http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/entertainment/10715623.htm?1c

(my mom heard it on the news and I googled it)

Johnny Carson, King of Late Night, Dies

JEFF WILSON

Associated Press

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.

Breaking News just in from ABC News:

FORMER 'TONIGHT SHOW' HOST JOHNNY CARSON DIES AT AGE 79

By JEFF WILSON, Associated Press Writer

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."

Another great legend gone. RIP Johnny....

RIP Johnny. :(

:( :crying: RIP, Mr. Carson.

How sad. They just did an article about him in the paper the other day. Apparently he writes jokes and sends them to David Letterman.

What a shame. He was an icon.

:(

I was on another message board and I just now heard about it on CNN.

RIP, Johnny. I watched many of his shows on "The Tonight Show". I loved when he did Carnac!! A true icon.

I know Leno is definitely going to say something tomorrow night on his show. He always knows the right words to say. He says it from his heart, too, it's not scripted.

RIP Johnny Carson :(

man this is sad new indeed :(

R.I.P. Johnny.

RIP, Johnny. http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/frown.gif You were so great that nobody can replace you and never will.

RIP Johnny. Now go make Heaven laugh

RIP, Johhny Carson :( :crying: :( :crying:

Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show" Theme (http://www.barbneal.com/wav/tvthemes/carson.wav)

RIP Johnny :(

aww

RIP Johnny :(

Oh man this is so sad. R.I.P. Johnny. :(

My dad was flipping through the channels when it said he had died. I was just...wow. RIP :(

:(

I adored this man. He was a true legend. I was hearing a little here and there that he was ill, but I didn't realize how ill.

He entertained his fans for decades will always be remembered.

I also didn't realize how ill Johnny was.
Just last week there was an article about him in one of the tabloid papers- it was either the Enquirer or the Globe.

How sad...R.I.P Johnny

Oh no. It just seemed like yesterday he was saying his last goodbyes on the final Tonight Show. :crying:

This has taken me by total surprise. What a loss! I feel as if someone I knew has died.

RIP Johnny :( :crying:

RIP Johnny Carson :(

My mom woke me up with this sad news. Great way to start the day. With all the so-called talent and the publicity hounds out there nowadays, Johnny was a breath of fresh air. Good at what he did, not overly-egotistical. Hollywood owes a great deal of gratitude to him.

Second Goodbye to Carson No Less Painful

http://ak.imgfarm.com/images/ap/thumbnails//OBIT_CARSON.sff_NY139_20050123175936.jpg (http://apnews.excite.com/image/20050123/OBIT_CARSON.sff_NY139_20050123175936.html?date=20050123&docid=D87Q30UO3)(AP) In this undated photo provided by
NBC, Johnny Carson begins an episode of the "Tonight Show" as...
Full Image (http://apnews.excite.com/image/20050123/OBIT_CARSON.sff_NY139_20050123175936.html?date=20050123&docid=D87Q30UO3)

NEW YORK (AP) - And so, it has come to this ... With those words, Johnny Carson made his graceful exit from "The Tonight Show" nearly 13 years ago. But few believed he would really be gone. And no one wanted to believe it.

Now, with his death at 79, Carson's fans must at last face the truth, and relinquish our long-dimming hope that he might yet pay us another visit on our TV screens.

Ruling late-night TV for 30 years, Carson was our common touchstone, from the things he chose to joke about to the guests he received at his couch. Indeed, at some point during King Johnny's reign, his show ceased to be simply a matter of entertainment. It became a shared reality.

Sure, we watched "The Tonight Show" for the comedy and chatter. But we got more than that once Ed McMahon declared "Heeere's Johnny!" In Carson, we saw ourselves. As our cultural arbiter, reading our minds, he truly was The Great Carnac.

Then he retired, leaving in his wake a clatter of competing hosts, a splintered world of late-night challengers. In his absence played out nightly proof that no one could fill the void he left. Not David Letterman or Jon Stewart. Not Carson's successor, Jay Leno, nor, waiting in the wings to replace Leno, Conan O'Brien.

No one voice could speak for all of us, after Carson. Or likely ever will.

Only last week, we learned that Carson had been sending the occasional joke to Letterman. An occasional gibe penned by the master and anonymously tucked into Dave's "Late Show" monologue! Discovering that we had heard from Carson even in this elemental, disembodied way had to give us a thrill.

But the measure of Carson's heft had been settled for all time in May 1994, when he made an unannounced appearance on "The Late Show." A bombshell TV event, he was on stage a total of 76 ovation-filled seconds, 43 of them enthroned at Dave's desk, which the host yielded to him. Carson beamed at the cheering audience, but said nothing (the official explanation: he had laryngitis). He didn't need to. Then he vanished again, stage right.

He was scarcely glimpsed after that, other than by his tight circle of friends. He said he was going away, and he meant it.

Maybe we should never have doubted him. Carson was always a Garbo-esque celebrity who, even at his most prominent, seldom was seen anywhere but behind the fortification of his "Tonight Show" desk, or standing on the star on the studio floor that marked where he delivered his monologue.

It was on that spot in May 1992 that he spent the last moments of his final "Tonight" broadcast, seated on a stool as he spoke from the heart. "And so, it has come to this," he began.

Then he expressed hope that "when I find something I want to do and think you would like, I can come back" to find fans "as gracious in inviting me into your homes as you have been."

But maybe he was just trying to ease the pain of parting, for himself no less than us. "I bid you a very heartfelt good night," he said in the next breath, signing off. An era was over, even more than we could understand - until now.

I saw it on the news today and was quite shocked. May he rest in peace. :(

This is shocking and very sad. I hadn't heard about it until I saw a commercial break during the Patriots/Steelers game. May God be with his family and may he rest in peace. :(

Johnny was the greatest. There will never be another like him.
R.I.P.

May he rest in peace.

That's so sad. :( There will never be another like him.

I have "The Santa Clause" on VHS, it has the "Tonight Show" promo spot. I've seen the commercial for the "Best of the Tonight Show" 4-volume set on VHS (the DVD isn't even out yet!) It has three incredible moments from the show plus the last show he did with Johnny Carson since it was aired back in 1992. That was so sad. I hope he would be gone but not forgotten.:(

http://i8.ebayimg.com/02/i/03/37/50/04_1_b.JPG

Remember the movie "The Shining" in which Jack Nicholson breaks the door with an axe and hewas spying at her in the bedroom and saying "Heeeeere's Johnny!!!". Here is what he said

http://161.58.5.90/shining/johnny.wav

As a child of the 1970s and ealy 1980s, I grew up watching the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. I was watching E! when I heard the news that he had died and went into shock. God Bless him and as his loved ones and may he always be remembered...

You will be missed!!

R.I.P :(

RIP :(

RIP Johnny.

I read it last night, and there are some really nasty postings there. One piece of (stuff) said that Johnny's burning down in Hell unless he accepted Jesus as his saviour! If anything, Johnny Carson was admitted into Heaven right away! :(

I read it last night, and there are some really nasty postings there. One piece of (stuff) said that Johnny's burning down in Hell unless he accepted Jesus as his saviour! If anything, Johnny Carson was admitted into Heaven right away! :(

Don't listen to those idiots. They're just jealous because they will never be as great as Mr. Carson was :rolleyes:

R.I.P

Aw RIP. :(

Carson was like the uncle we all wished we had.

Funny, patient (look at some of his guests), concerned, and quick to be reassuring and complimentary.

He knew how to give it out and to take it, and he was a gentleman all the way.

God Bless You Johnny.

TV LAND WILL REMEMBER TELEVISION LEGEND JOHNNY CARSON

New York, NY, January 24, 2005 – TV Land will honor the memory of television legend and late-night pioneer Johnny Carson with an encore presentation of TV Land Legends: The 60 Minutes Interviews featuring Johnny Carson on Thursday, January 27 at 10pm ET/PT (encores 1am and again 1/29 at 9:30am). Carson, who passed away on Sunday, January 23, at the age of 79, entertained generations as the host of The Tonight Show for 30 years.

“We share the country’s sadness in the passing of this television legend,” says Larry W. Jones, President, TV Land and Nick At Nite. “An entire generation grew up with Johnny Carson as he was the last person most of us saw every night for 30 years before going to bed. He was an American icon. His legend is truly remarkable and unmatched and he will be deeply missed.”

TV Land will rebroadcast this episode of TV Land Legends: The 60 Minutes Interviews as it shows a very personal side of this late-night legend who rarely exposed himself in interviews. The show features footage that didn’t air in the original 60 Minutes interview and features the many facets of Johnny Carson. After initially turning down the offer, in 1979, Carson agreed to become the interviewee and spoke frankly with Mike Wallace about his work on The Tonight Show and aspects of his personal life including his deep shyness which many interpreted as his being distant and guarded. We also see Carson talk about some of his more light-hearted hobbies such as tennis, card tricks and playing the drums. In addition, TV Land will air a memorial spot paying tribute to the legendary comedian.

Johnny Carson was born in Corning, Iowa, in 1925, but grew up in Norfolk, Nebraska. While his first break came at age 14 with a magic act in Nebraska, the entertainer landed his first big break in California in 1950 as a staff announcer for KNXT (now KCBS-TV) which eventually led to his own television show called “Carson’s Cellar.” Carson moved to ABC in 1957 as host of the game show “Who Do You Trust?” where he was teamed with his future Tonight Show sidekick Ed McMahon. While hosting the game show, Carson appeared in a number of television variety shows and in 1958 was asked to fill in for Jack Paar in NBC’s The Tonight Show.

Carson was introduced to the nation as the new host of The Tonight Show on October 1, 1962. Carson received six Emmy Awards, the Governor’s Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 1980 and a George Foster Peabody Award in 1986. He was inducted into the ATAS Hall of Fame in 1987. Carson also won the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the American Comedy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992 and in 1993 he received the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award. With his trademark golf swing at the end of every monologue, irreverent characters and impeccable timing, the nation was hearing “Here’s Johnny” for 30 years until his reign ended on May 22, 1992.

CBS News Productions is the production company of CBS News that creates a diverse mix of non-fiction and reality programming for domestic and international markets, including network and cable television, home video, CD-ROM, audio books and in-flight, as well as schools and libraries. Margery Baker-Riker is Vice President of CBS News Productions.

I was really shocked to hear that on CNN yesterday. Been losing alot of greats, lately. :(

R.I.P, Johnny.

Here are some great Carson one liners from today's Daily News:

"Any time four New Yorkers get into a cab together without arguing, a bank robbery has just taken place."

"I know a man who gave up smoking, drinking, sex and rich food. He was healthy right up to the day he killed himself."

"For three days after death, hair and fingernails continue to grow but phone calls taper off."

"I know you've been married to the same woman for 69 years. That is marvelous. It must be very inexpensive."

"I was so naive as a kid, I used to sneak behind the barn and do nothing."

"If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead."

"New York is an exciting town where something is happening all the time, most unsolved."

"If [Salman] Rushdie's book got [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini mad, wait till he sees the swimsuit edition of the Koran."

"The only thing money gives you is the freedom of not worrying about money."

Here are some great Carson one liners from today's Daily News:

"Any time four New Yorkers get into a cab together without arguing, a bank robbery has just taken place."

"I know a man who gave up smoking, drinking, sex and rich food. He was healthy right up to the day he killed himself."

"For three days after death, hair and fingernails continue to grow but phone calls taper off."

"I know you've been married to the same woman for 69 years. That is marvelous. It must be very inexpensive."

"I was so naive as a kid, I used to sneak behind the barn and do nothing."

"If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead."

"New York is an exciting town where something is happening all the time, most unsolved."

"If [Salman] Rushdie's book got [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeini mad, wait till he sees the swimsuit edition of the Koran."

"The only thing money gives you is the freedom of not worrying about money."

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I especially love the one about Elvis still being alive!!!

I also like when he would play Carnac and Ed would say "I have in my hand, the last envelope". The audience would cheer and Johnny would have this look on his face, and he would say something like, "May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits"!!!

I also love the "It was so hot" jokes and the audience would yell back "How hot was it?"

I didn't realize how much I really missed him until I started watching all the things they had on TV yesterday about him.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I especially love the one about Elvis still being alive!!!

I also like when he would play Carnac and Ed would say "I have in my hand, the last envelope". The audience would cheer and Johnny would have this look on his face, and he would say something like, "May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits"!!!

I also love the "It was so hot" jokes and the audience would yell back "How hot was it?"

I didn't realize how much I really missed him until I started watching all the things they had on TV yesterday about him.

Yeah, I forgot how funny some of his bits were. I am going to pick up the DVD set of his greatest Tonight Show moments.

My favorite Carnac joke:

(holds up the envelope) - "Sis, boom, bah..."

(opens envelope) "What is the sound made when a sheep explodes."

:lol:

Yeah, I forgot how funny some of his bits were. I am going to pick up the DVD set of his greatest Tonight Show moments.

My favorite Carnac joke:

(holds up the envelope) - "Sis, boom, bah..."

(opens envelope) "What is the sound made when a sheep explodes."

:lol:

Classic!!

I just heard a Carnac joke last night...

"Opec"
"What an Irish chicken does". :lol:

Remember the song "Here's Johnny" by Weird Al Yankovic? I love that song, because it bring some tears to my eyes.:(

I forgot to tell you, this past Sunday. I put an avatar in memory of Johnny Carson. I can keep it until Saturday.:)

Its sad to hear about his death,still,79 is pretty good.If someone told me today I'd live to 79,I'd be happy.

Rest in peace, Johnny Carson.

One of his funnier moments during an interview with a golfer an his wife:

Johnny (after asking several questions of the golfer, turns to the wife): And do you do anything special to help him prepare for a game?

golfer's wife: Well, yes - before each game I clean his balls.

Johnny (with a straight face and absolutely no hesitation): I bet that makes his putter go straight.

:lol:

One of his funnier moments during an interview with a golfer an his wife:

Johnny (after asking several questions of the golfer, turns to the wife): And do you do anything special to help him prepare for a game?

golfer's wife: Well, yes - before each game I clean his balls.

Johnny (with a straight face and absolutely no hesitation): I bet that makes his putter go straight.

:lol:
:rotflmao:

:lol: :lol: :lol:


I also love the "It was so hot" jokes and the audience would yell back "How hot was it?"

I think Johnny's staff was watching Match Game 70's on CBS (I call it The CBS Match Game) for those "How ____ is/was it?" or whatever when the game show became a hit. That's how they borrowed that line from that great Goodson/Todman show! It was the best!