Carson The Magnificent by Bill Zehme with Mike Thomas

Just like Johnny Carson himself, this book is pure entertainment and a really “swell trip” down Memory Lane.

Many nights I find myself tuning in to old re-runs of the Johnny Carson Show. While Carson’s last show aired in 1992, it lasted almost three decades! That in itself shows you the influence and draw Carson had on late night television.

Watch the re-runs found on retro-TV stations and guess what — the show still stands the test of time! It was a much different time for TV viewers during 1962 through 1992, but Carson kept everyone entertained. Famed (and not so famed) guests graced his show. There were animal trainers bringing exotic live animals to the show, up-and-coming comedians, people with unusual talents and hot ticket stars like Frank Sinatra, Burt Reynolds, Bette Davis, Farrah Fawcett and Bob Hope (just to name a few). Even today, the show is still funny and entertaining.

Carson The Magnificent gives us clear screen shots of Johnny’s life growing up as a kid, all the way through his many careers (the most famous, being the Tonight Show), his retirement and his passing. And what an incredibly interesting life this guy had!

Here was a kid growing up in Norfolk, Nebraska, who at the age of 14 took a major interest in magic. Even on The Tonight Show, some of Carson’s regular skits featured him in colorful garb as a magician who “knew all” and could “see all.”

The conjuring, misdirection and timing as a young magician helped him shape his “commanding personality” and he used them to his advantage.  At age 14, he became the Great Carsoni, and got his first paid gig!  He performed at fairs, churches, socials, etc.  His keen interest in “magic” stayed with him throughout his entire lifetime.

This book also delves into how “Carson was the chosen one” to succeed former Tonight Show host, Jack Paar – and how he almost turned it down. Folks may remember the original Tonight Show featuring Carson, was a NYC fixture until a decade later when it moved to Burbank, California.

This outstanding book on the life and times of Johnny Carson is for everyone who has ever watched and enjoyed his show. It’s obvious that late Bill Zehme with Mike Thomas left no stone unturned when they did their research.

It’s a book that is definitely “all things Carson” –including his career in the military and as a game show host. Carson The Magnificent is tightly written about Carson from start to finish.

Even the show’s “end” is elaborated in great detail. While viewers were warned well in advance of Johnny’s last TV season (via live on the air), his leaving still put folks in shock as the last show quietly faded to black. Enter Jay Leno, but it would never be the same.

Carson died in January 2005 from natural causes. He led an interesting, entertaining, and at times, very challenging life. This book tells it like it “was.” Anyone who has ever enjoyed the Tonight Show will want to grab a copy of Carson The Magnificent. Hats off to the late Bill Zehme and Mike Thomas for their years of research and incredible writing, enabling us to get a true portrait of Johnny Carson.

Published by Simon & Schuster, you can find this book online and in bookstores.