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The world of journalism has lost one of its most respected voices.

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The family of David Frost says he had a heart attack on Saturday while on a cruise ship where he was scheduled to give a speech.

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Erin McLaughlin has a look back at his career and the interview for which he will always be remembered.

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One, you could get a million dollars and you could get it in cash. I know where it could be gotten.

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Sir David Frost was, perhaps, best known for his pointed interview style.

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Two, your major guy to keep under control is Hunt.

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And at no time was that more evident than his 1977 interview with former U.S. president, Richard Nixon.

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Alright, fine. Let me just stop you right there. Right there!

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It was a historic battle of wits that lasted until Nixon was compelled to say what the American public yearned for most, an apology.

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And I know how difficult it is for anyone and most of all, you, but I think that people need to hear it

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and I think unless you say it, you're gonna be haunted for the rest of your life.

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At the time, Frost was a legendary talk show host in Britain, known for holding the country's prime ministers to account.

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But until the Nixon interview, he was little known in the United States.

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Frost paid Nixon $600,000 for nearly 30 hours of access -- money he paid out of his own pocket.

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If one had completely failed to get anything out of Nixon, or any admissions out of Nixon and so on, it would have been pretty disastrous.

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Far from a disaster, the interview became the landmark achievement of his career, the stuff of movies.

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He was played by actor Michael Sheen in the 2008 Academy Award-nominated drama, Frost / Nixon

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which was based on a stage play by the same name.

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Frost interviewed seven American presidents and eight British prime ministers.

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If you could choose one to lead the country you were living in, which one would you choose?

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George H.W. Bush.

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George Bush, Sr.

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Yeah. Because... and the reason is that I just found him somebody who is... he was wise, he was cautious, he knew what he was determined to do.

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He would relish key moments, great lines from his subjects, like one from South African archbishop, Desmond Tutu.

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I said, "Now, I always think of you as an optimist."

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And he said, "I'm not an optimist. I'm a prisoner of hope." Great phrase.

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Most recently, he had his own program on the international network, Al Jazeera English,

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but for years, he was the staple of BBC morning television, Breakfast with Frost, which he would end with his signature sign-off.

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Do join us again the same time next week. Until then, top of the morning. Good morning.

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Sir David Frost was 74.