Maury was born in Washington, DC, on January 17, 1939. Capricorn is his zodiac sign, and he was adopted by a Jewish family. Povich grew up alongside his sister, Lynn Povich, and was raised by his father, Shirley Povich.
He began his career in journalism after receiving a bachelor’s degree in television journalism from the University of Pennsylvania. In 1962, he worked as a reporter for Washington, D.C.-based radio station WWDC.
