Ken Booth Recovering from Heart Attack, Bypass

Legendary Louisiana newsman Ken Booth is recuperating from a heart attack and quintuple bypass surgery. Booth, 66, spoke by phone to Lincoln Parish News Online (LPNO) this morning from his home near Yuma, AZ. He said about two weeks ago he felt chest pains and managed to get to an urgent care center nearby.

After he was stabilized the doctor proclaimed, “Well, Mr. Booth, I’ve got good news and bad news – the bad news is we’re looking at four, maybe five by-passes.” To which Booth replied, “How can there be any good news in all of that?” The doctor said that after his recovery, he would be twenty-one again. Booth’s reply, “Oh, my!”

Booth said that after he is able to travel in a couple of weeks, he plans to recuperate in Louisiana.

Booth’s career spans nearly fifty years from radio news to television news. In the early 70s he did radio news from KEEL-710AM in Shreveport. He started out at a Baton Rouge radio station, WLCS-910AM, if we recall correctly.

Booth’s most important work was as News Director, Anchor, and Investigative Reporter at KNOE-TV8 in Monroe, LA. He is without peer as an investigative reporter in the history of Louisiana journalism. Many a politician’s bowels turned to water when they saw Booth come in the front door with camera and microphone in hand.

We wish Ken Booth a speedy and complete recovery. There’s work yet to do in Louisiana and he needs to be a part of it.