Linny boyette biography

Boyette was 71.
A military veteran born in England, Linny rose each morning at 3:30 a.m.
A military veteran, he was born in Jamaica, reared in London and moved to New York 50 years ago.

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'Today' superfan Linny Boyette dies

"For so many years, the first person we saw" was Linny Boyette said Matt Lauer this morning on Today.

Boyette was a superfan of the show, and viewers often saw him on camera, standing with the crowds gathered outside the show.

Now, Today is mourning the loss of the stalwart fan who died Sunday after complications following a heart attack, reported Natalie Morales. Boyette was 71.

A military veteran born in England, Linny took the subway from his home in the Bronx, N.Y., to arrive on the plaza outside Today by about 5:30 a.m. Having reserved his spot, he would pass the time until the show began at 7 a.m. by reading the paper, drinking tea and chatting with other fans. "It's something to do every morning. It makes my day," he told TODAY.com in 2010.

He had become especially close to Meredith Vieira, who managed to get him to come into the studio in 2012 (he refused invitations from the crew, said Lauer). Tweeted Vieira on Sunday night: "So saddened to hear of Linny's passing. I always loved seeing him every morning on the plaza. He had

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‘Today Show’ superfan Linny Boyette dies at age 71

For anyone who has watched NBC’s Today Show, Linny Boyette was a welcome sight. For almost 20 years, the superfan has stood outside during the broadcasts, but he will no longer be there. Boyette died on Sunday following a heart attack at age 71.

“We actually get more viewer mail about Linny than any of our on-air team,” Today’s Natalie Morales said. “And we understand because we love Linny too and we're certainly going to miss him."

After the news was announced, several Today personalities took to Twitter to pay their respects. Boyette and many of the anchors became friends and he was very close to Meredith Vieira. When she announced her departure in 2011, she stood right next to him to get his view of the show. And when she returned in April 2012, she held a sign that read, "Forget Matt! Here for Linny” and she took him into the studio.

USA Today reports that Boyette was born in England and served in the military. He lived in the Bronx and he made sure he got his spot by arriving at Rockefeller Center at 5:30 a.m. H

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TODAY superfan Linny is in failing health, says friend

Linny, the TODAY superfan who has been a fixture on Rockefeller Plaza for nearly 20 years, is gravely ill in a New York City hospital, according to one of his friends.

Linny, 71, whose full name is Linwood Boyette, is at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, the hospital confirmed to TODAY.com on Thursday. Sonia Villa, another TODAY superfan who has been coming to the plaza regularly for the past nine years, visited Linny in the hospital on Thursday and said his health is failing.

“I had to go up there today and just say goodbye to him and make sure he knew people were thinking about him,’’ Villa told TODAY.com. “I was also there when this happened to (late TODAY fan) Manny, and I hoped to never have to do this again.”

A military veteran and New York City native, Linny would usually wake up at 3:30 a.m. every weekday at his home in the Bronx to get ready to arrive on the plaza by 5:30 a.m., rain or shine, to grab a spot. He'd then chat with other fans and read the paper until the show started.

“It’s something to do every mor