Johnny Carson
Who Johnny Carson is
Johnny Carson was an American comedian and talk show host, born in Corning, Iowa, in 1925, who hosted NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years until he retired in 1992, a show that ruled late-night television for decades.
The Television Academy honored him with Emmy Awards, its 1980 Governor's Award and a place in its Hall of Fame in 1987, and he also received a Peabody Award in 1985, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and a Kennedy Center Honor in 1993. He died in January 2005. His recordings remain on the air: SiriusXM's Sebastian Maniscalco's Comedy Radio played his track Host Hangover in June 2026, and in September 2026 he was among its 100 most-played acts.
At a glance
- Born
- 1925
- Died
- 2005
- Albums
- Johnny Carson on Comedy
- On screen
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
- Official site
- johnnycarson.com ↗
Specials, shows and podcasts
Albums
- Johnny Carson on Comedy with Larry Wilde, Laugh.com, 2001
On screen
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson host, NBC, 1962–1992
Career timeline
- 1925Born
- 1962The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (host, NBC, 1962–1992) On screen
- 2001Johnny Carson on Comedy (with Larry Wilde, Laugh.com, 2001) Album
- 2005Died
Questions and answers
What TV shows and films is Johnny Carson in?
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
The full SUCDb record
The full record — the career in order, the specials and credits, and the sources for each — is on SUCDb, with their place on the Legends ballots.
Sources
- Television Academy · emmys.com ↗ Television talk show host, comedian; born 23 October 1925 in Corning, Iowa; died 23 January 2005; best known for his 30 years as host of The Tonight Show…
- JohnnyCarson.com — official site ↗ The official website for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which ruled late-night TV for four decades (as of 10 October 2026)
- Apple Music — Johnny Carson on Comedy ↗ Johnny Carson with Larry Wilde, 9 October 2001, (P) Laugh.com (as of 10 October 2026)
- xmplaylist — Sebastian Maniscalco's Comedy Radio (archived 20 June 2026) ↗ SiriusXM's Sebastian Maniscalco's Comedy Radio: Host Hangover by Johnny Carson among the recent plays (as of 10 October 2026)
- Stand Up for Standup — SiriusXM ↗ The 100 most-played acts on Sebastian Maniscalco's Comedy Radio in September 2026 (data from XMPlaylist): Johnny Carson 65th, 45 spins (as of 10 October 2026)
Updated 10 October 2026 · the record checked 10 October 2026