Sydney’s airwaves went live on a sombre note this morning following the death of radio titan John Laws.
Laws’s family said he died peacefully in his Woolloomooloo home in Sydney’s inner-city over the weekend just two weeks after being released from hospital.
He was 90 years old.
John Laws died peacefully in his Woolloomooloo home, his family said on Sunday. (ABC News: Keana Naughton)
While his primary success came from talkback radio, Laws lent his iconic voice to radio and TV commercials, and at times appeared on the small screen as a presenter, interviewer and talk-show panellist.
He also released several singles as a country music singer and was a published poet.
Laws dominates airwaves one last time
On Monday morning, both AM and FM radio stations dedicated airtime to broadcast snippets of his catalogue across his 71-year legacy.
2SM, the network the veteran broadcaster retired from just over a year ago after a 13-year stint, aired segments from Laws’s popular morning show, including a chat with regular listener Dale, who was known for calling in to speak with the host every Thursday.
On 2GB, host Ben Fordham opened his show with a lengthy tribute to Laws, declaring to listeners that “radio has lost its king”.
Ben Fordham paid tribute to Laws as a “master communicator”. (AAP: Joel Carrett)
He revealed the pair saw each other just 10 days ago, having met Laws at his home because he was “too stubborn” to cancel lunch due to his health.
“He was strong and stubborn and silly right to the very end,” Fordham said.
“John Laws was a master communicator, he could have important conversations with politicians but he also connected with the truckies and the taxi drivers … everyone felt like they knew Lawsy.”
Talkback marks ‘end of an era’
2GB presenter Mark Levy said it was a sad day. (Supplied: 2GB)
Fellow 2GB host Mark Levy paid tribute to both Laws and Labor statesman Graham Richardson dies.
“It’s a sad and sombre day,” he said.
“They both left an indelible mark on this country and the outpouring of grief emphasises the respect and admiration they both built making and influencing the decisions that helped shape Australia today.
“The passing of these two giants marks the end of the era, a time when power in Australia was often not just wielded in parliament, but also through the sheer force of personality and the persuasive influence of the microphone.”
He described Laws’s show of national conversation and a daily public forum for politics.
“The public felt their concerns were not only heard but amplified [when] speaking to Lawsy,” Levy said.
Brendan Jones from WSFM recounted his relationship with Laws.
“I wasn’t sure what he made of me,” Jones said.
“I don’t think we were great mates, but we did hang out.”
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He said Laws had “the theatre of the mind”, which had inspired him early on his career.
“When I started in radio in 1990, we used to have to play his show, we used to have to record his show and replay it to WA because we were three hours behind,” he said.
“That’s when I really fell in love with broadcasting.”
KISS FM host Kyle Sandilands led tributes shortly after news of Laws’s death emerged on Sunday night.
Sandliands was known for trading barbs with Laws over the years, but said he was devastated to lose “a mentor and mate”.
John Laws was one of the true originals. 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. I’m devastated to have lost a mentor and a mate. Radio won’t be the same without him.
— Kyle Sandilands (@kingkyle) November 9, 2025
State funeral confirmed
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Laws, saying he was “an iconic Australian”.
“He was a permanent feature of our media landscape, and those golden tonsils, leaning into that golden microphone, was something that Australians felt was a part of their everyday experience for not just years, but for decades,” he said.
“I enjoyed quite a few lunches with John Laws, and he was always engaging, someone who had a real insight into the Australian character, both in our cities, but also — importantly — in the bush.”
A state funeral will be held for the radio veteran, with details to be confirmed at a later date.
Former Prime Minister Paul Keating. (AAP: Bianca De Marchi)
Former Prime Minister Paul Keating also paid tribute to Laws’s “air of authority”.
“Born with an attractive baritone voice that carried with it an air of authority, John Laws dominated the Sydney and New South Wales airwaves for half a century,” he said.
“This is a mighty record. And not just an Australian record, but in all important comparative respects, an international one.”
