Johnny Carson Dead at 79

[Sean]

just heard on CNN that Johnny Carson has died Sunday morning. No cause of death was reported.

[Captain Beyond]

Here is more info

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=1&u=/nm/20050123/ts_nm/life_carson_dc

[Aquarius]

That is sad news Sean, May he rest in peace.

[Skookum]

Whoops! :o I just posted about this in Art Bell section. You wanna move that post to here, CB? :o :o

[Sean]

The King of late night TV is gone. May he rest in peace.

[IWstudio]

Saint Peter after welcoming Johnny Carson to heaven and opening the gates "Here's Johnny!"

[Captain Kundalini]

I am stunned! He died of emphesema.

[Aquarius]

Johnny Carson Dies At 79
'Tonight Show' Host Was 79

POSTED: 1:51 pm EST January 23, 2005
UPDATED: 2:12 pm EST January 23, 2005

The man who ruled over late night TV for 30 years -- Johnny Carson -- has died at the age of 79.



Johnny Carson died Sunday morning at the age of 79.


Carson took over as host of NBC's "Tonight Show" in 1962 -- and continued in that role until 1992, when he was replaced by Jay Leno.

A nephew said Carson died "peacefully" this morning, "surrounded by his family." He says there will be no memorial service. There's no word on the cause of death.

As host of the "Tonight Show," the Nebraska native delivered a mix of celebrity banter, droll comedy and heartland charm. Audiences never got tired of him -- and he was still on top when he retired.

Despite his wealth and the adoration of his guests, Carson maintained an air of modesty that helped enhance his intimacy with his viewers.

He was introduced each night with the booming announcement from sidekick Ed McMahon: "Heeeeere's Johnny" -- launching a show feating a topical monologue, celebrity guests, and characters such as "Carnac the Magnificent."

[IWstudio]

I am stunned! He died of emphesema.

Or so "they" say! He may have been abducted by aliens to produce a quality Galactic show! Goodbye Johnny, and may you continue to bring laughter no matter where your soul is... on an alien world or in heaven or even in a waiting room.

[Captain Kundalini]

I am officially in mourning. :(

[Maverick]

I am officially in mourning. :(

Me too. Loved Johnny Carson, no one like him for late night talk. Very sad!
Just read that he was still sending jokes for David Letterman's monologue and that David would often use them.

[Gummer]

Johnny was a class act! Something that's sorely missing in the world of entertainment today!

[Captain Kundalini]

I know that's right, Burt. They say that February 3, 1959 was "The Day The Music Died".
Well, in my opinion, Television died on Friday, May 22, 1992.
A class act, indeed.

[Gummer]

I know that's right, Burt. They say that February 3, 1959 was "The Day The Music Died". Well, in my opinion, Television died on Friday, May 22, 1992.
A class act, indeed.

I totally agree CK! Late night just hasn't been the same!

Don McLean's need's to write a new song...

[Captain Kundalini]

Some folks might say that he hasn't died, he's just passed into the West on a Grey Ship. He goes to the Undying Lands to dwell for a time among the Deathless.

[Gummer]

Very nice... :(

[Captain Beyond]

I just watched a tribute on Dateline.Man,there were so many memories that came flooding back to me.With all the multitude of TV channels,and all the crap on all of them,when will somebody step up to the plate and bring back some of these classics?We get every kinda crap from the"Real Gilligans Island" to the next"Survivor"crap staged event.Unfortunately,it is true,the media is really dumbing down and desensitizing the next generation and making their brains into moldeable mush.

Aw,I suppose my age is showing here but what the hell.Thumbing through the channels and having to go through all the crap like MTV and most of the crap on the Sci FI channel makes me long for the days gone by.

Goodbye Johnny Carson,you made many of us laugh for so many years and I thank you!!! :wave:

[Gummer]

I agree completely CB! What a master! For a while Direct TV was playing Carson's classic shows on Pay Per View. They were great but at a 1.99 each...I don't know...it was a bit steep for me!

[Shecoda]

Bummer :(

[Captain Kundalini]

I just watched a tribute on Dateline.Man,there were so many memories that came flooding back to me.With all the multitude of TV channels,and all the crap on all of them,when will somebody step up to the plate and bring back some of these classics?We get every kinda crap from the"Real Gilligans Island" to the next"Survivor"crap staged event.Unfortunately,it is true,the media is really dumbing down and desensitizing the next generation and making their brains into moldeable mush.

Aw,I suppose my age is showing here but what the hell.Thumbing through the channels and having to go through all the crap like MTV and most of the crap on the Sci FI channel makes me long for the days gone by.

Goodbye Johnny Carson,you made many of us laugh for so many years and I thank you!!! :wave:

Damn, I'd heard it was going to be on and I missed it. Did anyone record it? I wanted to see it.

[Captain Beyond]

No,I wish I had but I was fresh out of blank DVD's.I knew I should have bought some at Office Max the other day. :mad:

[Ferine]

RIP Johnny :(

[BadBoy]

http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/?id=4387

Johnny Carson: In Fond Memory by Whitley Strieber
24-Jan-2005

I remember Johnny Carson with the greatest respect and fondness. Back when Communion was just published, my publicist suddenly got a call from his office. He wanted me on his program. At the time, I was being grilled alive on television. I had sat three feet away from Larry King and had him laugh in my face in front of a million people. I had been scorned and excoriated by the atrocious Phil Donohue before a studio audience a thousand strong, all laughing derisively. I was being made a national joke as the 'rectal probe' guy. So I really, really did not want to endure another public humiliation. But it was the Tonight Show, at that time the biggest place an author could go on television. (They still took authors in those days, because Johnny liked books, as Jack Paar had.) It was an offer the publisher felt that I couldn't refuse. So I went out to Burbank to do the program. And an amazing thing happened. Carson didn't have me on to humiliate me. On the contrary, he was open to my story and fascinated with it. He even bumped a band so that I could remain on longer. There were two reasons for this: the first one is that, like a surprising number of celebrities of that era, he seemed to have some inside knowledge of the UFO field. In this respect, he was like Jackie Gleason, whose wife told me that he'd actually be shown UFOs in a hangar by Richard Nixon. The second reason was more personal: he had seen a UFO from the deck of his house in Malibu. He told me that he'd watched it for some time. It had appeared during the day, in a clear blue sky. He did not describe it to me in detail, but he did say that there was no question in his mind about it being any sort of ordinary aircraft or balloon. I have always been grateful to Johnny Carson for his courage in giving me a fair hearing. My experience of most media professionals is that they are, in their deepest souls, natural prostitutes. But not Mr. Johnny Carson. He was a man of decency. He was honest and forthright. And he provided this country and the world with years of marvelous entertainment. I will miss not only his presence in life, but also the values by which he conducted his life.

[Captain Kundalini]

I think this sums it all up.

Video (http://www.captkundalini.com/Videos/Johnny%20Carson.wmv)

[Maverick]

Canadians remember Johnny Carson.


Canadians remember Johnny Carson
Last Updated Mon, 24 Jan 2005 20:44:31 EST
CBC Arts

TORONTO - In 1991, when Canadian comedian John Wing Jr. made his second appearance on The Tonight Show, he learned the full extent of Johnny Carson's professionalism.

The first time that Wing had done the show, the year before, Jay Leno (who was then Carson's regular substitute) had been sitting behind the desk. When it came time for the Sarnia, Ont., native to come out from behind the curtain, Leno inadvertently provided a memorable introduction – by stumbling over the name of the comic's hometown.


But not Johnny. When Wing returned for his follow-up appearance, Carson – who died Sunday at the age of 79 – was back in the chair. He didn't slip up.

"You got the impression if he hadn't known how to say it, he asked somebody," Wing recalled on Monday. "He made sure he knew. That impressed me then and it impresses me to this day. He made damn sure he knew how to pronounce the name of my town."

Wing is just one of the many comedians from this country, along with the likes of Jim Carrey, Howie Mandel, Martin Short, who did their acts on The Tonight Show during Carson's 30-year tenure.

[Shecoda]

Very nice CK.

[nightcat]

I'm glad to see this thread here; it's a wonderful tribute to Johnny Carson.

The day he retired from TV was one sad day... it marked the passing of an era of television, really. Johnny, at that time, was one of the very last active links to the age of TV as it once was; there was an era when entertainment didn't have to be rapid-fire, "in your face", freaky and trashy. Johnny came from an era when wit and subtlety were appreciated; with Johnny, interviews with celebrities weren't dependent on talking trash about others and airing dirty laundry in public. The laughs were genuine and the guests weren't paraded in freakshow fashion. TV was a far less classy landscape after Johnny left it. Now his passing sadly makes the end of that era final.

[IWstudio]

Last night Jay Leno dedicated the entire show to johnny Carson, played clips and had some of his best friends on the show.

[BadBoy]

I remember clearly the stories and clips they showed last night with Don Rickles - particularly the night he broke Johnny's cigarette case on his desk and the night Johnny broke into Rickle's taping of "CPO Sharkey" to confront him! I also never tire of the 60's Ed Ames (Daniel Boone's Mingo) hatchet throwing clip - priceless!

[Gummer]

The funnest show I remember was with Don Rickels and Frank Sinatra! Don went on about Franks connection with the mob and how Frank was going to send "the boys" to get Don after the show! I couldn't tell if Frank was in on the gag or was actually ticked off about Don's intense BS! Johnny just set back and let it flow...

[BadBoy]

Yeah - they showed a clip of Frank with Rickles last night too, another classic!

[Captain Kundalini]

The funnest show I remember was with Don Rickels and Frank Sinatra! Don went on about Franks connection with the mob and how Frank was going to send "the boys" to get Don after the show! I couldn't tell if Frank was in on the gag or was actually ticked off about Don's intense BS! Johnny just set back and let it flow...


And that was the best thing he could have done.
I'm ambivalent about Rickles at times, but other times he cracks me up.
When Drew Carey was onand made that quip about when Jay died, my mouth dropped open in shock! Jay just lost it, though, so after a moment of thinking it was made in bad taste, I let it go. It stunned the audience into momentary silence, though.

[Captain Kundalini]

Item:

The owner of former Tonight Show host Johnny Carson's boyhood home in Norfolk, Neb., is auctioning the house on e-Bay, starting price $150,000 (at press time, there had been no nibbles). For those without that kind of change to plunk down on what is "sure to become one of the most beloved landmarks in America," according to the seller, also up for bid are nine lots of plaster from a renovated stairwell "which Johnny passed through many thousands of times." Starting price on those, a mere $9.99. Each chunk of plaster comes with a certificate of authenticity and a "documented" 12-digit code to ensure that no bogus plaster hunks can be passed off as Carson's own.

[Gummer]

Item:

The owner of former Tonight Show host Johnny Carson's boyhood home in Norfolk, Neb., is auctioning the house on e-Bay, starting price $150,000 (at press time, there had been no nibbles). For those without that kind of change to plunk down on what is "sure to become one of the most beloved landmarks in America," according to the seller, also up for bid are nine lots of plaster from a renovated stairwell "which Johnny passed through many thousands of times." Starting price on those, a mere $9.99. Each chunk of plaster comes with a certificate of authenticity and a "documented" 12-digit code to ensure that no bogus plaster hunks can be passed off as Carson's own.

Damn opportunists! NBC reported just last night that it was "on the market" for 95K!

[Captain Kundalini]

What really cracked me up was this Swiss chick who was telling Johnny how if her husband got a tune in his head, he would wake her up at 3 in the moring or something like that and she would play her accordian.
Johnny laughed his ass off and so did I because it brought this (http://www.captkundalini.com/Music/Squeeze%20Box.mp3) to mind.

[Gummer]

What really cracked me up was this Swiss chick who was telling Johnny how if her husband got a tune in his head, he would wake her up at 3 in the moring or something like that and she would play her accordian.
Johnny laughed his ass off and so did I because it brought this (http://www.captkundalini.com/Music/Squeeze%20Box.mp3) to mind.

I could never figure out if there's some sexual undertones to that song... I guess it's all in your head...so to speak! :D

BTW - that's not the Sinatra Rickles clip I was thinking of...there's a much longer and better one floating around! I only hope someday Johnny's shows are released on DVD...perhaps they have I just found them yet.

[Sean]

I could never figure out if there's some sexual undertones to that song... I guess it's all in your head...so to speak! :D

BTW - that's not the Sinatra Rickles clip I was thinking of...there's a much longer and better one floating around! I only hope someday Johnny's shows are released on DVD...perhaps they have I just found them yet.

I believe they are available on DVD. At least "the best of" are.

[Gummer]

I believe they are available on DVD. At least "the best of" are.

Thanks Sean...it's been so long since I've watched good comedy I've all but forgotten how to laugh.

I'll check it out!

[Shecoda]

Catching Carson is now easier than ever

By Robert P. Laurence
TELEVISION CRITIC

January 27, 2005

Johnny Carson may be dead, but he's not gone

He'll be back on television tonight, his old comedy routines are selling large on DVD, and he'll be saluted by the United States Senate.

If you're a really dedicated fan, you might want to buy his boyhood home. The four-bedroom house in Norfolk, Neb., is being offered on eBay, listed at just more than $95,000, considerably cheaper than a sleeping bag on a sidewalk in La Jolla.

TV Land, the cable channel dedicated to TV's golden oldies, at 10 tonight will air "TV Land Legends: The 60 Minutes Interviews featuring Johnny Carson." It will be the interview that Mike Wallace did with Carson in 1979.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050127/news_1c27carson.html

[Captain Kundalini]

It's no secret the late, great Johnny Carson jumpstarted the careers of many fellow funny folk like Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno. So it was they and a number of famous friends who gathered Tuesday night for an intimate and private memorial at the famous Hollywood eatery Dan Tana's (http://www.seeing-stars.com/Dine2/DanTanas.shtml).
"They were here for hours actually," Dan Tana told ET about the huge roster of comics who attended. "They had dinner and then stayed for hours!"
Dan said they honored Johnny with their laughter. "It was a wonderful thing to see all these comedians," he said. "He would be very happy to hear the nice things they were saying about him."
Also joining in on the heartfelt tribute were entertainers like Chris Rock, Garry Shandling and Bill Maher.
Carson may have inspired countless entertainers, but his own interest in entertaining the masses was sparked while growing up in the Midwestern town of Norfolk, NE in the beloved home on 306 South 13th Street, where he famously performed magic for his friends and family.

Johnny's childhood home is now up for sale on the megapopular website eBay and we take you inside the welcoming house! With the starting bid of $93,500, "Tonight Show" fans and homebuyers alike can own the rare piece of history adorned with Johnny's personal touches.
According to eBay, the home has been closely restored to its original state from the time Johnny lived there in the '30s and '40s. It features five bedrooms, 1.5 baths, and it can still be seen where he and his brother Dick carved their names into the rafters.
The big front porch was reportedly Johnny's first stage and the busy street where the home is located has now been officially named Johnny Carson Boulevard.
Carson admirers know the home well. The talk-show host spoke of it regularly and even made a 90-minute special in 1982 for NBC called "Johnny Goes Home," where he took the TV audience on a tour of his much-loved abode.

[nightcat]

Y'know, I was pretty sure that I remembered Johnny's passing predicted last month by one of Art's callers. So I looked through the old TO posts:

http://imaginativeworlds.com/forum/showthread.php3?p=7793#post7793

It's too bad this prediction had to be one to come true - I'd rather it had been a big "Bonk", but we'll have to give it a respectfully slow and funereal "Ding... Ding... Ding..."

Looking back at the predictions, I hope that we get a lot of Bonks. They weren't too very cheerful...

[Captain Kundalini]

(Sigh) One last time (http://www.captkundalini.com/Music/Doc%20Severinsen%20-%20Johnnys%20Theme.mp3).

[Sean]

David Letterman is back from vacation and he will be expressing his own thoughts about Johnny Carson. I don't know if the entire show will be dedicated to the Late Great.
I plan to tune in and see.

[Captain Kundalini]

David Letterman is back from vacation and he will be expressing his own thoughts about Johnny Carson. I don't know if the entire show will be dedicated to the Late Great.
I plan to tune in and see.

I just saw the show and it was simply wonderful. This was the first time I ever saw Dave show emotion, even though he fought hard to hold it back, you could tell he was sad (biting on his thumbnail or tapping his chin with a pencil).
The high point to me was when Doc, Tommy Newsome, Ed O'Shaughnessy, a string section and Paul Shaffer played "Here's That Rainy Day". Tommy was on Sax and Doc was on flugelhorn. When the music ended, there was, for just a moment, a reverent silence. You could have heard a pin drop. It was followed by thunderous applause. I wish I had recorded the music. :(

http://www.captkundalini.com/Graphics/Johnny%20Carson%202a.jpg

Goodbye, Johnny.

[BadBoy]

Here's a Yahoo news report on Letterman's tribute show:
http://tv.yahoo.com/news/ap/20050201/110724870000.html

Letterman Pays Special Tribute to Carson

David Letterman paid tribute to Johnny Carson on Monday by telling his jokes.

On his first "Late Show" since Carson's death on Jan. 23, Letterman's opening monologue was comprised entirely of jokes that Carson had quietly sent to him over the past few months from retirement in California.

Letterman didn't tell the audience until after the monologue was over who wrote the jokes. His guest on Monday's show, former Carson producer Peter Lassally, had revealed a few days before Carson had died that the retired "Tonight" show host missed his nightly monologue and had written jokes for Letterman.

Even Johnny, in his final months, couldn't resist a Paris Hilton joke.

Letterman noted how Hilton's dog, Tinker Bell, was missing for a few days because it was "with the Taco Bell chihuahua making a sex video."

Another joke noted that Democrat John Kerry, under fire for his Vietnam service record, was criticized for throwing away some of his military service medals.

"Not to be outdone, President Bush threw away his National Guard spotty attendance records," he said.

Some of Carson's other jokes involved low carb diets, Saddam Hussein and Donald Trump's hair.

"I moved to Los Angeles from Indianapolis in 1975, and the reason I moved is because of Johnny Carson and the `Tonight' show," Letterman said. "And I'm not the only one. I would guess that maybe three generations of comedians moved to be where Johnny was because if you thought you were funny and you wanted to find out if you could hit major league pitching, you had to be on the `Tonight' show."

Letterman said his first "Tonight" appearance led to his first NBC show.

"Truthfully, no stretch of the imagination, I owe everything in my professional career, whatever success we've attained, to Johnny Carson, because he was nice enough to give me the opportunity, and throughout my career, was always very supportive."

The entire show was devoted to Carson, filled with reminiscences from Lassally and Letterman. Lassally said Carson would call him frequently and read his monologue jokes, and it was only after prodding that he sent some to Letterman.

"He was delighted that you did them and that the audience laughed at them," Lassally said.

At the end, Carson's old bandleader Doc Severinsen and some of his band including put-upon sax player Tommy Newsome performed one of Carson's favorite songs, "Here's That Rainy Day."

When Carson retired in May 1992, it set up a battle between Letterman and Jay Leno over who would succeed him. NBC chose Leno but the joke pipeline was an indication that Carson privately considered Letterman the better host.

Letterman's CBS show was in reruns last week, allowing Leno the jump on a late-night Carson tribute. Leno's highly rated show last week included former Carson sidekick Ed McMahon and comics Bob Newhart and Don Rickles.

Letterman said everybody who's doing a talk show, himself included, is secretly doing Carson's "Tonight" show.

"The reason we're all doing Johnny's `Tonight' is because you think, `Well, if I do Johnny's "Tonight" show, maybe I'll be a little like Johnny and people will like me more,'" he said. "But it sadly doesn't work that way. It's just, if you're not Johnny, you're wasting your time."