Mourning the passing of a giant

We've lost another journalistic giant. Ed Bradley, a winner of 19 Emmy Awards (Yes, you read that right), has died of leukemia.

I grew up watching 60 Minutes every Sunday night after football, and Ed Bradley is one of the cornerstones of the program that I watch and love to this day. Along with Mike Wallace, he was my favorite on the show. Bradley always seemed to land the big interview, and he had a knack for making world-famous people seem like one of us, if only for a 10-minute interview. That's probably what I loved most about his interviews - his ability to show us the human side of people we otherwise wouldn't, reminding us that they have everyday life struggles and realities, just as we all do.

Bradley had a wonderful gift for asking the tough question, but in a way that rarely angered the people he interviewed. Two things I'll always remember about him - his disarming laugh, and his ear ring. (I heard on TV tonight that Liza Minnelli convinced him to do it, & that's the one cool thing that Minnelli has given us in, oh, 30 years or so. Wait! I forgot about her marriage... Oh, never mind.)

When someone famous I've become so used to (and admittedly, take for granted) passes, I always feel two things - 1. Sad, for that person and his/her family, and sad that I didn't appreciate what we all had, and 2. A little older.

You will be missed, Ed; 60 Minutes will never be the same, and neither will the world of journalism.