Johnny Carson, RIP

He made us laugh for 30 years; I remember laughing uncontrollably at one of his interviews of a contestant on his pre-Tonight Show gig (1957-62) as the host of Who Do You Trust? Like everybody else who grew up with Johnny Carson in his heyday hosting the Tonight Show, I have fond memories of a multitude of classic Tonight Show moments such as his 1968 Dragnet parody with Jack Webb: “The Copper Clapper Caper.”
It is hard to believe that Johnny Carson is dead. Sid Smith’s obituary in the Chicago Tribune seems to rise to the occasion: “Johnny Carson dies at 79.” RIP.
UPDATE: Reader James McMurrin has kindly sent us an audio link to the Dragnet parody. In the event that one no longer works, reader Terry Stickel has sent us this one. If you loved Johnny, listen with a box of Kleenex nearby — you’ll be laughing and crying simultaneously.

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