27. REGIS PHILBIN
A tribute by Kelly Ripa: ''What separates Regis from the rest of the pack is his relevance and timelessness in all facets of entertainment: We have Don Rickles come on [Live With Regis and Kelly] and the two of them have a conversation that is sort of frozen in time about Dean Martin and nights at the Copacabana. Then we'll have Kanye West come on and talk about the Grammys last year, and it's seamless. I can guarantee you what he'll say when this comes out: ''An icon? For what?'' He downplays his own importance, but it's really well-deserved. He's made it look easy for a long time.