Johnny Carson
| Johnny Carson | |
|---|---|
Carson in October 1970
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| Birth name | John William Carson |
| Born |
October 23, 1925 Corning, Iowa, U.S. |
| Died | January 23, 2005 (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1950–1994 |
| Genres | Satire, sketch comedy, improvisational comedy |
| Subject(s) | Current events, American politics, American culture, pop culture |
| Spouse |
Jody Morrill Wolcott (m. 1949; div. 1963) Joanne Copeland (m. 1963; div. 1972) Joanna Holland (m. 1972; div. 1985) Alexis Maas (m. 1987; his death 2005) |
| Children | 3 |
| Signature |  |
| Website | johnnycarson |
John William "Johnny" Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American talk show host and comedian, best known for his 30 years as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992). Carson received six Emmy Awards, the Television Academy's 1980 Governor's Award, and a 1985 Peabody Award. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987. Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1993.
Although his show was already successful by the end of the 1960s, during the 1970s Carson became an American icon and remained so even after his retirement in 1992. He adopted a casual, conversational approach with extensive interaction with guests, an approach pioneered by Arthur Godfrey and previous Tonight Show hosts Steve Allen and Jack Paar. Former late-night host and friend David Letterman cited Carson's influence.
John William Carson was born on October 23, 1925, in Corning, Iowa, to Homer Lloyd "Kit" Carson (1899–1983), a power company manager, and Ruth (Hook) Carson (1901–1985), who was of Irish descent. He grew up in the nearby towns of Avoca, Clarinda, and Red Oak in southwest Iowa before moving to Norfolk, Nebraska at the age of eight. There, Carson grew up and began developing his talent for entertaining. At the age of 12, Carson found a book on magic at a friend's house and immediately purchased a mail-order magician's kit. After the purchase of the kit, Carson practiced his entertainment skills on family members with card tricks. He was known for following his family members around saying, "Pick a card, any card." Carson's mother sewed him a cape, and his first performance was staged in front of the local Kiwanis Club. He debuted as "The Great Carsoni" at age 14 and was paid $3 a show. Soon, many other performances at local picnics and country fairs followed. After graduating from high school, Carson had his first encounter with Hollywood. He hitchhiked to Hollywood, where he was arrested and fined $50 for impersonating a midshipman, a story often regarded as apocryphal. "Johnny embarked on an adventure, one so laden with implications about his future, that some have wondered if the escapade might not actually be a legend."
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Wikipedia