Tribute to Johnny

Johnny Carson: October 23, 1925 - January 23, 2005

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING TODAY:
Bob Wright, Bob Wright, Vice Chairman, GE, and Chairman and CEO, NBC Universal:
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Johnny Carson today. Johnny was a part of our NBC family for more than thirty years, long after his retirement in 1992, and he was a dear friend to both me and my wife, Suzanne. As host of "The Tonight Show," his gift was the ability to make millions of Americans feel they too had a close friendship with Johnny. His professional and usually anonymous personal generosity launched the careers of countless stars and helped thousands of people. With his lightning quick wit, effortless delivery, and immense charm, he was without peer in late-night television. His death marks the passing of a show-business legend and a man of warmth and sincerity. We offer our heartfelt condolences to Johnny's family.

Jay Leno:
No single individual has had as great an impact on television as Johnny. He was the gold standard. It's hard to believe he's actually gone. This is a tremendous loss for everyone who Johnny made laugh for so many years.

Other statements

CBS "Late Show" host David Letterman:
It's a sad day for his family and his country. All of us who came after are pretenders. We will not see the likes of him again. He gave me a shot on his show and in doing so, he gave me a career. A night doesn't go by that I don't ask myself, 'What would Johnny have done?' He has been greatly missed since his retirement. Thank God for videotapes and DVDs. In this regard, he will always be around. He was the best, a star and a gentleman.

Jerry Lewis:
He was the most decent, marvelous man I've ever known, and we're going to miss him a lot...I think that Johnny, no matter how long he lived in Hollywood and no matter how much money he made, he still had a piece of straw stuck in his ear.

Chevy Chase:
Being Johnny's friend was an honor. To hear of his sudden death, a great shock. He was so much more than just the "King of Late Night," he was a real intellect with broad interests; thankfully, many of which he was able to enjoy in the last decade. It is a terrible loss to his friends. I am deeply saddened.

Billy Crystal:
He was the greatest talk show host of our time with the quickest mind...One of the greatest thrills of my career was not on stage but when Johnny called me after seeing me host the Oscars and telling me how much he loved what I did. That's how much I looked up to him. He was a true idol.

Bob Newhart:
I guest-hosted for Johnny many years ago for a month straight and experienced firsthand just how great he was, making it look so easy night after night. Once you sit in that chair, you knew there was nothing easy about it. It's a huge loss.

Woody Allen, an occasional vacation host for Carson on "Tonight":
I liked him very much, as a comedian and as a person. I have only the most positive things to say about him. I found him to be a terrific guy.

Former sidekick Ed McMahon:
Johnny Carson was a man I considered like a brother to me. Our 34 years of working together, plus the 12 years since then, created a friendship which was professional, family like and one of respect and great admiration.

Charles Barrett, former longtime "Tonight" publicist, on Carson's penchant for privacy:
He always drove himself to work, never took a limo. He went down quickly to what we called the "Carson bunker," under Studio 1 where the show was done" at NBC in Burbank.