Biography
Larry L. King, also credited as Lawrence Leo King, was an American journalist, essayist, novelist and playwright. Born in Putnam, Texas, on 1 January 1929, he died in Washington, D.C., on 20 December 2012.
He wrote the book for the Broadway musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1978) with Peter Masterson, based on his 1974 Playboy article about the Chicken Ranch brothel. The production ran for more than 1,500 performances and received a Tony Award nomination for best book of a musical. King wrote the screenplay for the 1982 film adaptation starring Burt Reynolds, Dolly Parton and Charles Durning.
King began writing full time in 1964 after working as a congressional aide. His other works include the memoir Confessions of a White Racist (1971) and articles for Harper’s and Texas Monthly. He received an Emmy Award in 1981 for a CBS Reports documentary.
