Johnny, Cool

1/25/2005 | Lin Anderson

[Boiling point]

Great story. I watched Carson nearly every night from the early seventies on. Many of us probably spent more time with him than with many of our close friends or relatives. Which explains the sense of loss I felt at his passing. A large chunk of my youthful memories has gone.

[Boiling point]

Johnny was in my top ten list of people I most wanted to meet in my life. I am not a star struck type person and most celebrities I wouldn't cross the street to meet so thats saying something. Oh yea, Ann Coulter is high on that list as well.

[philetus]

When I was 12, I spent the summer on my uncles farm in Idaho.

Every night, after uncle Jack went to bed, I sat in the dark, trying to gauge if the June bugs we're on a collision course with my head, and watched The Tonight Show.

Johnny would come on, young, slim ,and with a head of black hair.
Most nights, the show was pretty good.

Then it happened.Johnny came out and started his monologue, told a joke and SILENCE, nobody laughed,nobody booed, just SILENCE.
Johnny seemed shocked. He looked over at Ed, turned around, and went back through the curtain.
Ed sat there for at least 30 seconds, I think waiting for Johnny to come back in, but he didn't and Ed jumped up and said "Johnny's not feeling well tonight" and took over for the rest of the show.
I don't remember what Johnny said the next night.
If anyone remembers, I'd like to know.

[beaversmom]

Dang! That was tough luck! Who was hosting? And hi to Wally and the Beave! :-)

My brother got back to me. Here's what he wrote--not much:

Yes, I went there in about 1985. Gary Shandling was the guest host. I got to sit up front and the set was much smaller in person. Doc Severenson was there also.

When you had talked about the set, I had remembered him telling me the same thing. Beave and Wally say hello back.