Candid Facts About Johnny Carson, The King Of Late-Night
Think late-night talk show hosts and the one name that pops up immediately in everyone’s minds is Johnny Carson. And after 30 years of hosting The Tonight Show, it’s no wonder either. Carson was undoubtedly the trendsetter for the late-night format. It was he who started setting the pace of the show with a monologue, followed by a comic sketch, guest interviews, and comic or musical performances. Night after night, audiences tuned in to watch Carson talk about everyday things in his pleasant and quick-witted manner. It was a great way to unwind and end the day.
So now you too should sit back, relax and enjoy these 45 facts about the original influencer, and the king of late-night television: Johnny Carson.
1. Magic John
Johnny Carson (born John William Carson) discovered his love for entertaining people when he found a book on magic at a friend’s house. He quickly ordered a magician’s kit through the mail and started practicing his skills on family members.
His mother sewed him a cape and he got his first paid gig at the age of 14, when he performed as “The Great Carsoni” and was paid $3 for a show.
2. The Age of Innocence
Carson was born in Corning, Iowa and moved to Norfolk, Nebraska with his family when he was eight. He reportedly had a happy and peaceful childhood.
Although he was a shy child, he was courageous enough to make his debut on the school stage and act as a bumblebee.
Apart from school plays and his magic performances, Carson worked as a movie usher, sold newspaper subscriptions door-to-door, wrote a humor column in his high school newspaper, and contributed funny anecdotes in his school yearbook.
Even before he hit it big, Carson was a busy guy!
3. Nautical Tales
Carson had been debating whether to become a psychiatrist or a journalist when he was accepted in the United States Navy’s V-12 training program at Columbia University. He eventually became a communications officer and was on the USS Pennsylvania “en route to the combat zone” when the conflict ended with the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
4. More Nautical Tales
While he was still in the Navy, Carson posted a 10-0 boxing record on board his ship the USS Pennsylvania. He claimed that the highest point in his Navy life was when he performed magic tricks for the United States Secretary of the Navy, James V.
Forrestal. Forrestal asked Carson to perform for him after he said he would work as a magician when he was discharged.
Carson was happy to have successfully entertained Forrestal despite the general's cranky and sophisticated demeanor.
