John Laws, renowned as the 'King of the Airwaves' and 'Golden Tonsils,' has died at age 90 in Sydney. Laws was a pioneering figure in Australian radio, with a career spanning more than seven decades.l

Council of the City of Sydney

John Laws, one of Australia's most influential radio broadcasters, has died at the age of 90 in Sydney. Known for his distinctive voice and pioneering role in talkback radio, Laws' career spanned 71 years, during which he became a household name and a powerful figure in Australian media.

Laws was recognized for his contributions to radio, his involvement in the 'Cash for Comments' sponsorship scandal, and his openness about sponsorships thereafter. Tributes have been paid by national leaders and celebrities, and the New South Wales Premier has offered his family a state funeral. Laws retired from radio just over a year before his death, following a battle with pneumonia.

Australian radio legend John Laws dies at 90

Hello world, hello world, hello world. When you heard those words, you knew the king of the airwaves had turned on the golden microphone and opened the phone lines to talk to Australia. What's on your mind, Australia? If you'd like to tell us, 13-13-32. His mellifluous voice earned him the nickname Golden Tonsils. Appropriate too, because they earned him a fortune. Bendigo was the first to hear his dulcet tones seven decades ago. But I don't remember much about it because I thought I'd only be there a week. A successful stint as a radio DJ mixing it with the celebrities of the day followed. But it was the advent of talkback radio that catapulted him to a position of power. Prime Ministers courted him. Saying as much as is necessary, John, I hope. Listeners flocked to him. John Williamson's jingles summing up their affection. Everyone knows John Laws. That makes him the boss. He's the biggest voice that ever soothed the souls of the Southern Cross. He's bad enough for you and he's good enough for me. King of the radio. He had a big heart. That's the thing, like deep down, I mean, he gave anyone who was an idiot a hard time. But deep down, he was a very soft person. And that's why I liked him so much. You know, once I got to know him, he was a very lovable person. He dabbled in many things. He wrote poetry, books, acted, hosted TV shows and even sang. When he was 12 years old, he wore a 13 shoe. A little bitty big job. And when I tell you he could sell anything, well, you know what I mean. Valvoline. But secret deals with sponsors, including the big banks, nearly brought him undone in what became known as the Cash for Comments scandal. It changed radio, bringing sponsorship out in the open. And of course, I've got to say, Byron may be a sponsor of mine. How bloody stupid. Today, the current Prime Minister paid tribute. John Laws was an iconic Australian. His voice resonated throughout our nation. His neighbour of 23 years, Russell Crowe, said he worked hard, played harder and loved completely. A legend in the very best, most Australian sense of the word. I loved him and I'll never forget him. New South Wales Premier, Chris Minns, offering Laws' family a state funeral. For many people that live in Sydney, they woke to or started their day with John Laws talking about the issues of the day. Laws lost his beloved wife of 43 years, the Princess Caroline, in 2020 and missed her terribly. They'd met as teenagers, lost contact and then met again by chance. We met each other about 20 years later in the tunnel of love at Luna Park. You see, I told you, you wouldn't believe it. I called out, John, it's Caroline, no response. So then I called out, John, John, it's Caroline Cameron Waller. And I heard this voice and I thought, well, that's it. He finally retired from radio just over a year ago after a mammoth 71 years on air and was battling pneumonia when he passed away peacefully at home yesterday. I was able to visit him while I was in there, but he could never really talk and he couldn't move. So in the long run, it's quite a relief. I think, well, I'm sure it's a relief for him to go. Thank you for listening. And I hope you can be kind to each other. John Laws was 90. Angela Bishop, 10 News.

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