Latest news with #JohnnyCarson
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Johnny Carson's eldest son Christopher dead at 74
Johnny Carson's eldest son, Christopher Carson, has died at 74. The King of Late Night TV's close friend, Howard Smith, confirmed that Chris died earlier this year, during his appearance on Joe Sibilia's 'Nostalgia Tonight' podcast on Monday. He shared that Johnny's nephew, Jeff Sotzing, informed him of Chris' death two months prior. Smith did not reveal Chris' cause of death. Chris was living in Florida when he died. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson host — who passed away in 2005 — shared three sons with his first wife, Joan Morrill Wolcott. They welcomed Chris in 1950, followed by his brothers Rick the next year and Cory in 1953. The pair divorced in 1963. 'When John died, I tried to keep in communication with Chris,' Smith explained. 'I moved and bought a house outside of Fort Lauderdale. And at this golf club that I joined, I said to the guys, "You guys know Chris Carson?" The guy said, "Oh yeah, he's a member here." And I go, "Oh God." I said, "Well, I'm trying, you know, I'm a friend of his dad and all that. And I've been trying to get a hold of Chris, and Chris never got back with me."' 'When I went to this show that Jeff put on about John, and it was a fantastic, two-hour show that he did for about 100 people, and I said, "So Jeff, what's happening with Chris?" And he looks at me, goes, "Howard, Chris just died last week."' '"Really?" I go, "Oh no."' Smith shared that his bond with Chris grew strong during Johnny's golf trips when he was younger. 'Chris was an avid golfer, and so when he used to come, he lived in Florida, Fort Lauderdale, when he used to come to visit his dad, he would bring his clubs, because I would take them,' he said. 'We would play golf together, and John wouldn't play golf. John did play golf at one time, but he would just ride along with us.' In the 1980s, Chris made headlines following the birth of his daughter, Christal Love Carson, with long-term girlfriend Tanena Love Green. Their split resulted in a highly publicized child support court case. During the trial, it was revealed that Chris worked as a golf instructor, but his main financial backing was from his father, who supplied him with cars, a house, and $35,000 each year. Chris' brother Rick died at the age of 39 in a car accident on June 21, 1991. Smith shared that 'Cory is still alive,' adding, 'But I don't know. They don't see anybody that much.' Chris and Cory both remained out of the public eye. Following Johnny's death in 2005, his loved ones emphasized his wish for his family to live privately. Johnny hosted the final Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson episode on May 22, 1992. Carson's audience, which was more than triple the size of all three current network late-night shows combined, made him incredibly affluential across the '60s, '70s, and '80s. He died in January 2005 at age 79.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Johnny Carson's son, Chris Carson, dead at 74
Johnny Carson's eldest son, Christopher Carson, has died at age 74. His death was confirmed by his father's longtime friend, Howard Smith, who revealed that Chris had died earlier this year, though did not reveal his cause of death. Speaking on Joe Sibilia's 'Nostalgia Tonight' podcast Monday, Smith said he learned of Chris' death two months ago from the late television host's nephew, Jeff Sotzing. Advertisement 4 Johnny Carson's eldest son, Christopher Carson, has died at age 74. Alamy Stock Photo 'When John died, I tried to keep in communication with Chris,' Smith said. 'I moved and bought a house outside of Fort Lauderdale.' 'And at this golf club that I joined, I said to the guys, 'You guys know Chris Carson?' The guy said, 'Oh yeah, he's a member here.' And I go, 'Oh God.' I said, 'Well, I'm trying, you know, I'm a friend of his dad and all that. And I've been trying to get a hold of Chris, and Chris never got back with me,'' he went on. Advertisement 'When I went to this show that Jeff put on about John, and it was a fantastic, two-hour show that he did for about 100 people, and I said, 'So Jeff, what's happening with Chris?' And he looks at me, goes, 'Howard, Chris just died last week.' 'Really?' I go, 'Oh no.' ' The 'Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' host had shared three sons with his first wife, Joan Morrill Wolcott. The pair had welcomed Chris in 1960, son Rick the following year, and Cory in 1953. However, Rick had died in a car accident in 1991 at age 39. 4 The legendary TV host died in January 2005 at age 79. ASSOCIATED PRESS Advertisement 4 The 'Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' host had shared three sons with his first wife, Joan Morrill Wolcott. Getty Images 'Cory is still alive,' Smith said. 'But I don't know. They don't see anybody that much.' Smith recalled how Cory would tag along to his famous father's golf trips when he was a youngster. 'Chris was an avid golfer, and so when he used to come, he lived in Florida, Fort Lauderdale, when he used to come to visit his dad, he would bring his clubs, because I would take them,' he said. Advertisement 'We would play golf together, and John wouldn't play golf. John did play golf at one time, but he would just ride along with us.' While Chris had largely kept out of the public eye throughout his life, he made headlines in the 1980s after becoming embroiled in a bitter custody battle with his ex Tanena Love Green over their daughter, Christal Love Carson. 4 The pair had welcomed Chris in 1960, son Rick the following year, and Cory in 1953. Getty Images Throughout the trial, it was revealed that Chris had been making a living as a golf instructor — though his main source of income were handouts from his famous father. His dad, who hosted the final 'Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' episode on May 22, 1992, died in January 2005 at age 79.
New York Post
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Johnny Carson asked sheriff to drive him home after drinking: book excerpt
While the world knew famed late-night host Johnny Carson as the funny man who America welcomed into their homes for 30 seasons, Howard Smith knew him as a kind, down to earth neighbor in Malibu. The pals first met when talent agent Jerry Weintraub and his wife, singer Jane Morgan, invited Smith and his wife Jane over for a star-studded dinner party. Morgan, now 101, asked the tech mogul if he could sit next to Carson — since despite him being an extrovert on air, he was more of an introvert at these functions. Advertisement 16 Johnny Carson, host of 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.' Jonathan Sotzing 'We talked,' Smith recounted in an exclusive interview with The Post. 'He had just moved four houses down and I have a tennis court and the reason Jane put us together was because he was shy.' '[Carson's wife], Alex [Maas], was with him that night,' explained the Malibu resident. 'I had never met John before but he was my hero. And at that dinner, we started talking about different things and he had just sold his beach house to John McEnroe and he said to me that one of the things he got John McEnroe to do in the sale was play tennis at Pepperdine.' Advertisement But Smith knew that despite hitting balls with a pro, playing on the college campus wasn't necessary. 16 Johnny Carson poses with his longtime friend and neighbor Howard Smith. 16 A tabloid captured a picture of Johnny Carson and Howard Smith after a tennis patch in Malibu. 'I said, well, I've got a tennis court anytime you want to,' the author recalled. 'I gave him my number and the next morning John called. I thought it was a prank. I couldn't believe he called me and he said, 'Can I come over and play tennis with you today?'' Advertisement From there, a friendship quickly formed and they went on to play the sport together weekly. 'We only played maybe three weeks when he said to me one day after a game, 'You know, next week I'm going to be 60 years old. I'm going to have dinner at Spago in Beverly Hills. I would love to have you and Jane come.'' 16 Howard and Jane Smith with Johnny Carson and Alex Maas. 16 Johnny Carson and Howard Smith. Advertisement Despite Smith thinking he was walking into a star-studded birthday bash, Carson invited the couple to an intimate dinner with only two other guests — proving how deep their bond became. 'I was anticipating this is a big party because I only knew him three or four weeks,' Smith said. 'So I get to the restaurant and it's Henry Bushkin, Joyce Dewitt, John, Alex, myself and Jane. I pinch myself going, 'Holy cow.' We played tennis and talked a little bit, but I didn't know him very well. I was so moved by being invited to his 60th birthday and being part of that little group.' That night one thing was clear: Smith became an intricate part of Carson's inner circle. While this year marks the 20-year anniversary of Carson's death at age 79 from emphysema, the retired businessman is now publishing his book — 'My Friend Johnny.' 16 Jane Smith, Johnny Carson and Alex Maas in Aspen. 'Knowing John for 25 years, when I used to go over to his house and we'd sit around and talk about different things and life, the wonderful thing that I've found while writing this book to me is I've reminisced and gone back to these memories,' Smith told The Post. The publication explores the 'neighbor turned close companion' and highlights many behind the scenes moments with Carson. In an excerpt from the book, exclusively obtained by The Post, Smith detailed a one-of-a-kind encounter that involved some booze and the Malibu sheriff. Advertisement 16 John and Alex on a toboggan ride. One night when Smith and Carson were out to dinner at La Scala, another table asked if they could buy the comic a drink. Well, one drink turned into another and another. The two realized they weren't in any shape to drive. 'The sheriff arrived and entered the restaurant,' Smith penned in his memoir. 'He seemed startled to see Johnny Carson and another gentleman waiting for him. 'Mr. Sheriff,' I said, as clearly as possible without slurring, 'We've both had too much to drink, and it would be a terrible tragedy if one of us tried to drive home. Would you do us the favor of driving us home?'' 'The sheriff looked at us, mainly at me, and said, 'This is highly irregular. I'm not supposed to do that.' He glanced at John and then back at me. 'For anyone.'' Advertisement 16 Alex Maas and Johnny Carson on their boat. With Carson's casual charm, he persuaded the sheriff to give them both a lift — a story that ended in flashing red and blue lights, lots of laughter and one confused wife. Smith also reflected on the bittersweet moment he and Carson had to put down the rackets for good. Carson was an avid smoker, but had quit shortly after tying the knot with Maas in 1987. Still, in his later years, his smoking had caused irrevocable damage. Advertisement 16 John and Alex at home in Malibu. 16 Johnny Carson and his high school teacher at her 90th birthday party. 'During an otherwise normal conversation at John's house after our regular match, he paused. With a wistful look in his eye, he said, 'Howard, we sure have had a lot of fun on many tennis courts, haven't we?'' 'Too much fun to count,' he replied. Advertisement ''Well, I'm so sad to say this, but … I'm afraid our tennis-playing days are over,'' Smith wrote. 'I wanted to push back. I wanted to tell him that we could play slower or set up rules so we wouldn't have to run as much. In reality, my (unfounded) fear was that no tennis would mean no friendship. Thankfully, our friendship blossomed into something much more than two guys playing tennis.' 16 Alex Maas and Johnny Carson in Aspen. Over the course of their 25-year friendship, many of Smith and Carson's memories included their spouses, Jane and Alex. Carson and Alex were wildly private — despite the tabloids trying to create explosive stories about the duo. 'With John being such a big star, the gossipers had to write something, so they wrote that their marriage was unusual and often troublesome. I think their marriage upset some of the media because Alex never played their game,' Smith recalled in his book. 'On the night of what would be his last birthday, John and Alex discussed that very topic. They knew the cost associated with being a Hollywood celebrity—mainly the invasion of their personal life—so they weren't angry with a particular writer or magazine. I'd seen him rant about so-called journalists before, but he didn't that night.' 'Rather, John said, 'We never cared what people said about our marriage. They get it wrong all the time. One day, they report on two people who are madly in love, and the next week, those same people file for divorce. As long as we'—he motioned to Alex, whose hand he held—'are happy, that's all that matters.'' 16 Johnny Carson holds Howard Smith's son Scott. 16 Johnny, Alex and Howard's son Scott. And that they were, up until Carson's passing on January 23, 2005. In the book, Smith recounted what he called 'the last supper' — an outing with the star just weeks before his heartbreaking death. 'Of the many dinners we had with him over 20 years, that was the longest time we ever sat at a dinner table together,' he shared. 'His memory was pin-sharp. It was as if he didn't want us to leave without telling us stories he had probably never told anyone. Jane and I had a blast. We were the last to leave the restaurant that night!' He wrote elsewhere, 'It made sense for John to behave that way. He knew he was dying, and he wanted to make sure he gave us the best of himself before he went.' 16 Johnny Carson, Doc Severinsen and Ed McMahon during the last episode of 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' on Friday, May 22, 1992. AP Photo May 22 marks the 33-year anniversary of Carson's final show, where 60 million people tuned in to watch 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.' Smith, of course, was in the audience. 'Jane and I were honored that he invited us to his final show, along with his wife, sons, and close family members,' Smith penned about the show, which aired from 1962 to 1992. 'He'd even ensured reserved private parking for us to make it easier. He'd decided not to bring in any guests that day. Rather, he shed the spotlight on Ed McMahon, his longtime sidekick, and his bandleader, Doc Severinsen.' 16 The finale episode of 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' on Friday, May 22, 1992. AP Photo Afterwards, the group celebrated when Carson 'threw an exclusive party at his home for his staff of many years.' The episode included a five-minute standing ovation, but Smith noted that Carson wasn't looking for an applause. 'In the end, John didn't want recognition,' his dear friend wrote. 'He wanted to recognize those who had helped him achieve so much. In fact, he even thanked the audience with a surprise gift from Tiffany's, a perpetual calendar inside a sterling silver frame made especially for those who attended his final show. John signed off for his last time by saying, 'And so it has come to this. I am one of the lucky people in the world. I've found something I've always wanted to do, and I have enjoyed every single minute of it.'' 16 Johnny Carson. AP Decades later, audiences are still as enamored by Carson and his late-night show. But now, Smith aims to pull back the curtain on the host's life without the cameras. 'I would say that John, looking down, would say, 'Howard, thank you buddy. I appreciate you doing this,'' Howard smiled, reflecting on how Carson may react to his book. After all, Smith simply wants the world to know his friend Johnny.
Chicago Tribune
22-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Today in History: Johnny Carson hosts his final episode of the ‘Tonight Show'
Today is Thursday, May 22, the 142nd day of 2025. There are 223 days left in the year. Today in history: On May 22, 1992, after a reign lasting nearly 30 years, Johnny Carson hosted his final episode of NBC's 'Tonight Show.' (Jay Leno took over as host three days later.) Also on this date: In 1939, the foreign ministers of Germany and Italy, Joachim von Ribbentrop and Galeazzo Ciano, signed a 'Pact of Steel' committing their two countries to a military and political alliance. In 1960, the strongest earthquake recorded struck southern Chile. The magnitude 9.5 quake claimed 1,655 lives, left 2 million homeless and triggered a tsunami responsible for over 230 additional deaths in Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines. In 1962, Continental Airlines Flight 11, en route from Chicago to Kansas City, Missouri, crashed near Unionville, Missouri, after a passenger ignited dynamite on board the plane, killing all 45 occupants of the Boeing 707. In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson, speaking at the University of Michigan, outlined the goals of his 'Great Society,' saying that it 'rests on abundance and liberty for all' and 'demands an end to poverty and racial injustice.' In 1969, the lunar module of Apollo 10, with Thomas P. Stafford and Eugene Cernan aboard, flew within nine miles of the moon's surface in a 'dress rehearsal' for the first lunar landing. In 1985, U.S. sailor Michael L. Walker was arrested aboard the aircraft carrier Nimitz, two days after his father, John A. Walker Jr., was apprehended by the FBI; both were later convicted of spying for the Soviet Union. (Michael Walker served 15 years in prison and was released in 2000; John Walker Jr. died in prison in 2014.) In 2011, a massive EF5 tornado struck Joplin, Missouri, with winds up to 250 mph, killing at least 159 people and destroying about 8,000 homes and businesses. In 2017, a suicide bomber set off an improvised explosive device that killed 22 people and injured over 1,000 following an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England. Today's Birthdays: Actor-filmmaker Richard Benjamin is 87. Songwriter Bernie Taupin is 75. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is 68. Singer Morrissey is 66. Singer Johnny Gill (New Edition) is 59. Actor Brooke Smith is 58. Model Naomi Campbell is 55. Actor Sean Gunn is 51. Actor Ginnifer Goodwin is 47. Actor Maggie Q is 46. Olympic speed skating gold medalist Apolo Anton Ohno is 43. Tennis player Novak Djokovic is 38. Actor Peyton Elizabeth Lee is 21.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
On This Day, May 22: Ireland is 1st to pass marriage equality in popular vote
On this date in history: In 1868, seven members of the Reno gang stole $98,000 from a railway car at Marshfield, Ind. It was the original "Great Train Robbery." In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt established Crater Lake National Park in southwest Oregon, the fifth-oldest national park in the United States. The defining feature is Crater Lake, the remains of Mount Mazama, a volcano that collapsed after a major eruption thousands of years ago. In 1972, Richard Nixon became the first U.S president to visit Moscow. In 1987, a tornado flattened Saragosa, Texas, population 185, killing 29 residents and injuring 121. In 1990, South Yemen and North Yemen united, forming the new Yemeni Arab Republic. In 1992, Johnny Carson ended his nearly 30-year career as host of The Tonight Show. In 2002, authorities in Birmingham, Ala., convicted a fourth suspect in a 1963 church bombing that killed four black girls. Bobby Frank Cherry, 71, a former Ku Klux Klansman, was sentenced to life in prison. In 2003, Annika Sörenstam became the first woman in 59 years to compete in a PGA event but her 5-over-par 145 through two rounds of the Bank of America Colonial tournament failed to make the cut. In 2011, the deadliest tornado to strike the United States in half a century roared into the heart of Joplin, Mo., with winds of 200 mph. It killed nearly 160 people, injured about 1,100 others and destroyed nearly one-third of the city. Damage was estimated in the $3 billion range. In 2015, voters in Ireland overwhelmingly approved a measure to allow civil same-sex marriage, making it the first nation in the world to legalize gay unions through a popular vote. In 2017, a suicide bomber killed 22 people attending an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England. More than 500 people sustained injuries. In 2020, at least 76 people died in a fiery crash of Pakistan International Airlines Flight PK-8303 near Karachi's Jinnah International Airport. In 2024, Ireland, Norway and Spain announced they would formally recognize Palestine as a state separate from Israel in an effort to inject renewed impetus into a hoped-for two-state solution to decades of conflict.
