Johnny Carson (1925-2005)
 

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...tv/obit_carson

:( :(

RIP

Saw his show live a few times. A consumate entertainer. One of a kind.

So Sad! :(

I just read this and said NO!

(hadn't read the headlines on yahoo yet)

RIP Johnny :(

Oh my!! RIP:(

This is very, very sad. He will be missed. Thanks for all the laughs.

:(

I used to watch him all the time. I never thought that he was that funny because his monologues weren't that funny. I remember that there was a writers' strike, and he decided to keep the show going because there were a lot of people who worked on the show. He wrote his own monologues and they were hysterical. One night, the monologue wasn't funny. When he got behind his desk, he mentioned how great it was that the writers' strike was over, and that it was great to have them back.

The Clinton interview and the toilet paper scandal are my favorite memories. He was a great entertainer.

Great entertainer and a great show. He will be missed.

:(

Two classic sketches:

Ed Ames as an Indian (OK, Native American) teaching Carson how to throw a "tomahawk" and hitting the outline of a cowboy right between the legs.

Carson's comment, "Well you couldn't have hurt him any worse."

Then, the famous sketch with Jack Webb about the "Copper Clapper Caper," where "Cleveland's Claude Cooper copped some copper clappers."

Plus the Matinee Lady, Raul of Bayone and the Slawson Cutoff.

Funny stuff.

His Corvette had the very closest reserved parking space to the studio door in "Beautiful Downtown Burbank"

Oh, those 2 were classic for sure.

My daddy absolutely loved him! I just recently saw the part of his last show, when Bette Midler sang to him, and had tears in my eyes - Johnny was a man who wore his feelings out in the open.

One of his homes is next door to where my mother grew up (the Trimont, 'burghers) - Johnny's surviving wife is from Pittsburgh.

:( This is so sad. I think many of us considered him practically a member of the family since we saw him every evening.

I had no idea he was sick with emphysema. RIP.

so sad. :( shocking to hear.

Every time I see the clip of he & Bette Midler singing on his next to last show, I tear up. And I give him so much credit for retiring and staying retired...being able to walk away from the attention with dignity instead of being so addicted to it he had to keep coming back like so many "stars" today.

David Letterman, as usual, was right in saying "We will not see his like again."

RIP Johnny...you were the last thing that held everyone in this country together.

How sad. I loved to stay up and watch his opening monologue....he was the best!

:(

Heard about this on the BBC a few hours ago, and was stunned. I used to stay up and watch his opening monologue. RIP. :(

My favorite Carson clip...
 

The Tonight Show episode on October 16, 1987. That evening a woman from Fort Wayne, Indiana named Myrtle Young proudly showcased her delicate and rare collection of potato chips whose shapes resembled such images as "an angry dog" or a "little sleeping bird." A few minutes into the interview, Ed McMahon distracted the woman, as Johnny Carson appeared to eat one of the potato chips. Hearing a crunching noise coming from Carson's direction, the woman's mouth opened wide in disbelief and clasped her chest as if having a heart attack. After moments of uproarious laughter Johnny finally revealed a bowl of regular potato chips he had stashed out of sight and then returned the irreplaceable potato chip to the custody of his befuddled guest; but not before the audience and America got a good belly-laugh at her expense.

I taped his last episode. I'll have to try to watch it this week as a memorial. There will definitely be less laughs down here now. :(

beyond being funny, he seemed like a great guy.

i think conan o'brien is a lot like carson. he doesn't have the sidekick anymore, but they both started off writing, and are sometimes funniest when their joke bombs.

God bless, Johnny Carson. Here's to you, Johnny.

*golf swings*
R.I.P.

One of the streets in Burbank adjoining the NBC lot is named after Bob Hope. I'll bet there will soon be one named after Johnny Carson.

Johnny Carson set the Standard for Late Night T.V. Even though Jay Leno and David Letterman are talented and funny, Johnny will always be the King.

Thank you for sharing your gift to the world.

R.I.P. :(

This just made me cry.

If you watch Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, you know they have a black screen with the "not suitable for children" disclaimer, just white writing on black screen. Well tonight they followed it with these screens in succession:

Johnny Carson died.

We used to stay up to watch him when we were little.

Sometimes we'd fall asleep.

We'd feel happy, even if we didn't understand why.

And even though we didn't know it at the time

He shaped our lives.

Thanks and goodnight.

1925-2005

There is supposed to be a tribute to him tonight on The Tonight Show. I'm trying to stay awake to watch.

They just did another one:

We're sure The Tonight Show will air lots of Johnny Carson tributes tonight.

But the Tonight Show hasn't been The Tonight Show since Johnny left.

The real Tonight Show is the Late Show.

Hosted by a guy named David Letterman.

The opinions expressed are only those of Adult Swim - and you, the viewers.


no offense Dee ;) but I'll be watching Dave, and I'm not going anywhere near anything with Leno since he couldn't even say thanks to Johnny when he took the show over. F.O.

eta a really good link to an article from a few years ago in Salon. If you're too young to remember him really, this comes the closest I've seen to explaining why this is such a big deal.

http://dir.salon.com/people/bc/2001/...ndex.html?pn=4

I read Sheila's comment about him holding the country together, and that is so true.

You hear about great Americans all the time -- they are politicians, war heroes, entertainers, average people. Still, I can't even begin to think of someone who even comes close to Johnny.

The country's seen many dark days during Johnny's life, but in the decades of his public life, he reminded us that laughter makes life that much better.

I am just so fortunate that I had the opportunity to catch many of his late night episodes (even though I was supposed to be asleep as a kid!) and I hope many more generations will remember what a great person he truly was.

(From that final episode)

Johnny: "Okay. And once again, here's Bette Midler.";

Bette: ";Well, you know, when they asked me to come on and . . . I can't believe it! The last, the last guest. The last fool Mr. Carson will have to suffer gladly. You are the wind beneath my wings. Oh, well he is.";

Quarter to three. There's no one in the place
except you and me.
So set 'em up, Joe. Got a little story
I think you should know.

We're drinkin', my friend, to the end
of a sweet episode.
Make it one for my baby
and one more for the road.

Got the routine. So drop another nickel
in the machine.
Oh, gee, I'm feelin' so bad. Wish you'd make the music
so dreamy and sad.

You could tell me a lot. But it's not
in a gentleman's code.
Let's make it one for my baby
and one more for the road.

You may not know it,
but buddy you're a kind of poet.
And you've had a lot of things to say.
And when I'm gloomy
you always listen to me,
until it's talked away.

Well, that's how it goes.
And John I know you're getting
anxious to close.
So, thanks for the cheer.
I hope you didn't mind me
bending your ear.

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.

The Tonight Show is all clips of old Carson shows...

I watched Leno last night since Letterman was a repeat. I think that he did a great job. His guests were Don Rickles and Bob Newhart on together, Ed McMahon, Drew Carey, and kd Lang reminiscing about Johnny Carson. They showed some hilarious clips. I thought that it was a wonderful tribute.

I remember Johnny Carson's retirement and Leno taking over and not thanking him which I thought was in bad taste. A few years ago Jay Leno said that he regretted not thanking him. I think that he was given some crappy advice because normally he seems like a decent guy.

I think that Letterman will give Carson a great tribute as well. He probably will not have access to the great clips that Leno had since they are the property of NBC and the Tonight Show.