REGIS PHILBIN passed away on Saturday. He was 88. Some reports say he died of heart disease . . . but while he's had heart issues in the past, his family said he passed of "natural causes."
The family released a statement saying: "We're deeply saddened to share that our beloved Regis passed away . . . one month shy of his 89th birthday. His family and friends are forever grateful for the time we got to spend with him."
Regis had an incredible 60-year career, beginning in 1961 when he hosted his first talk show,"The Regis Philbin Show", on local TV in San Diego.
He's best remembered now for: Co-hosting"Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee" and "Live! With Regis and Kelly" for more than 20 years . . . for hosting the initial run of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire". . . and for hosting the first season of"America's Got Talent".
After the news of Regis' death got out, many of his peers paid tribute to him:
Kathie Lee Gifford said, quote, "REGIS. There will never be another." And she later added, quote, "There are no words to fully express the love I have for my precious friend, Regis. I simply adored him and every day with him was a gift . . .
"We spent 15 years together bantering, bickering and laughing ourselves silly . . . a tradition and a friendship we shared up to this very day. There has never been anyone like him. And there never will be."
Kelly Ripa, in a joint statement with Ryan Seacrest,said, quote, "We're beyond saddened to learn about the loss of Regis. He was the ultimate class act, bringing his laughter and joy into our homes every day on'Live'for more than 23 years.
"We were beyond lucky to have him as a mentor in our careers and aspire every day to fill his shoes on the show."
Longtime "Live!" producer Michael Gelman said, quote, "Devastated by Regis's passing. He was a broadcasting legend as well as my friend, colleague, and mentor for over 30 years. My heart goes out to [his wife] Joy and his family."
Jimmy Kimmel said, quote, "Regis was a great broadcaster, a good friend and a tremendous amount of fun. He leaves behind a TV legacy that will likely go unmatched."
David Letterman said, quote, "Regis is in the same category as [Johnny]Carson. Superlative. He was on our show a million times, always the best guest we ever had, charming, lovable and could take a punch. When he retired, I lost interest in television. I love him."
Regis was Letterman's guest 150 times, and he guest-hosted"The Late Show"in 2000, while Letterman was recovering from a quintuple-bypass surgery.
Regis would later have a similar, triple-bypass procedure in 2007, and Letterman was his first guest when he returned to TV.
On December 31st, 2004, Regis filled in for Dick Clark on"Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve", when Dick was recovering from a stroke.
A few weeks before that, Regis hosted the finale of"The Apprentice 2".
President Trump said, quote, "One of the greats in the history of television, Regis was a fantastic person, and my friend. He kept telling me to run for President. [He] holds the record for 'most live television,' and he did it well. Regis, we love you."