Johnny Carson dead

[doxieone]

cnn

Addendum: Died early this a.m. per Wolf on CNN.

No memorial service.

[Maestro]

1. This is horrible!!!!!!!!!!!!

RIP. You made me laugh a plenty!

[muse]

2. I just heard this also.

Sad. It's interesting that the news just came out that he has been feeding Letterman jokes for years since he retired from the Tonight Show.

[Dinger]

165. I Thought That Was Interesting Too

Maybe Johhny didn't like Leno???

[wuushew]

3. Was he a smoker?

MSNBC headline says emphysema

[muse]

4. Yes, definitely a smoker.

[Melynn]

8. I remember

when Carson use to smoke on camera while hosting the Tonight Show.

[doxieone]

5. National Equirer had a story not too long ago

about his health being poor.

[Bluebear]

16. He said being a smoker was the 'greatest failure in his life'

[Missy Vixen]

6. Goodnight, Johnny

I watched his show every night from the time I was a teenager until his retirement.

Jay Leno wishes he were anywhere near as talented as Johnny was.

Julie

[Cooley Hurd]

7. What?!? I just heard he was writing for Letterman's show!

Johnny was the best. This is so very sad.:cry:

Rest in Peace, Carnac the Magnificent.:(

[lavenderdiva]

27. I had just heard this too,

so today's news was surprising. When they were talking about his writing for Letterman, they showed a picture (admittedly didn't say how old pic was), and he looked quite healthy. Very sad. It was a routine growing up with my parents to always watch the Tonight Show w/ Johnny Carson, before going to bed. O8)

[ally_sc]

147. i always thought i was the only one who stayed up late

when i was a child with my grandma to see a real king of comedy...it is very, very sad...

[fooj]

46. I was always hoping he'd give us one more great show...

RIP Johnny! I'm sure that God could use a few laughs right about now...

[barb162]

141. Yeah, that story was from last week so I was in shock

when I heard it today. I LOVED Johnny; he was great doing what he did day in and day out for 3 decades.

[NNN0LHI]

9. And he was only 79 n/t

[jswordy]

154. Life expectancy for a male infant born this year is...

74.7 years. Carson was born in 1926, his expectancy would be younger. He beat the odds by a few years, maybe as much as a decade.

I'll miss you Johnny. There will never be anyone like you. I quit watching late night TV after the you retired. There's a real difference between style and cockiness. You had style.

[FlaGranny]

156. Had a discussion with hubby last

night about this. He said Carson died of old age. I said he did not - he died of emphysema. Most people could live well past 90, even past 100, if there was no disease.

You also have to calculate early deaths from accidents into that "average" age of death. I believe that any time anyone dies before 85 or 90 years old, it is dying young. :-)

The only person who came close to Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show was Steve Allen, another comic genius.

[Pachamama]

10. I just heard this...he's been in poor health for awhile...

RIP Johnny... :cry:

I used to love watching him.... :bye:

[SharonRB]

13. They said it was complications

from emphysema. Not very surprising. It's ironic that he's been in the news quite a bit lately.

[SharonRB]

11. Just saw Gman's post that was deleted

MSNBC has it right now. It's so sad.

[doxieone]

12. I watched Carson when I was a kid. Leno was never in his

league. Never.

[IndianaGreen]

42. I grew up watching the likes of Paar, Allen, and Carson

Johnny was the best of all the late night talk shows, even Leno at his best could not match Carson's.

Rest in Peace, Johnny.

[SodoffBush]

75. Is Leno still telling Clinton jokes?

Leno lost me years ago with his stale humor.

[Contrary1]

14. That makes me sad...

I believe he quit smoking years ago, but maybe he
took it up again?

Thanks for all the laughs, Johnny.

[Lorien]

45. Even if he quit 40 years ago

he could still die of smoking related illnesses. My grandparents died a few years ago; they were in their late 80s, but the smoking my grandfather had done in his 20s and 30s is what ultimately killed them both (same as Johnny; complications from emphysema).

RIP Johnny. :cry:

[2Design]

15. leno and conan have never even come close to carson

kind of like carol burnett - she had so much talent -

leno is mean to a lot of his guests

[jrthin]

20. Carson and Leno

should not be on the same breath. Leno is a hack; Carson was his own man.

[gademocrat7]

38. leno

I never have liked leno, especially when my father died in 94.My maiden name was Disco. Leno ran his obituary with the comment "Disco is really dead." My father died tragically. It was a despicable act of cruelty for a few seconds of laughs.

[Cooley Hurd]

51. Jeebus, really???

I'm so sorry to hear that - you see him do such things and never think of the real people behind the stories. At least Conan's "Actual Items" are made up...

[gademocrat7]

67. yes

The evening after my father's funeral. I will not watch leno to this day.

[joeybee12]

90. Sorry to hear that...I've always hated Leno, and I hate him even more

now...

[jrthin]

104. So sorry to hear. These selfish,

egotistical pigs care about one thing: their ratings or circulation. They give one iota of how their words rip the heart of their subjects.

[jswordy]

155. An error I made at work that almost cost me my job...

...somehow wound up on Leno's show as a subject of national ridicule, too. That feels real good, believe me.

The man is a pompous ass. I won't watch his show.

Contrast that with Carson, whose humor was much gentler, an "I'm laughing with you" brand. We're gradually losing everyone from that school of schtick, though. Now it's all about being mean at others' expense for a laugh.

No more Maudie Frickert. Sigh.

[buddysmellgood]

137. HiOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH

[qanda]

77. That is really terrible...

I guess you don't really think about the lives behind those lines. I hope you wrote to him and let him know.

[gademocrat7]

101. should have

written him and the network, but was overcome with grief. Don't know if any other family has been subjected to his callousness. Mr. Carson would never ever have done something like that.

[hollywood926]

89. Jay Leno is a fucking moron...

I hope you wrote him a nasty letter for that.

I can't think of anyone less funny than he is.

[inslee08]

179. Oh please

I'm sure if he knew what that joke ("disco is dead") meant, he wouldn't tell it.

[LibDemAlways]

105. I hope you wrote him and let him have it.

Making fun of a person's death to get a cheap laugh is inexcusable and says a lot about Leno's lack of character. I know he still does that kind of stuff. What an unfunny creep.

[True_Blue]

108. I can't even imagine what it must have been like to hear that

while you were grieving over the death of your father. I never have liked Leno. I quit watching the Tonite Show after Johnny left.

Welcome to DU gademocrat7...:hug:


Rest in Peace, Johnny.

[Kolesar]

112. I had a classmate named Disco

We graduated just before the music became popular. You have every right to despise Leno.

[dhinojosa]

139. A fellow Georgian must've sent it in.

Also, those newspaper clips are a crutch to his already abhorrent humor.

[Missy Vixen]

21. I'm not sure about Conan

Conan's humor is more gentle. He doesn't treat guests badly or otherwise ape Leno. I prefer Conan, that's for sure.

We'll miss you, Johnny.

Julie

[2Design]

44. conan is nicer than leno but his humor is weird

he does loud and obnoxious - not on guests but in general - yes compared to leno he is better

Johnny was funny - and really good with guests
but at that time I don't remember his show just being a place for stars to promote their pictures

seems now the cost of marketing is being a target from leno

[kysrsoze]

166. Hey, watch what you say about Conan!

O'Brien is hysterical and I think comes fairly close to Carson in his heyday. It's just a different time. Letterman is also good and should have taken over after Johnny.

Leno is absolutely worthless. There's nothing charming or funny about that guy. He has no class or charisma at all.

[0007]

168. I don't care for Conan and he doesn't even come close to Carson

on his best day.

[doxieone]

17. Official web site.... No mention of death yet though.

http://www.johnnycarson.com/carson/index.jsp

[Wilber_Stool]

18. Augh Shit!!

I didn't watch him much but he was quite a guy.

[cal04]

19. link. He was great. I loved to watch him

Johnny Carson, the "Tonight Show" TV host who served America a smooth nightcap of celebrity banter, droll comedy and heartland charm for 30 years, has died. He was 79.

"Mr. Carson passed away peacefully early Sunday morning," his nephew, Jeff Sotzing, told The Associated Press. "He was surrounded by his family, whose loss will be immeasurable. There will be no memorial service."

Sotzing would not give further details, including the time of death or the location.

The boyish-looking Nebraska native with the disarming grin, who survived every attempt to topple him from his late-night talk show throne, was a star who managed never to distance himself from his audience.

http://www.news4jax.com/entertainment/4121654/detail.html

:(

[SeanQuinn]

22. Hey, God: Heeeeeere's Johnny.

We'll miss you much, Johnny.

RIP.

[TahitiNut]

28. GMTA

[ronnykmarshall]

106. I just watched CNN and Mickey Rooney was speaking.

Mickey said that many of his close friends didn't know how ill he was.

:cry:

This is so sad. Johnny Carson was the BEST talk show host ever.


RIP dear Johnny.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

148. I was thinking the same thing...

with Saint Peter belting out the signature introduction

[mitchum]

23. Rest In Peace

you have brought me countless hours of pleasure

[Pithy Cherub]

24. Love Carson!

The orginal best Late night host! I sneaked to watch him after bedtime! Miss you Johnny and thank you for keeping me company so many late nights! :cry:

[President Jesus]

25. This is terrible. He was one of us.

Not only was he a great American, he supported Democrats, was funny as hell, and an all-round class act.

[arwalden]

49. Carson Also Supported The JAMES RANDI EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION

http://www.randi.org/jr/092702.html

[OKNancy]

57. That's logical

Understandable why there is no memorial service.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

149. Carson started out as a magician

As did Randi. He was on the show a few times in the 1970's, as I recall -- the whole Uri Geller period.

[TahitiNut]

26. RIP, Johnny ... Hey, God! "Heeeere's Johnny!"

Johnny Carson is the only person whose TV show I ever attended as an audience member. It was when he was doing "Who Do You Trust" in NYC ... and it was a ball. I was in the audience in 1962 - a deliberate effort on my part because I regarded him as the next 'great talent' on TV.

We'll miss you, Johnny.

[Cooley Hurd]

36. Was that in studio 6B at 30 Rock?

That was his studio while doing the Tonight Show in NYC during the early years. It was also used by Letterman and is now used by Conan (I saw Conan in 6B in 1998).

[TahitiNut]

40. No, it was the "Little Theater" off Broadway, as I recall.

Before he moved to the big time, or NBC. It was an afternoon show (3:30pm) on ABC and the studio was on West 44th, as I recall.

Trivia: The show as originally called "Do You Trust Your Wife?" and was hosted first by Edgar Bergen (Charlie, Mortimer, and Candice's daddy).

[loritooker]

29. It seems the good they die young....thanks Johnny.

[flamingyouth]

30. RIP, Johnny

It was always a treat as a kid when my parents would let me stay up late enough to watch his show. :(

[bunkerbuster1]

115. Me too.

As a teen, I was thrilled to see Johnny perform his act live.

In truth, he was more or less going through the motions onstage, but who cared? he was already an icon in the mid-70s, and we laughed at all the jokes we'd already heard.

So long, Johnny. You had one hell of a run, pal.

[latebloomer]

31. "Here's That Rainy Day"

The last song he played on his last show.

Thanks for everything,Johnny.

:cry:

[NIGHT TRIPPER]

32. such a likeable personality- A truly great pioneer-

His style set the stage for all who came after him.
We all benefit in many ways from his efforts.
Loved by so many, often imitated, never duplicated.
RIP Johnny !
great job here on earth !!!!!!!!!!
Thanks from all of us!!!!

[WillyT]

33. Anybody Remember The Show Immediately Following The RFK Assassination ???

Man... one somber, but intelligent show as I recall. Been trying to find info on the Web, but no luck so far.

Anybody here remember that show, the guests, the discussion, etc.???

Goodnight Carnac...

:cry:

[flyingfysh]

58. That show is probably lost for good

I hear that a decade of his early shows was erased because network people didn't think them worth preserving.

[WillyT]

69. Yeah... I Heard That Too !!!

A piece of History, lost to the Ether.

Damn...

Thanks.

:hi:

[elcondor]

125. Very haunting pic Willy ... RIP Mr. Carson

[Up2Late]

129. Don't Know the show, but...

Here an audio link for his (RFK) eulogy
<http://www.historychannel.com/speeches/archive/speech_153.html>

[Maccagirl]

34. His genius was in his effortlessness

He was one of a kind. R.I.P. Johnny, and I know you are now with your son.

:cry:

[stevedeshazer]

35. RIP, Johnny

You entertained me many a lonely night. :)

[deutsey]

37. RIP Johnny

[randr]

39. I have often thought of how great it would be to

see him show up on either Leno or Letterman as a guest.
I am saddened we have lost such a wonderful person.
Some of my finest memories are of my Mom and I staying up late every night and laughing our asses off.
They just do not make them like they use to.
Best show memory:
C. Heston asking if he should tell the audience what Johnny and crew where smoking during a commerical break!
Carson quickly cut him off.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

150. He did Letterman one night

I'm pretty sure it was before Dave moved to CBS. Carson came out to the guest chair with a folding cardboard desk, which he then set up. After the audience was done howling with laughter, Carson told Dave that "In time, you'll understand that this is the only way you can talk to anybody." Or something like that -- probably a lot funnier.

[seriousstan]

41. I will truly miss Johnny

[Bluzmann57]

43. How sad

He was a funny guy. I hope Leno and Letterman do some sort of tribute to him on their shows. After all, Carson gave them both a chance. RIP Johnny Carson.

[Cooley Hurd]

47. Letterman most definitely will do a tribute...

From what I've read, Johnny had a small circle of friends, and Dave was one of them. Jay, however, wasn't.

[DainBramaged]

48. Very sad day

a giant has quietly qone to sleep. He will be remembered forever.

[Renew Deal]

50. Just after the Letterman thing.

:tinfoilhat:

[AmerDem]

70. what Letterman thing?

?

[Melynn]

80. Johnny was still writing jokes

Johnny was still writing jokes and passing them on to Letterman according to a news story just last week.

Johnny always considered Letterman to his rightful heir to the "Tonight Show" not Leno.

I would imagine that the reason that Carson was still writing jokes is because the Bush administration gave him so much comedic material.

[AmerDem]

100. Thanks for the info

I wasn't aware of that. I hope this gives Letterman incentive to hammer away more at shrub like Johnny use to slap around "Bedtime for Bonzo Reagan".

[ronnykmarshall]

107. Thats so ironic.

It was so cool to hear that Johnny was writing jokes for Dave.

Man! I haven't cried with a celb died in years. This one is really getting to me.

[bkcc]

113. I just saw that news item the other day.

Strange timing indeed.

We'll miss you, Johnny.

[Up2Late]

52. Why does this news "Break" at such different times?

This just popped up from BBC News as Breaking News.

Why is this happening, any ideas?

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4200385.stm>

[Braden]

53. sad, I loved Johnny Carson

I remember seeing the smoke wafting up from his ashtray as they returned from commercial breaks. For a smoker he had a nice long life.

[Pastiche423]

54. On his last show

Bette Midler sang One For My Baby.

...For all of the years,
For the laughs, for the tears,
For the class that you showed,
Make it one for my baby
And one more for the road.
That long long road.

She cried
He cried
I cried

Safe and peaceful journey, Johnny.

[calimary]

164. Sigh... It's Monday morning, and that still makes me cry.

Every time they showed that clip last night, I cried. I remember that night when it happened. We cried while watching in bed, one entertainment story I DIDN'T cover because I was out on maternity leave. It was nice just to sit at home and savor it, rather than having to work it.

You said it best, Pastiche - Safe and peaceful journey, Johnny.

[AlFrankenFan]

55. Holy crap!

Rest in peace :(

[AlCzervik]

56. RIP Johnny

I had read he's been sick but i was still shocked when i heard the news, i and probably many of you grew up watching him.

[earth mom]

59. I started to cry when I read the news

because Johnny reminds me quite a bit of my dad (who died 3 1/2 years ago) so it brought up the grief I still feel. I loved watching Johnny and sometimes when I still lived at home in the 1980s, Dad and I would watch Johnny together. We both thought he was great.

Rest in Peace, Johnny.

[latebloomer]

121. he reminds me of my dad, too

so much part of that generation that's rapidly leaving us.

[earth mom]

160. So true

that generation is leaving and it really is leaving a void. I'm in my 40s and it's nothing like I thought it would be. I guess I've always looked to the older generations to lead and frankly, I don't feel grown up enough to the task, lol!

[lildreamer316]

145. Me too. Isn't that funny...

...that was the one reason my dad would let me stay up late. He died in 1994 at age 61. RIP.

[Kablooie]

60. I just read an article about him a couple of days ago...

Said he wishes he were doing the show nowadays because of all the craziness in politics. He was coming up with a lot of great jokes. Sometimes he would send them to Letterman to use on his show.

[flygal]

61. Damn Damn Damn!!

I can't stand losing all these greats!! Johnny made me laugh - I grew up watching his show and then Letterman. I was so mad when Leno took over and put up that ridiculous purple back drop and had such inane schtick. Johnny was class.

[AmerDem]

62. Thanks for all the laughs Johnny

Prayers to you

[Greylyn58]

63. RIP Johnny

I have missed you since your retirement.

I'll miss Art Fern, Carnac the Magnificent, your wry sense of humor, the special rapport you had with your guests and the animals you would feature from the San Diego Zoo.

May angels sing thee to your rest.

:( :cry:

[MikeG]

64. On his Tombstone: "I'll be right back".

According to him.

[DrZeeLit]

76. I feel as if my youth/young adulthood just died. How sad!

I used to babysit and the "perk" was staying up to watch Johnny.
As I aged, he became funnier --- duh. But I must say, he carved my sense of humor, the dry, the sarcastic, the almost-British, with a dab of slapstick, or off-the-wall.

Tears.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

151. I think you're right about that

Some of Carson's best jokes were at his own expense, and even when directed at others, his humor was rarely mean-spirited. It's something that lacking in the current generation of comics.

[Sparkle]

65. What a loss. He was the best.

RIP, Johnny.

[madrchsod]

66. that sucks

dam i`ve seen them all since the beginning of tv and johnny was the best. fare thee well johnny, they are all waiting to be your guest again

[clovis29]

68. RIP Carnac!! :(

[katinmn]

71. Bummer. I grew up watching him. He was a classy guy. Here's a link ...

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/23/obit.carson.ap/index.html

Johnny Carson, late-night TV legend, dead at 79
Sunday, January 23, 2005 Posted: 2:25 PM EST (1925 GMT)

Johnny Carson, the "Tonight Show" TV host who served America a smooth nightcap of celebrity banter, droll comedy and heartland charm for 30 years, has died. He was 79.

"Mr. Carson passed away peacefully early Sunday morning," his nephew, Jeff Sotzing, told The Associated Press. "He was surrounded by his family, whose loss will be immeasurable. There will be no memorial service."

Sotzing would not give further details, including the time of death or the location.

The boyish-looking Nebraska native with the disarming grin, who survived every attempt to topple him from his late-night talk show throne, was a star who managed never to distance himself from his audience.

more-

[bush_is_wacko]

72. How very sad. He was the best Tonight show or nightime show in general

I have ever seen. I'm sure there will NEVER be another like him. I have missed him every time I turned on to watch.

[calimary]

167. You're certainly correct. There's no sense of "must-see" at 11:30

anymore. We always stayed up at least through the monologue and the first skit, if not for the guests, depending on who was scheduled. I'm old enough to remember watching some of those shows whose clips are now in the retrospectives - like the one with Dean Martin ashing his cigar in George Gobel's drink, the Joan Embrey animal spots when he got peed on or pooped on or farted at, or the little primate that did the Jack Benny-style "take" that made him throw his head back and roar with laughter, the skit in which Johnny threw Don Rickles into the bathtub. Stuff like that happened all the time on his show. Johnny Carson was SO fast on the uptake. He was NEVER better than in spontaneous reactions to stuff.

I remember one evening my husband and I had been arguing a lot and it had been a rough day and we were both pretty bummed, and his mom called. Her advice was to just set it aside for a little while and "go watch Johnny Carson" - presumably because we'd forget about whatever we'd argued about, and it'd make us feel better. She was, as usual, correct.

I worked at NBC when he was still doing the "Tonight Show." His very presence in the studio was sort of a reassuring thing, as though the king is at home in his castle and all's right with the world. You knew he was in the building, and you'd always take note of his Delorean when it was parked in his special parking place - as you'd walk across to the commissary for a snack. Sometimes if those of us on the same shift got wrapped up at the same time, we'd head over to the upstairs audio booth while the "Tonight Show" taped. There was this little "crow's nest" where you could sit WAY up high at the very tippy-top of the audience, and watch everything. It was always a big thrill - like - "wow! There he is!" When I left NBC, that was one of the biggest things I missed. I missed him when he went off the air. I miss him all over again now.

[bush_is_wacko]

175. I miss him too. I never realized how profoundly until I heard of his

death yesterday. It was ALWAYS a huge treat when my parents let me stay up and watch him. I grew up with him and he went off the air the year before my second child was born. I remember a lot of those scenes they are now playing too. There was a really funny one with a snake I will never forget. Johnny and Joan Embrey were always so funny. I remember a lot of the Don Rickles skits, not so many of the Dean Martin stuff. I really haven't watched late night TV much since he went off the air.

Well his friends are right. Right about now God NEEDS a laugh or two that is probably why he called him home.

[calimary]

178. My second child was just a few days old when Carson said

farewell.

I was too young when the Ed Ames bit ran originally, but for years it was a must-include on every anniversary show. It always made me laugh out loud, even though I was also too young (and, actually, too Catholic) to "get it" for awhile. Took me forever to understand what he meant by "Frontier Bris."

[tmooses]

73. I loved Johnnny Carson. He had a way of making guests feel at ease..

and a gift of genuine humor. I know one of his heroes was Jack Benny and I could see some of the same craft in his delivery. All those late night shows are never on reruns so new generations will never appreciate what a true comic and great guy he was. I'm glad of all those late nights staying up too late to watch Johnny. Godspeed, my friend on journey through eternity. We will miss you.

[qanda]

74. He was great

I'm glad he's at rest.

[budkin]

78. You will be missed Johnny!

Thanks for all the memories!

[baldguy]

79. He was a class act.

He will be missed.

[bermudat]

81. Yes, I agree, he had class.

I bet he wouldn't be doing Clinton blow job jokes.

[Kat45]

82. Wow! Hadn't heard about it with all the news on the snow here.

Just last week, Letterman and Paul Shaffer were doing a "Carnac" type of thing. I'm sure Dave will do a tribute to Johnny this week.

[bluestateguy]

83. A tragedy. One of the grown-ups from the more civilized era in television

Many times as a kid I stayed up past my bedtime to watch his show, which was witty and conducted with class and aplomb.

Prayers for the family.

[mcscajun]

84. Oh, my.

So many nights of my youth spent staying up Far Too Late to watch the monologue and getting suckered into the whole show.

Buddy Hackett and his limericks (which Johnny ALWAYS stopped by cutting to commercial)

Ed Ames and the hatchet.

Don Rickles and the bathtub.

Art Fern, Carnac, Aunt Blabby, and the guy in the earflap hat doing Editorial Replies.

He had a great long run, though. Nobody will ever outdo him.

;( ;( ;(

[ronnykmarshall]

118. Don Rickles was always a scream on the show.

One time Rickles was guest hosting and he broke Johnny's cigarette case that he had on the desk. Johnny took a camera and walked onto Don's set and messed up a live taping of Rickles' sit-com.

One of the many highlights of the Tonite Show.

It's a shame that so many of Johnny's early shows was lost. It was standard practice back in the 1960's to just erase the tapes.

One that I would have loved to see was with The Supremes. Diana, of course has hogging the interview and kept cutting off Mary and Florence. In a pointed reference to how "the girls" had stand ins and there wasn't one for La Ross, Florence finally had and said "Yeah, we tried to get the Virgin Mary but she wasn't available". The crowd loved it. From that moment on, Florence made it clear she wasn't going to sit back and let "Miss Ross" hog the spot light that night.

[Algorem]

123. You hockey puck!

[ronnykmarshall]

124. You gotta turn on CNN.

They have an interview from late 2003 with Ed.

There are playing some great clips.

Remember all the animals from the LA Zoo?

Those are classic clips.

[fortyfeetunder]

85. Here's Johnny in the afterlife!!!

I cannot believe death will silence my favorite late night talk show host....but here is the joke I think he's telling now....


"Rose Mary Woods died today, same day as I did. You remember she was Nixon's secretary. Her claim to fame was she admitted to erasing 18 1/2 minutes from the President's tape recorder. Her funeral service eulogy contained the missing 18 1/2 minute tape...."

[ScreamingMeemie]

86. That is very sad. I had seen a clip on the news the other day where

Carson's people were refuting news that he was very sick. :( Very sad and unexpected.

[virgdem]

87. Good grief, I will miss him...

the Tonight Show hasn't been the same since he left in 92. I taped the last show and recently picked up the CD of all the past shows. He was class personified. No one did it better than Johnny, no one. Rest in Peace, Johnny.

[JGold9472]

88. Rest In Peace Johnny

Thank for the memories.

[cal04]

91. some pics /Newsday

Thank you Johnny Carson for years of great TV

click on photos at the bottom of his picture

http://www.nynewsday.com/

[Cherie59]

92. God Bless you Johnny, rest in peace.

[NJCher]

93. Johnny was also a good person who gave to good causes

He gave an enormous amount of money ($150 million, I think) to establish a regional cancer center in Norfolk, Nebraska. I could be wrong about the amount (going on memory is always tricky with me) but I know it's state-of-the-art because my mother told me about it. She unfortunately was diagnosed with breast cancer last spring. This year, however, we are happy to have my mother alive, well and cancer-free--thanks in no small part to Johnny's gift.

Having grown up in Nebraska (I've lived in NJ all of my adult life), I have other memories of Johnny. I recall producing television commercials in the same TV studio where he got his start.

Thanks, Johnny. We will miss you.

:cry:


Cher

[Lisa]

96. the late Carl Sagan also gave Johnny Carson a lot of credit ...

He said that if Johnny hadn't invited him to be on the show so many times, he wouldn't have had as much success with popularizing science, particularly astronomy. Johnny Carson really set an example, by wanting to show the audience that looking at planets and stars was interesting and cool.

That's great news about your mother, and the cancer center! What a wonderful legacy for him to have left behind!

[Norbert]

94. God this makes me sad.

I feel as though I lost a member of my family. He was the King of Late Night TV.

[wicket]

95. Rest in peave Johnny

:(

[Bake]

97. You can see the Ed Ames tomahawk clip on Johnny's web site

Laughing through tears.

RIP, Johnny.

Bake

[PopSixSquish]

98. Bless You Johnny

You were a class act all the way and the king of the reaction shot!

[Harry S Truman]

99. A great man....

and one of the finest interviewers in TV history. He never stepped all over a guest's answers. And his role as a devoted astronomer who gave Dr. Carl Sagan the "Tonight" TV platform for real science was outstanding. Thanks, Johnny. You were the best.

[roguevalley]

102. Its impossible to say how much I loved him. What terrible news.

[davekriss]

103. JC is responsible for my lifelong insomnia!

As a young child I would finagle my way to stay up and watch Johnny. I could not sleep until I had my nightly fix! Wonderful man, sweet funny smart soul. May he rest in peace!

[peekaloo]

109. R.I.P. Johnny. The nite owl in me mourns his passing.

Made me laugh as a pre-teen, teen and adult.


Drumming with pencils on the desk.....JC was a cool cat.

[imenja]

110. link to article from NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/23/arts/television/23cnd-carson.html?hp

[malaise]

111. Johnny Carson

was the best in the business - he was fall down funny. None of the pretenders has come close to that classy man.

[TankLV]

114. That is very sad news. Another light burns out.

He gave joy and laughter to many.

He will be missed.

[tonekat]

116. The man who defined late night talk shows is gone

I can remember the first night I got to stay up late enough to watch the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson...here was a whole other world of television. It was like getting an invitation to a really good party. I had to see it every night!

He could be just subversive enough in his humor without hitting you over the head with it.

Some of the little things he did on the show would give Michael Powell a heart attack today. Remember during the monologue once during the 70s when he tried to make the overhead mic cable longer by stroking it with his fist?

Some actors turned into different people when they were on the Tonight Show. Who guessed Burt Reynolds could be so funny when sitting next to Johnny?

It was such a disappointment to see the Tonight Show go to Leno, who immediately changed the tone of the show to "Joe 6-Pack" humor, with no subtlety whatsoever.

I was glad to learn yesterday of Carson sending jokes to Letterman, who at the time was the true heir apparent of the Tonight Show.

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

153. Guest Hosts

One of my favorite features of the Carson Show was the use of guest hosts rather than repeats. It gave people (like Letterman) and chance to get some serious exposure -- and I always remember being surprised at how some celebrities were really good (and some pretty dreadful) at filling his chair.

[Itchinjim]

117. The King is dead. Long live the King.

Pax Johnny.

[K8-EEE]

119. Johnny's Gift To Me: JAZZ!

As a teenager I frequented the Tonight Show tapings and fell in love with the band between the breaks. Johnny was THE big jazz booster -- when all my friends were listening to Cheap Trick I was listening also to Ella, Buddy Rich, Peggy Lee and others that I learned about from Johnny, I've been following jazz since then. THANKS JOHNNY!

[montana_hazeleyes]

120. Rest In Peace Johnny,

Thank you for all the laughs and being such a good person.

[Lone_Wolf_Moderate]

122. It's a sad day in America. The King is dead.

God rest his soul.

[kskiska]

126. He was forced into retirement by Leno's manager

Helen Kushnick, who pressured NBC to retire Johnny because she wanted her boy Jay to have that show.

I haven't seen any word so far from Jay.

[Dem2theMax]

127. I'm heartbroken.

No one has made me laugh more than Johnny Carson. I never missed a show and if they were on in repeats, I'd be watching them today.
I loved that man with all my heart and I'm so sad to hear of his passing. Even when the jokes or the skit or the guest bombed, Johnny found a way to make us roar with laughter. He was one of a kind. There will never be another like him. He was, and will always be one of the happiest memories of my life.

Rest in Peace Johnny. And thank you for every single, precious moment you shared with us. You will never be forgotten. :cry:

[fortyfeetunder]

130. Carson gave me some laughs at the blood bank

I donate platelets, and that requires being connected to a machine which filters the platelets from the bloodstream for a couple of hours. The platelets are used for patients who need them for blood diseases and other disorders

During the donation process, the blood bank has video players and show movies to keep us entertained.

My last appointment, I elected to watch Johnny Carson, from the time he appeared on the Tonight Show. That was a good video, and it had clips from his history such as the Tomahawk routine, Tiny Tim's wedding, Carnac, the San Diego Zoo critters, etc. Well it was good and it made my donation time seem rather short.

If there was one thing Johnny Carson did for me was turn me on to visiting the San Diego Zoo to see the critters....

[psychopomp]

162. I posted a link to this very video here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=1176288&mesg_id=1178256

[liberalmuse]

128. :(

I really liked the man. He popped in my mind out of the blue the other morning while I was making my bed (and it's not like I think of TV personalities first thing in the morning...). I was reminiscing how the world was back when Johnny Carson was late night TV and wondering what kind of memorial they would have on the tube when he passed. Surreal. How very sad.

[DemoTex]

131. Funny, funny fucker.

I watched as he took over from Jack Paar. Thanks, Johnny, for the laughs.

[Dukkha]

132. a major Icon in the media

a true class act that will be missed.

We now have to wait for Conan O'Brien to take over. Then integrity will return to The Tonight Show.

[calimary]

170. Sorry, Conan can't even begin to touch the beads of his Carnac turban.

None of 'em can.

Jon Stewart and David Letterman just barely get inside the ballpark.

I saw this among the New York Times reader comments:


mr.tj - 9:49 PM ET January 23, 2005 (#43 of 126)

If there's a heaven, St. Peter just said, "Hereeeeeeee's Johnny"
Comparing Carson with Leno and Letterman is equal to comparing a fine cut of filet mignon to a couple of wieners (sorry, no offence, Jay and David, but it's true).

http://forums.nytimes.com/top/opinion/readersopinions/forums/arts/johnnycarson/index.html?offset=0

[Guns Aximbo]

133. I miss him already

What a day...

[BensMom]

134. Omaha Newspaper...

Here is a good article from the Omaha newspaper.
There goes a very giving person.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_pg=1458&u_sid=1317351

[Burma Jones]

135. A class Act

When Johnny Carson retired, he stayed retired. No endless begging for attention. Funny Guy and a great show. When I was a kid in High School, playing Trumpet, my buds and I always thought it would be great to play in the Tonight Show Orchestra with Doc Sevrensen, steady gig, lots of laughs.

[doxieone]

136. Ironic watching a tribute to Steve Martin on AMC...

the day carson died.

[HeeBGBz]

138. Johnny was the king of late night

No one else has come close.

[jus_the_facts]

140. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

:cry:

[BTFSTL]

142. Truly the King of Late Night

Johnny Carson never failed to get me laughing in his monolouges. Everyone was fair game to Johnny, yet his humor never was mean. Oh sure, the jokes sometimes bombed, but you knew he had his heart in the right place.

And who could forget those Mighty Carson Art Players - not just Carnac the Magnificent, but Art Fern, host of Tea Time Movie (with Carol Wayne - sadly, also gone - as The Matinee Lady).

Anyone remember the usual schtick - a commercial where there's a map of the LA freeways heading to the Schlaussen Cutoff - where you cut off your Schlaussen? And then you go this way until you come to - everyone - The Fork In The Road!!

Even if you knew it by heart, it was still hilarious.

Class guy all the way. No one comes close, not even Dave, as great as he is.

RIP Johnny. Hope you have a lot of good folks for the couch on tonight's show in heaven.

[barb162]

143. yes I loved the LA freeway map schtick, no matter how many

timnes he did it. It seemed funnier each time, just like Art Fern, Carnak, and the rest of the skits. He basically trained the audience over the decades as they knew the jokes that would be coming and they were still going to laugh like hell.

Would you believe I saw the original LIVE show (not taped, like his later shows) where the ax got thrown at the cardboard man by Ed Ames? One of the late nights in school where I would sneak back out of bed as a kid to watch Carson.

[EFerrari]

144. You made it look easy. n/t

[Cooley Hurd]

146. Carnac Kick...

...for those who have been hibernating since Saturday night.

[no_to_war_economy]

152. I .. I did not know that, Ed did you know that?

that is some weird wacky stuff

[theboss]

157. He was probably the last person who could "make" a star

It's amazing how many times in the 70s and 80s and even the 90s that you would go to school or work the next day and someone would say, "Did you see that comedian on The Tonight Show?" And we all learned the trick that if Johnny invited them to sit down afterwards, they had made it. Leno, Letterman, Williams, Crystal, Tim Allen, Roseanne, Eddie Murphy, Joan Rivers, Gary Shandling, George Carlin...the list is endless and they all owe Johnny.

His best interaction with a comedian thought was probably with Dangerfield, who would sit on the couch and just burn through two or three dozen jokes while Johnny fed him straight lines. The story I like the best though is the night that Rodney and Johnny did their bit and it became obvious that Rodney had run out of jokes before the segment was over. So, Rodney leaned back and calmly asked, "So how have you been?" Carson lost it.

I love Letterman, but he always seems paranoid when another comedian is on - unlees it's some established star - as if the guest might be funnier than the host. Johnny never cared who got the laughs. I think that is the difference between him and the hosts today. Conan is the only one who seems willing to let the guest be funny on their own. Neither Letterman or Leno have guest hosts for a reason.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

158. NYTimes obit is beautiful

Touching on all his aspects as an entertainer and comedian, including this classic moment:

...in 1963, when one of Mr. Carson's guests was Ed Ames, an actor-singer who played an Indian on the television series "Daniel Boone." Mr. Ames was there to teach Mr. Carson how to throw a tomahawk, and he brought along a cardboard image of a sheriff as a target. In his demonstration, Mr. Ames threw the tomahawk across the stage, and it imbedded itself deeply in the sheriff's crotch. The audience was in an uproar; people were literally falling out of their seats with laughter.

When Mr. Ames went to remove the tomahawk, Mr. Carson held his arm and the uncontrolled laughter commenced anew. As the laughter subsided, Mr. Carson looked at Mr. Ames and said, "I didn't know you were Jewish."

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/23/arts/television/23cnd-carson.html?hp=&oref=login&pagewanted=print&position=

[psychopomp]

159. Link to a best of Carson video here

http://www.torrentreactor.net/view.php?id=5030930

[MadisonProgressive]

161. My email to his website - [e-mail]

I loved Johnny Carson. He reminded me of my father. He was kind, gentle, and oh so funny! His timing, facial expressions, and sense of what was funny is unsurpassed, even to this day. He was the greatest television entertainer of all times, bar none. I watched him every night from about 12 years old, until his retirement in 1992. I'm so disappointed that we never had another chance to hear him and cheer him.

John will be so very missed.

Rest in peace, oh great one.

<my name>


PS: to God..... Heeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrreeee's Johnny!!

[Burma Jones]

163. Kick...........................

[0007]

169. I'll never forget that interview with Arnold Palmer's wife

just before a big golf tournament. Johnny Carson ask her if there was anything she did to bring her husband good luck. She replied, I kiss his balls. There was a moment of silence and then Carson said, "I bet that makes his putter stand up" The show was sued for a ton of money.
It was the funniest thing I'd ever heard on TV at that time. I believe it was 1960.

[mcscajun]

171. Not according to Snopes

http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/palmer.asp

Many other Carson references on the site…
http://tinyurl.com/5nxds

[0007]

174. That is indeed strange! Run down the law suit

[fortyfeetunder]

180. Sued for a ton of money?

Ya mean Michael Powell was doing child labor at the FCC?

[calimary]

172. It's like a national wake.

Kick.

In a way, I'm glad Johnny's gone - so he won't have to see how much farther george washes us down the drain.

[jdj]

173. was he a democrat?

because I couldn't stand him.

I'm sorry he died, but the greatest thing he ever did in my eyes was re-the-fuck-tire.

I thought he was a schmoozy schmuck chauvinist whose brand of humor went out of style with Laugh-In and The Smothers Brothers. I hate this whole style of everything, this style of commedy, this style of news reporting (gray-haired white male perspective otherwise known as the center of the universe), I just hate this style of everything.

I guess he must have been a democrat the way everyone here is going on so. I guess this post would be more appropriate for his retirement than for his death, I'm not glad he's dead, I just don't think that his type of behavior, the white male p.o.v. monopoly, should be perpetuated.

[MadisonProgressive]

181. I never saw any of those things in JC. Are you sure you ever watched ?

[MrSlayer]

176. Beat his wife for the unforgivable crime of rearranging his library.

What a sweet guy.

[MadisonProgressive]

182. I'd like a link for that one!

[Name removed]

177. Deleted message

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