The coronavirus has hit 'Good Morning America' on a personal level.
The coronavirus has hit Good Morning America on a personal level.
On Wednesday, co-anchor Robin Roberts announced on-air that Tony Greer, a studio camera operator at GMA, has died due to complications stemming from the coronavirus. Roberts said heartfelt words about Greer while pictures flashed of him, including pictures he took over the years with celebrities who have appeared on the show like Jennifer Aniston, Idris Elba and Sylvester Stallone.
"It's a very sad day for our GMA family," Roberts began. "We know coronavirus has affected so many of you and it has claimed one of our family members too. ... He was such a bright light working at our studio for more than six years. You could just feel Tony’s beautiful spirit, you could feel it from a mile away. We loved Tony."
Roberts shared personal things about Greer, including his love for his family, his longtime girlfriend and his interests in traveling and playing guitar.
"We loved every single moment we were blessed to spend and share with Tony," Roberts said, fighting back tears as her co-anchors, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan, also appeared emotional. "Our condolences to his family in Chicago. To his mother, Fanny, we have to say this to you ma'am, your son was a good man. He was kind, he was thoughtful, he was always a gentleman. And George, you know, as a parent, you can't ask for much more than that."
Meanwhile, Stephanopoulos reminisced about sharing the early shift with Greer and called him a "consummate gentleman" and a "lovely spirit." Strahan also said he was a "total pro" at his job and was always polite and in a good mood.
"Always a good morning, always a smile," Strahan shared. "He will be missed here in our studio."
GMA isn't the only morning show that has been hit personally amid the coronavirus pandemic. Last month, Today show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie paid tribute to NBC audio technician Larry Edgeworth, who died after testing positive for COVID-19.
"We traveled together for two straight months on a campaign in 2008 and he was always the most warm, most professional, most loving," Guthrie wrote on Instagram alongside pictures of Edgeworth. "All hours of the day and night, no matter how hungry or tired or stressed we were -- he was always a joy. He loved his work and excelled at it. He loved his colleagues and boy did we love him."
Watch the video below for more:
RELATED CONTENT:
