made him likable, Philbin
