Carson the Magnificent

By: Bill Zehme, Mike Thomas

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

A much-anticipated biography—twenty years in the making—of the entertainer who redefined late-night television and reshaped American culture.

In 2002, Bill Zehme landed one of the most coveted assignments for a magazine writer: an interview with Johnny Carson—the only one he’d granted since retiring from hosting The Tonight Show a decade earlier. Zehme was tapped for the Esquire feature story thanks to his years of legendary celebrity profiles, and the resulting piece portrayed Carson as more human being than showbiz legend. Shortly after Carson’s death in 2005 and urged on by many of those closest to Carson, Zehme signed a contract to do an expansive biography. He toiled on the book for nearly a decade—interviewing dozens of Carson’s colleagues and friends and filling up a storage locker with his voluminous research—before a cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatments halted his progress. When he died in 2023 his obituaries mentioned the Carson book, with New York Times comedy critic Jason Zinoman calling it “one of the great unfinished biographies.”

Yet the hundreds of pages Zehme managed to complete are astounding both for the caliber of their writing and how they illuminate one of the most inscrutable figures in entertainment history: A man who brought so much joy and laughter to so many millions but was himself exceedingly shy and private. Zehme traces Carson’s rise from a magic-obsessed Nebraska boy to a Navy ensign in World War II to a burgeoning radio and TV personality to, eventually, host of The Tonight Show—which he transformed, along with the entirety of American popular culture, over the next three decades. Without Carson, there would be no late-night television as we know it. On a much more intimate level, Zehme also captures the turmoil and anguish that accompanied the success: four marriages, troubles with alcohol, and the devastating loss of a child.

In one passage, Zehme notes that when asked by an interviewer in the mid-80s for the secret to his success, Carson replied simply, “Be yourself and tell the truth.” Completed with help from journalist and Zehme’s former research assistant Mike Thomas, Carson the Magnificent offers just that: an honest assessment of who Johnny Carson really was.

©2024 Bill Zehme (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

Magnificent

I love Johnny Carson! I grew up with him. This book lets me know him better. Thanks.

A new Johnny Carson is possible

Young people have no idea of the staggering talent of Johnny Carson.
What I miss the most is Johnny Carson‘s ability to interview a young child. And his opening monologue.
The Gutfeld show has opened the door for a possible new Johnny Carson show on network TV. He has two of the things I like the most about Johnny Carson show. Sometimes all the people on the couch on the Johnny Carson show would join in and it would be a comedy riff of jokes. Johnny Carson was not afraid to be politically incorrect. The current nighttime comedy shows have to compromise and hire someone who is less talented and woke.

Good story and great material.

Good story and the material was overall excellent. However, the narrator chosen could have been better chosen to bring out a more lively narration.

the completeness

Loved the frankness and honesty. Details of why there will never be another Kohnny Carson

Nothing new regarding “Here’s Johnny”!

Really nothing new under the sun when it comes to this book. There’s been multiple books written about the life of Johnny Carson and the Tonight Show. This book in particular provide a lot of insight to many of the periodical and newspaper articles filled with factoids about Johnny and the Tonight Show. Henry Bushkin book was probably better than this one. That was the last one that I read and probably will stick to that book as the main stay of anything about Johnny. This was a very fair book and nothing more than that. Nothing new to define “Here’s Johnny”

details

very well written and read. gives the listener a glimpse into carson's private personality. great book

An inside look at a man we all thought we knew

For those of us who grew up with The Johnny Carson Show (we NEVER called it the Tonight Show) this is a great look at the man we thought we knew. But, Johnny made everyone feel like they knew him—that was a special talent.

When this is in its 100th printing decades from now, there still won’t have been another like him.

Meh

Basically an extended Vanity Fair piece. Interesting but superficial. Little help in what made Carson tick, his approach to comedy, or why he was such an important cultural figure.

Heeeeeeere’a Johnny!

What a talent. In some ways, a sad career with some lonely times for Johnny. Can you imagine if the Carson talent machine never came to The Tonight Show? Carson the Magnificent made me a bigger fan of the late night King.

Narration

Did not like the narrators voice. I should always preview the narration first as that can make a difference with enjoyment of an audible book