CNN 's Larry King knew George Carlin for 50 years . He spoke to CNN.com about his relationship with the comedian and will remember Carlin on tonight 's Larry King Live , 9 ET . Larry King interviews George Carlin on June 7 , 2001 . King knew Carlin for 50 years . CNN : When did you first meet George Carlin ? Larry King : In 1958 , I introduced him at a big DJ convention in Miami . He was a straight comic then , all his bits dealt with radio , things like the hippy-dippy weatherman . From there , we became friendly , and we occasionally went to dinner in New York . CNN : When did you last see him ? Larry King : A couple of months ago , I saw him at the Regency Hotel in New York . I was checking in , he was checking out . We talked a little bit . He had remarried -- his first wife had died -- and he was very happy . My heart doctor in Los Angeles had treated George in the past , and had told me that he had terrible heart problems . CNN : Where does he rank as a comedian ? Larry King : He was one of the brightest comedians in my lifetime . Whether you agreed or disagreed with him , it was always well thought out . He wrote out all his material by hand , and then memorized it . Everything he said was totally his own , and he 'd do a new act every year , which is very hard to do . Watch George Carlin on Larry King Live » . CNN : What was he like off stage ? Larry King : He was a kind , gentle man . He seemed rough on stage , but he really was not like that at all . Also , his greatest comic influence was Lenny Bruce . Carlin used to do mother-in-law jokes , disc-jockey jokes . But Bruce influenced him to do edgier , more topical material . He also influenced how Carlin moved around on stage . CNN : What was the impact of the `` seven dirty words ? '' Larry King : It 's one of the classic comedy bits of all time . It was great conception and a great idea . It pointed up the hypocrisy of society . People take words too seriously . Violence is a lot worse than words . All those words , while not used on air , are used in society . George once said , if a word shocks you , you must have heard it somewhere else . CNN : Where does he rank as a comedian ? Larry King : He ranks very high as a social monologist , and he commented on social things . He was also a pretty good actor . CNN : How did other comedians view him ? Larry King : I never heard a bad word about him in the comedy world . Some religious people did n't like him . He will really be missed . If you want to use the word `` one of a kind , '' he was one of a kind .
Larry King first met George Carlin at a DJ convention in 1958 . King says Carlin was a kind , gentle man off stage . Carlin 's biggest comedic influence was Lenny Bruce , King says .