Oh God, Johhny Carson dead

[Hawkeye]

This is a real shocker. Johnny Carson just died. He was 79 years old.

[amber]

oh man. that is sad indeed. RIP.

[catinthedark]

That's a great loss. You know, I saw him just the other day on some show, and thought, oh, he doesn't look good. OH! I remember what it was - it was some bit about Leno, and they were saying Johnny still writes a few jokes everyday and sends them in. And he gets a real kick when he hears them used.

What a sad loss.

[ryan8472]

Wow, this is just awful....do you know a link?

[WelshWitchPMD]

I just heard this on the radio right now. RIP Johnny.

[GateandGarden]

Here's an article about it.

LOS ANGELES - 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.

His wealth, the adoration of his guests — particularly the many young comics whose careers he launched — the wry tales of multiple divorces: Carson's air of modesty made it all serve to enhance his bedtime intimacy with viewers.

"Heeeeere's Johnny!" was the booming announcement from sidekick Ed McMahon that ushered Carson out to the stage. Then the formula: the topical monologue, the guests, the broadly played skits such as "Carnac the Magnificent."

But America never tired of him; Carson went out on top when he retired in May 1992. In his final show, he told his audience: "And so it has come to this. I am one of the lucky people in the world. I found something that I always wanted to do and I have enjoyed every single minute of it."

His personal life could not match the perfection of his career. Carson was married four times, divorced three. In 1991, one of his three sons, 39-year-old Ricky, was killed in a car accident.

Nearly all of Carson's professional life was spent in television, from his postwar start at Nebraska stations in the late 1940s to his three decades with NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."

Carson choose to let "Tonight" stand as his career zenith and his finale, withdrawing into a quiet retirement that suited his private nature and refusing involvement in other show business projects.

In 1993, he explained his absence from the limelight.

"I have an ego like anybody else," Carson told The Washington Post, "but I don't need to be stoked by going before the public all the time."

[hayley]

Originally Posted by catinthedark

That's a great loss. You know, I saw him just the other day on some show, and thought, oh, he doesn't look good. OH! I remember what it was - it was some bit about Leno, and they were saying Johnny still writes a few jokes everyday and sends them in. And he gets a real kick when he hears them used.

What a sad loss.

He wasn't sending jokes to Leno- he was sending them to Letterman. One of the things that's endeared me even more to Johnny over the years has been the knowledge that he (quietly) thought Leno was an unfunny hack.

Johnny was a class act. This is sad.

[Hawkeye]

I happen to think Letterman is great. And after he's over I switch over to Conan, who's also great. I HATED Craig Kilborn. Jay Leno's OK, but not as good as Letterman. But the best of late night is John Stewart's Daily Show.

[ontheEdgeof17]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

I happen to think Letterman is great. And after he's over I switch over to Conan, who's also great. I HATED Craig Kilborn. Jay Leno's OK, but not as good as Letterman. But the best of late night is John Stewart's Daily Show.

Letterman shouldn't have his own show. It is awful. His Top Ten? Useless.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by catinthedark

That's a great loss. You know, I saw him just the other day on some show, and thought, oh, he doesn't look good. OH! I remember what it was - it was some bit about Leno, and they were saying Johnny still writes a few jokes everyday and sends them in. And he gets a real kick when he hears them used.

That was (and rightfully so, IMO) Letterman.

[gldstwmn]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

This is a real shocker. Johnny Carson just died. He was 79 years old.

Not to be mean or anything but did you expect him to live forever?
My condolences to his family.

[Brwn_eyes0511]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye

This is a real shocker. Johnny Carson just died. He was 79 years old.

God Bless him! I loved him so much...great guy!


May his soul rest in peace!

[LilyRose]

I just have to share this.

I grew up in Omaha, NE and I still have a lot of family back there. My father's side of the family grew up in Lexington, NE. I remember my late Uncle Raymond telling the story of when he got out of the army (around the same time Johnny got out the Navy it turns out) he came back to NE and got married and moved to the "big city", Omaha. Him and my Aunt Mary moved to an apartment complex with their first child, a son named Chris. Right across the hall from them was Johnny and his first wife and their son named Chris. They became good friends, always seeing him in the apartments, going to watch his magic shows when he was "The Great Carsini" and then later watching him on his local Omaha show on WOWT.

My family is Mexican-American and at that time in NE people weren't necissarily nasty, but they weren't as nice as they could have been to them. Johnny never looked at that though. That tells a lot about a person...at that time period. My uncle passed on three years ago, but I talked to my Aunt Mary today and she was obviously very upset. She said that there was no one more deserving of all he achieved in his life.

He was a class act, a truely warm person, he will be greatly missed.

About the current late night hosts, I have to say that Letterman is the best. I think it's very telling that Johnny was sending Letterman jokes and not Leno. Leno should have never been given a show. He's not funny in the least. I can't wait until Conan takes over. I think he's second to Letterman.

Susie

[Livia]

Originally Posted by LilyRose

He was a class act, a truely warm person, he will be greatly missed.

About the current late night hosts, I have to say that Letterman is the best. I think it's very telling that Johnny was sending Letterman jokes and not Leno. Leno should have never been given a show. He's not funny in the least. I can't wait until Conan takes over. I think he's second to Letterman.

Susie

Great story, Susie, and I couldn't agree more - he was one of a kind, true comic genius, and there will never be anyone like him again...

Johnny and my father share the same birthday, October 23rd. They always reminded me of each other. I, like most people, literally grew up with Johnny Carson. I would beg my parents to let me stay up and watch whenever David Brenner was on, or Buddy Rich (drummer extraordinaire, he passed away several years ago). Maybe my PMS has something to do with it, but I cried a lot yesterday. Especially every time I saw the clip of Bette Midler singing to Johnny...I haven't been this upset over a celebrity's death since Stevie Ray Vaughan died. I watched all the news coverage, on and off during the day. Larry King, Dateline, etc. But I took a break to watch Shaun of the Dead (GREAT movie, btw!) For those who are interested, Ed McMahon is going to be on Larry King tonight.

Jay Leno is a tool. Letterman rules.

RIP, Johnny. You WILL be greatly missed! Like someone yesterday said, we've been missing you already, since you retired in 1992.