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Johnny hosted The Tonight Show on NBC for 30 years, and his charm, wit, timing, wit, talent and wit led to him quite quickly to be dubbed "The Prince of Late Night". As he grew into the role, however, that changed -- to "The King of Late Night". Johnny (few ever called him "Carson") was followed so closely that in 1973, when he made a joke about toilet paper shortages, people took it seriously, and rushed out the next day to stock up -- which created an actual toilet paper shortage. His following was so huge that for years, his show alone accounted for 20 percent of NBC's profits. And he shared that wealth. "Johnny was responsible for the beginning and rise of success for more performers than anyone," comedian Bill Cosby said in a statement. "I doubt if those numbers will ever be surpassed." That was due in part to his remarkably in-check ego: "He wasn't afraid to have someone on funnier than he is," said Joan Rivers, one of Johnny's many proteges. He "shared the wealth" in other ways, too. The man who grew up "on the plains of Nebraska" never forgot his small town roots: when asked to make a donation toward the building of a new library in Norfolk, Neb., he sent a check for $500,000. He didn't go in person to get fawning applause or appear for a photo op; he just sent the check. I had the privilege of being in his studio audience once, and it was electrifying. His shows weren't just humor and comedy sketches, they were filled with intelligent conversation. These days, "stars" drop by the talk shows to plug their latest movie ...and then leave. On Johnny's show, more was expected -- much more. He would, for instance, have astronomer Carl Sagan in to talk about space exploration. And then, of course, later do a hilarious send-up of Sagan's peculiar verbal delivery style, leading to "billions!" of laughs. When Johnny decided to retire in 1992, he retired fully, making few public appearances and very rarely granting interviews. In one of those rare interviews, he explained his decision not to appear in public: "I just let the work speak for itself." Indeed, for topical comedy it stands up well. Yet when he thought of a good current events joke, he'd send it to David Letterman, who sometimes used them in his own monologue. He'd send Johnny a check for each one; they were never cashed. Upon Johnny's retirement President George H.W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom with the citation, "With decency and style he's made America laugh and think." What better legacy? That's why I call him a mentor. Unfortunately, Johnny was a long-time smoker. Once he retired he had increasing health problems. A heart attack in 1999 led to a quadruple bypass. Later, his trademark voice failed. He died January 23 -- from emphysema. He was 79. Johnny, I bid you a very heartfelt goodnight. From This is True for 24 January 2005 Suggestions for further reading:
 By: Larry Wilde List Price: $35.00 Amazon Price: $35.00 Editorial Review: This volume presents seventeen of the funniest people of the 20th Century talking about how they make people laugh. Each engaging interview was painstakingly elicited by the author, who spent years researching, collecting the material and recording these intimate one-on-one conversations.  By: Don Sweeney List Price: $16.95 Amazon Price: $12.71 Editorial Review: This book is a collection of celebrity vignettes and anecdotes from the peak years of the Tonight Show, and includes behind-the-scenes looks at more than two dozen celebrities, including Joan Rivers, Bill Cosby, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Tony Randall, Don Rickles, Stevie Wonder, Martin Short, Liza Minnelli, Ed McMahon, and Johnny Carson himself. With an eye for the eccentric, amusing, or downright bizarre, Sweeney's brief portraits offer a glimpse at celebrity from the other side of the curtain.  By: Laurence Leamer List Price: $7.99 Amazon Price: $7.99  By: Stephen Cox List Price: $18.95 Amazon Price: $17.05 Editorial Review: On May 22, 1992, Johnny Carson emerged from his rainbow-hued curtain, mimed the famous golf swing for the last time, and said good-night to a nation that had stayed up with him for the previous three decades. Long acknowledged as the king of late-night television, he was stepping down from his throne on The Tonight Show and back into private life. Based on interviews with Carson—the only one he's ever granted for a book—and more than fifty major celebrities, including David Letterman, Jimmy Stewart, Bob Hope, Jonathan Winters, Betty White, Jack Paar, Phyllis Diller, and Louie Anderson, this book provides a behind-the-scenes look at the longest-running late-night television show of all time and at the man who made it all happen. It is a revision and expansion of a 1992 book that celebrated Carson's years on the show. More than 200 photographs, most previously unpublished, commemorate the most popular features and most memorable moments from The Tonight Show in the Carson era. Included are The Mighty Carson Art Players, Carnac the Magnificent, Stump the Band, Tiny Tim's wedding, the infamous interview with Arnold Palmer's wife, Ed Ames's notorious tomahawk throw, and much more. Chapters cover the history and evolution of The Tonight Show. In addition, featured sidebars on celebrities and common folk who appeared on the show, on Carson's infamous feud with Joan Rivers, on Doc Severinsen (including a selected discography), and the many “Public Service Announcements” are among the many elements that complement the lively text. MORE THAN 150 B&W ILLUSTRATIONS 16-PAGE COLOR INSERT 8” X 10”, 224 PAGES PAPERBACK  By: Ed McMahon List Price: $24.99 Amazon Price: $10.00 Editorial Review: Here's Johnny is like sitting with Ed and Johnny over lunch: The last time I saw Johnny, about a year before he died, we had chicken, a couple of glasses of red wine, and then we just sat there and reminisced, going back and forth the way we did on the show. We talked about our kids, and our careers and the state of America, just two lucky guys who loved each other and the good luck of our careers. Ed McMahon is the only person who was with Johnny Carson, even before The Tonight Show, when they both first appeared on Who Do You Trust. Now, with Johnny's blessing before he died, McMahon can finally share all the stories that only he knows. From the sofa at Johnny's right, to backstage, to their personal relationship - McMahon will provide a real view of the man who was so careful to only show one side of himself to the public. Brilliant in front of the camera, but shy in person, Carson seldom gave interviews. Only McMahon can tell the stories and provide the insights into the personality that made Johnny Carson more of a friend we invited into our home than a television star. This entertaining tribute will feature over 200 pictures, many never before published, from both McMahon's and Carson's private archives. |
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