Dave Letterman's Tribute To The Greatest....Johnny Carson.

[Gregory Earl]

John William "Johnny" Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005)


It's been 3 years ago today since the passing of the legendary Johnny Carson. Seems longer than that. I guess because he had been off the air already for quiet a while. The week Johnny died Leno paid tribute to him the very next night. It was a good show, but I wanted to see what Dave's show would be like. Letterman and Carson were very close.

But I couldn't! Darn! Dave was on vacation that week. So we all had to wait for him to return with his tribute show. And what a show it was. This has just recently been put up on youtube. I hope all the Carson lover's on this forum that didn't get to see this during it's first run gets to see it here. I've put it all together for you on my account. Enjoy. And make sure you've got the Kleenex handy. The second clip, Dave has trouble holding it all together.

Open an adult beverage and enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=08518C5D2A582B08

[tim_neely]

I watched it the night it originally aired. Other than the clip with the old Tonight Show band members, I hadn't seen it since. I watched it from beginning to end, and it is just as moving now as it was then.

Thanks. :thumbsup:

[Gregory Earl]

You are welcome Tim. :)

From Clip#2

"There are so many things you miss about Johnny Carson. ... I was nearly this sad when the guy retired. ... Johnny Carson was like a public utility. At the end of the day, that's who you wanted to be there. ... The way that you know that Johnny was such a tremendous part of your life was when there was a guest host. You would be waiting all day to see Johnny and you'd tune in and there would be a guest host. And it would make you angry. And you'd be steaming mad, not at Johnny, you would always take out your anger at the guest host.

"The 'Tonight Show' didn't become the 'Tonight Show' until Johnny did it. He created the template for that show, and everybody else who is doing a show, myself included, we're all kind of secretly doing Johnny's 'Tonight Show.'" And the reason we're all doing Johnny's 'Tonight Show' 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.' But it sadly doesn't work that way. If you're not Johnny, you're wasting your time.

"I moved to Los Angeles from Indianapolis in 1975, and the reason I moved is because of Johnny Carson and the 'Tonight Show.' 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.'

"I was lucky enough to be on the 'Tonight Show' in 1978 and from that I got a show that Paul and I used to do over at NBC and from that we got this 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."

Letterman, remembering Carson:"Late Show With David Letterman," Jan. 31, 2005

[johnny33]

Ahhh Gregory thanks my friend. Any fan of Johnny is a friend of mine.Touching.

[jv66]

Thanks Gregory for the post. Wonderful stuff.

[RobMac]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvaUa559gMw


Only Johnny could have gotten that standing ovation.

[Evan L]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvaUa559gMw


Only Johnny could have gotten that standing ovation.

I think I remember reading somewhere that Johnny was supposed to do the Top Ten List that night(hence his sitting behind the desk), but decided not to once behind the desk(you can see Letterman's disappointment when he walks out from behind it).

Still, a great last shot.

Johnny was so cool.

Evan

[RobMac]

Stll it spoke very well of Johnny's respect for Letterman.

[DjBryan]

Ah David, he bows down to Johnny, nice to see how much he cared about him

[Gregory Earl]

I think I remember reading somewhere that Johnny was supposed to do the Top Ten List that night(hence his sitting behind the desk), but decided not to once behind the desk(you can see Letterman's disappointment when he walks out from behind it).

Still, a great last shot.

Johnny was so cool.

Evan



Stll it spoke very well of Johnny's respect for Letterman.

I believe the reason he didn't read the top 10 list that night was because it hurt too much.

The power the man still processed was obvious to all when he walked out on stage. And when Johnny sat down and looked out at that audience, he heard and felt the love for him. And for one fleeting moment he said to himself, "I can still do this". And he was right. He was still King. Then he looked down at the desk and stroked it, and at that point he new if he didn't get out of there right now before be did the "Top 10 List", the heartache of not having an outlet every week to be "Johnny Carson" would just hurt that much more.

I'm not a mind reader but every time I see that clip I think I'm pretty damn close to the truth.

[Chip TRG]

I believe the reason he didn't read the top 10 list that night was because it hurt too much.

The power the man still processed was obvious to all when he walked out on stage. And when Johnny sat down and looked out at that audience, he heard and felt the love for him. And for one fleeting moment he said to himself, "I can still do this". And he was right. He was still King. Then he looked down at the desk and stroked it, and at that point he new if he didn't get out of there right now before be did the "Top 10 List", the heartache of not having an outlet every week to be "Johnny Carson" would just hurt that much more.

I'm not a mind reader but every time I see that clip I think I'm pretty damn close to the truth.

I would buy that idea.

Here's one of my favorite Johnny/Dave clips.....the classic "arbitration" about Dave's Truck as was mentioned in Dave's tribute:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvb6W6jrA1o

[Gregory Earl]

I am laughing as I type :laugh: . That's another clip that just show's the love between these two late night TV icons. You made my day with that clip.

Thank you. :righton:

[matthew58]

Very cool clip, thanks for posting it. Boy, do I really miss Carson.

[shokhead]

Just bought off e-bay the Johnny Carson:The Ultimate Collection 3-DVD for 20 bucks new, its great as i remember every show on it.

[Chris C]

I believe the reason he didn't read the top 10 list that night was because it hurt too much.

The power the man still processed was obvious to all when he walked out on stage. And when Johnny sat down and looked out at that audience, he heard and felt the love for him. And for one fleeting moment he said to himself, "I can still do this". And he was right. He was still King. Then he looked down at the desk and stroked it, and at that point he new if he didn't get out of there right now before be did the "Top 10 List", the heartache of not having an outlet every week to be "Johnny Carson" would just hurt that much more.

I'm not a mind reader but every time I see that clip I think I'm pretty damn close to the truth.

Well I can tell you first hand that your thinking IS close to the truth. As a former radio announcer, I can only tell you that everytime somebody gives me that, "Hey I remember listening to you on the radio", that I don't get a bit choked up and thankful that ANYBODY outside of family, even remembers me on the radio, so I totally get what you're saying. When you see Johnny get thet standing ovation and the love that floods that studio, you can just see the sadness in Johnny's eyes that he isn't a part of that anymore. He probably never would have made it through that Top Ten list, to be honest and I think he added to his own greatness, by not doing it. NOTHING could have surpassed the warmth of just having him in the room for those few short seconds!

Anybody know if there is a studio recording of that arrangement of "Here's That Rainy Day" by Doc, Tommy and an orchestra? That was so powerful and they honestly should have (if they didn't?) immediately head to a professional studio and lay that arrangement down on tape, while the hurt was so fresh. That version even outdid the Bette Midler version and I NEVER thought I'd say that!

Chris C

[Evan L]

Gregory,

That sounds about right to me.

The man still had it.

Evan

[RobMac]

GE: yeah I think I understand. Still The Man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYh0yBsYeSU

Ignore the "dance" and listen to my fave song from one of my fave Beach Boys albums. I love that Brian Wilson thought to write a song about Johnny.

[SoundAdvice]

Throughout the 90's Johnny wrote jokes for David's monologue and had them sent to his office.

Whenever Letterman did the "golf swing" during a monologue it was just after he told one of the jokes Carson sent in.

Johnny Carson would watch at home and gauge the reaction.

SA

[Gregory Earl]

Yes SA, I've heard or read that before too. I can remember Dave doing a "a'la Carson" golf swing after a joke from time to time but just thought he was trying to inflect Johnny into the show. Never new the real reason behind it.

Rob, I'll never get that....um, song out of my mind. Thank you.

[SoundAdvice]

Johnny did not make a TV appearance in the last 11 years of his life. Re-read that line. His show was on every weekday for 30+ years.

He's one of the extreme few who walked away from showbiz on top of their game, with all the money and sanity and never came back.

SA

[jstraw]

Every word of this thread just makes the whole Leno thing ever more baffling. How the hell did Dave NOT inherit the Tonight Show?

[Gregory Earl]

Much has been written on the whole Carson Letterman Leno saga.

Michael, this is 3 articles written in session with a link at the bottom of each to the next. I'm going to go ahead and list them separately.

Part 1 (http://www.povonline.com/cols/COL012.htm)
Part 2 (http://www.povonline.com/cols/COL013.htm)
Part 3 (http://www.povonline.com/cols/COL014.htm)

Interesting reading. Once I started I couldn't stop. In part 3 he mentions the book "Late Shift" (I've read it but don't remember the details) which is written about the transition period and how it went down. But this fellow has a little different take than the book. The truth is probably somewhere in between.

[rockclassics]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvaUa559gMw


Only Johnny could have gotten that standing ovation.

.....and not utter one word.

[RobMac]

Yes SA, I've heard or read that before too. I can remember Dave doing a "a'la Carson" golf swing after a joke from time to time but just thought he was trying to inflect Johnny into the show. Never new the real reason behind it.

Rob, I'll never get that....um, song out of my mind. Thank you.

:D

Apparently, Brian was watching an episode of the Tonight Show and blurted out, "someone oughta write a song about Johnny Carson". The rest is history.

[Zowie]

Thank you so much for that.