Former 'Family Feud' host Dawson dies June 3, 2012 -- Updated 1510 GMT (2310 HKT) Richard Dawson played Cpl. Peter Newkirk in the comedy television series "Hogan's Heroes." Richard Dawson was 79 He was known for kissing female contestants when he hosted "Family Feud" He also played Cpl. Peter Newkirk on "Hogan's Heroes" (CNN) -- Richard Dawson, the longtime host of "Family Feud," has died, his son said in a statement Sunday. He was 79. "It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that my father passed away this evening from complications due to esophageal cancer," Greg Dawson said in a post on his Facebook page early Sunday. He was surrounded by his family. He was an amazing talent, a loving husband, a great dad, and a doting grandfather. He will be missed but always remembered. Dawson was the show's host from its premier in 1976 until 1985. He also hosted the show's 1994-1995 season. The host was known for kissing female contestants on "Family Feud." Dawson told the Archive of American Television in a 2010 interview that his trademark move started early on in the show's run, when he saw a woman shaking as she struggled to come up with the name of a green vegetable. I said, 'I'm gonna do something that my mom would do to me whenever I had a problem of any kind. ... And I kissed her on the cheek, and I said, 'That's for luck.' And she said, 'Asparagus.' ... They went on to win," he said. From 1965 to 1971, the British-born actor's six-season stint as Cpl. Peter Newkirk on the World War II series "Hogan's Heroes" made him a familiar face for American audiences, according to a biography posted on IMDb.com.