Hollywood, California (CNN) -- Larry King, America's interviewer-in-chief, ended his record-setting career as CNN's prime-time, talk-show host Thursday night with a serenade from Tony Bennett, a greeting from President Obama and a "Larry King Day" proclamation from California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Those guests and others capped his 25-year run behind the microphone with CNN.
"Welcome to the last 'Larry King Live.' It's hard to say that," King said in his opening remarks to his last show.
He was joined on the set by comedian Bill Maher and television host Ryan Seacrest.
On several occasions, King stifled tears, especially when Maher put King in the same company as TV legends Johnny Carson, Steve Allen and Walter Cronkite.
"This is not Larry's funeral," Maher interjected early in the show. "Larry is hopefully going to be in our living rooms for years to come. This is the end of a show, not the end of a man."
King wore his signature suspenders -- a pair of red ones with a red-and-white polka-dot tie over a black shirt.
At end of his hourlong broadcast, King became choked up with his final sentences.
"It's not very often in my life that I've been without words," King said. He thanked his staff and producers.
"When I started 25 years ago in a little studio in Washington, D.C., I never thought it would last this long or come to this," King said. "I'm going to do specials on CNN and do radio work ... so you're not going to see me go away, but you're not going to see me on this set any more.
"I don't know what to say, except to you my audience, thank you. And instead of goodbye, how about so long?" King concluded.
His set then went black -- except for a spotlight illuminating his chrome microphone.
In his overall 53 years in broadcasting, King amassed 50,000 interviews, 6,120 shows in CNN's archives, 10 Cable ACE Awards, an Emmy, a Peabody and an entry in the Guinness World Records for having the longest-running show with the same host in the same time slot.
Among the guests on the last show was Schwarzenegger, who appeared by a satellite transmission from the capital of Sacramento. The governor extended congratulations and displayed the written proclamation declaring Thursday as belonging to King.
"Thank you," King said, adding this quip: "and keep this in mind: I'll be back."
King will be working on special projects for CNN.
In a pre-recorded videotaped message, President Obama called King "one of the giants in broadcasting."
"You say all that you do is ask questions, but for generations of Americans, the answers to those questions have surprised us and they have informed us," Obama said.
From a studio in New York, talk show host Regis Philbin tried to engage King in a song, but King was caught off guard.
"I lost the $500 question," King joked.
Joining Philbin in New York was Donald Trump.
"You shouldn't be leaving anything, Larry," Trump said. "Nobody ever did it better."
King wore his signature suspenders -- a pair of red ones with a red-and-white polka-dot tie over a black shirt.
At end of his hourlong broadcast, King became choked up with his final sentences.
"It's not very often in my life that I've been without words," King said. He thanked his staff and producers.
"When I started 25 years ago in a little studio in Washington, D.C., I never thought it would last this long or come to this," King said. "I'm going to do specials on CNN and do radio work ... so you're not going to see me go away, but you're not going to see me on this set any more.
"I don't know what to say, except to you my audience, thank you. And instead of goodbye, how about so long?" King concluded.
His set then went black -- except for a spotlight illuminating his chrome microphone.
In his overall 53 years in broadcasting, King amassed 50,000 interviews, 6,120 shows in CNN's archives, 10 Cable ACE Awards, an Emmy, a Peabody and an entry in the Guinness World Records for having the longest-running show with the same host in the same time slot.
Among the guests on the last show was Schwarzenegger, who appeared by a satellite transmission from the capital of Sacramento. The governor extended congratulations and displayed the written proclamation declaring Thursday as belonging to King.
"Thank you," King said, adding this quip: "and keep this in mind: I'll be back."
King will be working on special projects for CNN.
In a pre-recorded videotaped message, President Obama called King "one of the giants in broadcasting."
"You say all that you do is ask questions, but for generations of Americans, the answers to those questions have surprised us and they have informed us," Obama said.
From a studio in New York, talk show host Regis Philbin tried to engage King in a song, but King was caught off guard.
"I lost the $500 question," King joked.
Joining Philbin in New York was Donald Trump.
"You shouldn't be leaving anything, Larry," Trump said. "Nobody ever did it better."
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