John Laws, also known as “Golden Tonsils”, spent a mammoth 71 years on air at stations such as Sydney’s 2UE and 2SM, before retiring in November 2024.<\/p>\n
Over his broadcast career, Laws also provided voice-over work, recorded several singles and appeared on television as both a host and talk show panellist.<\/p>\n
Laws was also the recipient of an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1974 for his services to broadcasting and charity.<\/p>\n
It was upgraded to a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) four years later.<\/p>\n
Former colleagues and friends took to social media on Sunday evening to pay tribute to Laws.<\/p>\n
“John Laws was one of the true originals,” radio host Kyle Sandilands said on X.<\/p>\n
“You could never mistake him for anyone else. He said what he thought, didn’t care who he offended, but could also show deep compassion when required.<\/p>\n
“I’m devastated to have lost a mentor and a mate. Radio won’t be the same without him.”<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also paid tribute to Laws, highlighting his “iconic voice”.<\/p>\n
He interviewed 17 prime ministers, and in 2003 was inducted into the Commercial Radio Hall of Fame to recognise his decades on the airwaves.<\/p>\n
“Few broadcasters have left such a deep and lasting mark on Australian media,” Mr Minns said.<\/p>\n
“His legacy lies not only in the thousands of hours on air, but in the connection he forged with million of Australians.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
NSW Opposition leader Mark Speakman said Laws “was the voice that shaped a nation”.<\/p>\n
“He dominated Australian radio for decades, setting the standard for talkback and challenging politics, culture and public debate like no-one else.”<\/p>\n
Former prime minister John Howard also paid tribute to Laws, calling him “a dominating presence on Sydney and national radio”.<\/p>\n
“He was always ready with an opinion, never shirking controversial issues.<\/p>\n
“It was a pleasurable as well as combative experience to be interviewed by John.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
His career was not without controversy, with a 1999 “cash-for-comment” inquiry noting Laws’s failure to disclose his sponsorship agreements.<\/p>\n
That same year, he was found guilty of contempt of court for soliciting information from a juror after a murder trial.<\/p>\n
In 2004, the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal ruled that comments made by Laws and fellow radio commentator Steve Price on 2UE in 2003 were capable of inciting severe ridicule of gay men.<\/p>\n
Laws is survived by his five children.<\/p>\n
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