Johnny Carson Dies

[Dynasty]

I just heard on FoxNews that Johnny Carson has died.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
I just heard on FoxNews that Johnny Carson has died.

[/ QUOTE ]

What?!?!

No!

That's very very sad news.
Great comedian and, from what I hear, a great guy.

[Mano]

I just saw this blurb on msnbc:

NBC reports that Johnny Carson has died from emphysema

rip

[snakehead]

[ QUOTE ]
I just heard on FoxNews...

[/ QUOTE ]

what kind of a sick fck watches fox news?

[tek]

[ QUOTE ]
I just heard on FoxNews that Johnny Carson has died.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are correct, Sir!'

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/ap/20050123/ap_on_en_tv/obit_carson

[Dynasty]

Johnny was host of the Tonight Show for thirty years. That's more than twice as long as Leno's run is currently at.

It's interesting that most think Carson hit his prime in the late '70s when he was 15+ years into his run whereas Leno gets complaints for gettting stale.


Some trivia from imdb.com

Quadruple bypass surgery, Santa Monica, California, USA. [19 March 1999]

His son Richard was killed in a road accident in June 1991.

Graduate of Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi.

Hometown is Norfolk, Nebraska. He has made several monetary donations at citizens' requests and also on his own to the town for various reasons.

Was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1987.

Served in the U.S. Navy, 1943-1946.

Until the record was broken by Bob Barker in 2002, hosted the same network series for the longest time: 29 years, 7 months, 21 days.

Plied his magic tricks in early performing days of the 1950s in places like the Seven Seas lounge in Omaha, Nebraska.

Once appeared on "Bandstand" (1952) and stood in for a drummer.

One of his early jobs was as a ventriloquist.

At "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962)'s tenth anniversary party on 30 September 1972, he announced that he and former model Joanna Holland had been secretly married that afternoon, shocking his friends and associates.

Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992.

First wife, Joan "Jody" Morrill Wolcott, was his college sweetheart.

In April 1967 he walked off "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962) convinced that NBC had violated his contract by showing reruns during an AFTRA strike. He refused to go back to work when the strike ended and won a new contract that reportedly guaranteed him an income in excess of $4 million for the following three years.

Served on the USS Pennsylvania.

The story goes he met his current wife, Alexis Mass, when he saw her strolling along the beach near his Malibu home holding an empty wine glass. He left his house and offered to fill the glass up for her.

Won six Emmy Awards, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Governors' Award in 1980 and a George Foster Peabody Award in 1986.

Son Richard Wolcott Carson was killed after his car plunged down a steep embankment along a remote coastal road. The accident apparently occurred while Carson was taking pictures along a paved service road off Highway 1 near Cayucos, a small town north of San Luis Obispo about 215 miles from Los Angeles. (21 June 1991)

Father Homer Carson was manager of the Iowa-Nebraska Light & Power Co.

First wife Joan lost a suit to increase her 1970 alimony award in 1990.

On 8 March 1983, third wife Joanna Holland filed for divorce. Under California's community property laws, she was entitled to 50% of all the assets accumulated during the marriage even though Carson earned virtually 100% of the couple's income. During this period, he joked on The Tonight Show, "My producer, Freddy de Cordova, really gave me something I needed for Christmas. He gave me a gift certificate to the Law Offices of Jacoby and Meyers." It finally ended in 1985 with a whopping 80-page settlement, Holland receiving $20 million in cash and property.

Has a brother, Dick Carson, and a sister, Catherine.

Father of three sons.

Member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.

Although he announced during his final "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962) that he hoped to return soon with a new project, he chose to fully retire from the public eye instead and has declined invitations to appear on talk shows and NBC anniversary specials. He has made a few exceptions to over the years: he provided a guest voice for "The Simpsons" (1989) (the famous Krusty the Clown Telethon episode), and he brought the house down with a brief, surprise appearance on _"Late Show with David Letterman"_ (1993) (qv) to congratulate Letterman on his new show.

After a protracted divorce from his second wife, Joanne Copeland, she got nearly half a million dollars in cash and art and $100,000 a year in alimony for life.

His very first guest on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962) on 1 October 1962, was Groucho Marx, who actually introduced Carson to his new audience. Reacting to the ensuing applause Carson said, "Boy, you would think it was Vice President Nixon." Johnny's last guest on 22 May 1992, was Bette Midler, who sang him out.

Co-wrote "Johnny's Theme" with Paul Anka when he signed on in 1962 as the new host of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962).

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. Pg. 95-97. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387

During one live dog-food commercial on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1962), when a stunt dog failed to appear on cue, Johnny came out on all fours, panting and licking announcer Ed McMahon's hand, to keep the commercial going.

Celebrated New Year's Eve once in his teens by shooting off his father's rifle at midnight - accidentally taking out the family water heater.

Is a member of the exclusive Hollywood Gourmet Poker Club with fellow card players Chevy Chase, Martin Short, Steve Martin, Carl Reiner, Barry Diller and Neil Simon.

When Carson announced his impending retirement, there was fierce competition between David Letterman and Jay Leno to be Carson's "Tonight Show" successor. Leno eventually won the coveted spot, and an angry Letterman moved over to rival network CBS to host a competing show. Many, including Leno, took Carson's walk-on appearance on "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993) as a signal from Carson that he preferred Letterman to Leno. (Carson has never appeared on Leno's show to congratulate his "Tonight Show" successor).

In January 2005, one-time "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993) producer Peter Lassally revealed that Carson occasionally contributes material for Letterman's monologues. What Carson misses most after twelve years of retirement is performing his own "Tonight Show" monologues, according to Lassally.

In addition to his walk-on appearance on the "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993) stage, Carson also appeared on another episode in a filmed segment where Letterman has car problems while visiting Hollywood, and Carson drives past, shaking his head in disapproval.

[Tyler Durden]

FoxNews way overdramatized this. They were like "okay, you may want to sit down for this." Sounded like W got shot.

[DukeSucks]

Very sad. Had no idea this was coming.

[benfranklin]

[ QUOTE ]
In January 2005, one-time "Late Show with David Letterman" (1993) producer Peter Lassally revealed that Carson occasionally contributes material for Letterman's monologues. What Carson misses most after twelve years of retirement is performing his own "Tonight Show" monologues, according to Lassally.

[/ QUOTE ]

Carson was the master of the monologue. No one since is in the same league.

[Dynasty]

FoxNews has had one hour of non-stop coverage (except commercials) since the story broke.

The younger folks here may underestimate how big a cultural icon Johnny was.

[TimTimSalabim]

It certainly feels like a President has died, to anyone in my generation.

[John Ho]

He was absolutely the best late night host ever. He didn't have the corniness or obviousness of Jay Leno nor the negativity bubbling from the surface of Letterman. I wish he had never retired.

[MelK]

Who is John Carson?

[Broken Glass Can]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I just heard on FoxNews...

[/ QUOTE ]

what kind of a sick fck watches fox news?

[/ QUOTE ]

Did you notice that Dynasty correctly predicted the Election outcome? Perhaps it is because he does not limit himself to only watching the liberal news networks.

[Zeno]

Great Post Dynasty. And to quote Johnny himself " I didn't Know that. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Johnny was a great one.

-Zeno

[MMMMMM]

[ QUOTE ]

Quote:
I just heard on FoxNews...


what kind of a sick fck watches fox news?

[/ QUOTE ]

If you understood politics as well as you understand poker, you wouldn't be asking that question.

[MMMMMM]

^

[cnfuzzd]

[ QUOTE ]

FoxNews way overdramatized this. They were like "okay, you may want to sit down for this." Sounded like W got shot.

[/ QUOTE ]

while he lived, carson made me laugh, with his passing, i will be sad.

While W lives, he makes me sad,,, with his passing, i will laugh....

peace


john nickle