Veteran Australian Radio Broadcaster John Laws Passes Away, Aged 90

John Laws, one of the most iconic and recognisable figures in the world of Australian broadcasting, has passed away at the age of 90.

As per The Guardian, Laws’ passing was confirmed on Sunday, with a statement from his family noting he had previously spent two weeks in hospital for undisclosed reasons.

“Today marks a very difficult day for our family, with the news that our beloved father/grandfather/uncle John Laws has died peacefully at home,” the statement read.

“While fame and prominence had become a mainstay of his life, for us, he was always the person who meant so much, away from the microphone, the cameras, and the headlines.

“It is comforting to know that John’s was a life lived well,” they added. “He had remained in good health and even better spirits right up until the last few weeks.”

Born in Papua New Guinea in 1935, laws began his career in broadcasting in the early 1950s, first working with Bendigo’s 3BO (now Triple M Bendigo), and later moving between Sydney’s 2UE and 2GB, with the former being his longest-running home.

Nicknamed Golden Tonsils for his timbrous voice, Laws' impact on Australian broadcasting was felt deeply, becoming a ubiquitous figure of radio and occasionally television, with numerous albums also being recorded under his name between the 1970s and the 2000s.

Despite his widespread popularity, Laws' was no stranger to controversy, with comments made in regards to race, homosexuality, and abuse victims all generating some form of outrage at various points of his career.

In 1999, Laws was also at the centre of the 'cash for comment affair,' where the ABC's Media Watch alleged that Laws – along with fellow radio veteran Alan Jones – had breached the ethical standards in the broadcasting industry by providing paid advertising in the manner of editorial commentary.

Both announcers hit back at the allegations by claiming they were not required to adhere to these ethical standards due to their roles as entertainers as opposed to journalists.

Speaking to Leigh Sales in 2012 in response to comments made by Jones about then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Laws seemed to reflect on his past controversies, referring to himself as “one of the great mistake makers of the world.”

That same interview also saw him remark on his “‘alleged’ cash for comment garbage,” remarking “I’m going to die with that, even though all I was accused of was being excessively loyal to my sponsors – and I’m rather proud of that.”

In 2007 – the same year his famed gold-plated microphone was stolen – Laws announced his retirement from the airwaves. He would return to the air in 2011, broadcasting on Sydney's 2SM until his final retirement on November 8th, 2024 – just over one full year before his passing.

Laws’ passing was commented on by numerous figures within Australia – both in and out of the media landscape – with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese referring to him as “an iconic voice and so much more.”