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Veteran newsman Charles Osgood died on Tuesday (January 23) at the age of 91. His family said he died in his New Jersey home from dementia.
Osgood spent 45 years working at CBS News and began hosting CBS Sunday Morning in 1994. He hosted the show for 22 years, winning three Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Morning Program, before retiring in 2016. During his tenure as host, the show saw some of its highest ratings ever.
"To say there's no one like Charles Osgood is an understatement," said Sunday Morning executive producer Rand Morrison. "He embodied the heart and soul of 'Sunday Morning.' His signature bow tie, his poetry … just his presence was special for the audience, and for those of us who worked with him. At the piano, Charlie put our lives to music. Truly, he was one of a kind – in every sense."
Jane Pauley, who took over for Osgood on Sunday Morning, said: "Watching him at work was a masterclass in communicating. I'll still think to myself, 'How would Charlie say it?', trying to capture the elusive warmth and intelligence of his voice and delivery," said Jane Pauley, who took the "Sunday Morning" reins after Osgood stepped away. "I expect I'll go on trying."