Quoting the funny Johnny Carson :

“Married men live longer than single men. But married men are a lot more willing to die.”

"The difference between divorce and legal separation is that legal separation gives a husband time to hide his money."

“The worst gift is a fruitcake. There is only one fruitcake in the entire world, and people keep sending it to each other. “

John William "Johnny" Carson . . . born October 23, 1925 in Corning, Iowa . . . was an American actor, comedian and writer best known for his iconic status as the former host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

Johnny Carson grew up in Norfolk, Nebraska, where he learned to perform magic tricks, debuting as "The Great Carsoni" at age 14. He attended Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, where he received V-12 officer training, and then served in the Navy from 1943 to 1946. Carson then attended the University of Nebraska where he joined Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1949. The next year, Carson took a job at WOW radio and television in Omaha, where he hosted an early morning TV show called The Squirrel's Nest; Carson then took a job at CBS-owned Los Angeles television station KNXT, which would be his entry to the big time.

In 1953, well-known comic Red Skelton . . . a fan of Carson's sketch comedy show, Carson's Cellar, which ran from 1951 to 1953 on KNXT . . . tapped Carson to join his show as a writer. In 1954, Skelton knocked himself unconscious just one hour before his live show went on the air; Carson filled in for him.

He hosted several TV shows before his run on The Tonight Show, including the game show Earn Your Vacation (1954), the variety show The Johnny Carson Show (1955 - 1956), and a five-year stint on the game show Who Do You Trust? (1957 - 1962), during which Carson met long-time sidekick Ed McMahon.

Carson became the host of NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (taking over after Jack Paar quit) in October 1962. His announcer and sidekick was Ed McMahon throughout his entire tenure with the program.

For millions of people, watching The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson at the end of the evening became a ritual, and Carson, with his quick wit and natural charm, became a well-known entertainer loved by many. Most of the later shows began with music and the announcement by Ed McMahon "Heeeeeere's Johnny!", followed by a brief comedic monologue by Carson. This was often followed by comedy sketches, interviews, and music. Carson's trademark was a phantom golf swing at the end of his Tonight Show monologues, aimed at stage left where the band was. Guest hosts would sometimes parody that gesture. Bob Newhart, for example, would finish by simulating rolling a bowling ball toward the audience.

Paul Anka wrote the theme song ("Johnny's Theme"), a reworking of an earlier Anka song called "Toot Sweet" that had been given lyrics, renamed "It's Really Love," and recorded by Annette Funicello in 1959. Anka gave Carson co-authorship credit and they split the royalties for the next three decades. For years, the theme opened with a memorable drum riff that was later dropped.

The show was originally produced in New York City, with occasional stints in California. It was not live in its early years, however during the 1970s, NBC fed the live taping from Burbank to New York via satellite for editing (see below). The program had been done "live on tape" (uninterrupted unless a serious problem occurred) since the Jack Paar days. In May 1972 the show permanently moved from New York to Burbank, California.

- Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Photo credit: Wikipedia

TM

 SITE MAP | PRIVACY POLICY