Johnny Carson [Kindle Edition]

Henry Bushkin

Henry Bushkin (Author)

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Book Description

“A close look at how show business power corrupts . . . The dishiest read of the year.” – Janet Maslin, “Ten Favorite Books of the Year,” New York Times

“Here’s Johnny!” Probably everyone in America knows the phrase, whether they watched every episode of The Tonight Show or none because they had to go to bed early on school nights. From 1962 to 1992, Johnny Carson and his Tonight Show dominated the American consciousness.

Henry Bushkin was Carson’s best friend and lawyer during that period, and his book is a tautly rendered and remarkably nuanced portrait of Carson, revealing not only how he truly was, but why. Bushkin explains why Carson, a voracious (and very talented) womanizer, felt he always had to be married; why he couldn’t visit his son in the hospital and wouldn’t attend his mother’s funeral; and much more. Johnny Carson is by turns shocking, poignant, and uproarious — written with a novelist’s eye for detail, a screenwriter’s ear for dialogue, and a knack for comic timing that Carson himself would relish.

“A fascinating book about a complex man.” — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“Like The Tonight Show, the book has many a merry moment . . . [Johnny Carson] was also one of a kind, and is missed. This book brings a bit of him back.” — St. Louis Post-Dispatch

A People magazine Top Ten Book of the Year

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Featured Photos of Johnny Carson

Frank Sinatra and Johnny Carson during rehearsals for the 1981 Reagan Inaugural Gala.

Henry Bushkin’s Aston Martin, with the Daimler limo behind it that Johnny Carson drove to London, shirtless, during a horrible heat wave.

Johnny Carson and Henry Bushkin during a 1981 cruise to the Greek isles.

 

From Booklist

Show-business junkies old enough to have spent many of their late nights between 1962 and 1992 watching Johnny Carson, “the King of Late Night,” will likely devour this long-anticipated memoir in one gulp. Notorious for keeping his distance from one and all, even those he purportedly loved, Carson was perhaps closest to Henry Bushkin, his lawyer and consigliere for 18 years, from 1970 to 1988; the relationship ended badly, but Bushkin—self-described as Carson’s “lawyer, counselor, partner, employee, business advisor, earpiece, mouthpiece, enforcer, running buddy, tennis pal, drinking and dining companion, and foil”—may be the one living person capable of giving readers at least a glimpse of the man behind the genial, oh-so-smooth mask. Naturally, there is more than one man back there. Carson, Bushkin says, “was endlessly witty and enormously fun to be around,” but he also could be “the nastiest son of a bitch on earth.” The text provides multiple examples of both sides of Carson’s Mr. Hyde personality, but, of course, it is the petulant, boozing, womanizing Johnny that will draw the most attention: throwing tantrums over perceived slights at Ronald Reagan’s inauguration, at having to wait for a suite at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, at Joan Rivers’ decision to launch a competing late-night show without first informing Carson, and, above all, at his mother’s refusal to acknowledge both Carson’s success and his lavish gifts to her (his mother’s coldness, Bushkin and many others believe, was at the root of Carson’s own iciness in personal relationships). The portrait of Carson offered here, though, goes way beyond dish: it is a genuinely multifaceted look at the burdens and the excesses of celebrity. Equally fascinating, though, is Bushkin’s own story: how a young entertainment lawyer fell into a honey pot but became stuck in the sweetness, obsessed with trying to keep his client “happy” while his own personal life and marriage tumbled into disarray. What would Carson have made of this book? Perhaps he might have recognized Bushkin’s undying regard, even love, for his former running buddy, but more likely, Bad Johnny would have quoted from his Tonight Show character Carnac the Magnificent: “May a love-starved fruit fly molest your sister’s nectarines.” --Bill Ott

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 15370 KB
• Print Length: 323 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0544217624
• Publisher: Eamon Dolan/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Reprint edition (October 15, 2013)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00CICPU4O
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray:
  Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,109 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Comedy
  • #2 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Humor & Entertainment > Television
  • #4 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Humor > Comedy

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

257 of 297 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Here's Johnny, And There's Another August 19, 2013

By prisrob TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Vine Customer Review of Free Product (What's this?)

Henry Bushkin, Johnny Carson's long time lawyer, confident and friend, has written a superb tome of Johnny's professional and personal life during the time when Johnny was on top. Much of Johnny's personal life is not really well known, and Bushkin gives us keen insight into this man who can best be described as a loner.

Bushkin was in his first job as a lawyer in New York City, when he was introduced to Johnny Carson . Johnny was a man of little trust, and he needed someone to help him out. He liked Bushkin, they hit it off and Bushkin entered the most important part of his life. He found Johnny's business life was a mess. Those around him were taking advantage, and Johnny was losing more money than he was taking in. At this point in his life Johnny wanted to divorce his second wife, Joanne, he needed evidence she was having an affair, and they found it. Johnny, himself, was a womanizer of great renown, and with every marriage he continued with his affairs. Bushkin was helpful to Johnny, advised him towards lucrative business affairs, and made life easier. Bushkin took care of many aspects of Johnny's life, personal and business. Bushkin also became well known and financially secure even though he was at Johnny's beck and call.

What we learn about are the negotiations with NBC in all contracts, the move from NYC to Los Angeles, the new homes, the tennis games, the European vacations to take in the London and Pais tennis tournaments, the fun times, the down times. Johnny's four wives, his three sons who never really had a relationship with their father, Johnny's acerbic mother, who never had a positive comment for anyone or anything. An inside look into the man who was Johnny Carson. Johnny was a caring and giving man, but if you crossed him, you never heard from him again. Many of his former associates, and, in particular, Joan Rivers , can tell that story. Johnny was a man with insecurities, but when he was 'on' , he could be the most congenial and funniest of men.

I watched Johnny Carson as often as a young mother with three children could, and still get through the day with little sleep. I loved his wit, his way with his guests, his love of good comedians, and his love of comedy. As a fan, I didn't give much thought to his personal or business life, I just wanted the man who could make me laugh. And, Johnny, delivered, he gave his all to his fans and his work. But, when it was time to leave the studio, he was finished with the public, and went on to the bars and his women. Johnny had a fascinating life, albeit a lonely life. We are told he died alone in the hospital from the effects of smoking his entire life. How very sad. His fans loved him, his family loved him, but he died alone.

Henry Bushkin has written at times a riveting account of his twenty odd years with Johnny Carson. He told many stories, but I think he kept many stories to himself. Terrific book, often sad, but always entertaining. Bombastic Bushkin, indeed!

Recommended. prisrob 08-19-13 Read more ›

201 of 232 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I hate lawyers, but I love this book!!! August 17, 2013

By Richardson TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Vine Customer Review of Free Product (What's this?)

And I loved Johnny Carson. Perhaps like any aging baby boomer, or anyone from most any generation , we think what we had was the best. When it comes to late night TV hacks, er hosts, I think they all fall far below Johnny Carson. The documentary that came out a bit back Johnny Carson: King of Late Night [HD] was terrific and only increased my appetite for more. Sadly there aren't any really good books about the King of Late night that I could find. One author , Bill Zehme , that they interview on the documentary has allegedly written a book that has been delayed for years and I hear could be the basis for a movie, but it is odd that the "biographer" on the excellent documentary has yet to publish same? I do find it interesting that for a guy as huge as Johnny was the dearth of literary material about his life and years at the top of the entertainment industry is remarkable and only ads to the enigma that continues to be Johnny Carson.

Well.. when I was offered the early read of this book I jumped at the opportunity, not because it was a book about Carson but I recognized the author's name , Henry Bushkin. You can't have watched the Tonight Show and not remembered Johnny talking about his lawyer "Bombastic Bushkin".... so I was thinking just maybe a real book by a real insider. I should also add at this point that I'm not looking for "dirt" on Johnny, just something, anything , beyond the stage of the Tonight Show.

This was easily the quickest 300 pages I've ever turned, one sitting, and I'm sad it wasn't longer. Bushkin does dish some serious dirt at times but he doesn't do it in a mean spirited way. I like the fact that it is obvious Buskin is a writer to the extent he has a serious inside story to tell but he's not in love with his own prose. By that I mean he covers a substantial amount of ground and quite a bit of salacious material in a sort of matter of fact way instead of ratcheting up the drama as one would expect by a "writer first" author. There isn't much speculation in this book either, Bushkin keeps on point and delivers the material he has first hand knowledge of and for the most part was a participant in!

I hope potential purchasers of the book will not mind I didn't give away any of the inside scoop or scandalous revelations (even though they are never presented in such a way I'm sure many will be fodder for tabloid news). I don't want to spoil the read for anyone curious enough to purchase this excellent book. Bushkin was around for 18 years , and was his wingman and one of his closest confidants during the height of his power and popularity. You will be taken behind the curtain for scenes from divorce, the pitting of NBC against ABC , dealing with Caesers Palace in Las Vegas, as well as his own failed production company and many scenes from many Hollywood dinners. This is a terrific book without a page of filler, it reads like a greatest hits recording from highlight to highlight. I literally defy a reader to open the book to any page and not find something fascinating. Provocative it is, but it is just one persons version of the truthful history so I kept that in mind while reading and particularly when reading about the acrimonious ending to this longtime relationship. To that extent I believe it is the best available book on this subject and even were Johnny to have written his own story I can't see him going below the surface ...in many ways I think Carson would be the happiest to know that no books about him were written and that his "on air" life be the only one any of us know.

Has reading this book allowed me to form a new portrait of Johnny Carson? It certainly didn't surprise me with what I'd previously read and after viewing that excellent documentary. When he perceived a failure of loyalty Johnny seems to exhibit what Desi Arnaz called "the Cuban way" ...I don't hate you , you just cease to exist. Being on the fringes of the entertainment industry here in Southern California I also suspect I'm a bit more jaded to much of this. The star machinations ,the ego stroking that is needed/required , the paranoia of those at the top. I would not have expected to read anything on Johnny Carson that pretended that he was a Jed Clampett type of displaced country boy being isolated in the big city. As Joan Rivers said "Johnny was a killer" , he was also from a young age skilled at sleight of hand , and like any true magician he wasn't one to give away his secrets. Bushkin has at least let us into the tent for part of the show. Read more ›

133 of 154 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Bad Johnny or very funny good Johnny? August 22, 2013

By wogan TOP 100 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Vine Customer Review of Free Product (What's this?)

Henry Bushkin was a new lawyer, just starting out when he fell into the job of being Johnny Carson's lawyer.
He became his friend, his confidant, professional advisor and more. He has a high regard for Johnny despite a multitude of incidents and actions that would have made many leave. He does admit he was attracted to the money and the power and the nearness to fame. He consistently describes Johnny as the most talented and powerful man in show business and gives him credit for formulating the late night show style with desk and announcing guests - despite the fact that Jack Parr did it years before.

Buskin's stories and life with Johnny are both fun and awful. Carson was, if nothing else volatile and admitted he could not love, which he blamed on his mother.
For all of Buskin's help and strategizing and solving many of Johnny's problems, much of the book is about Bushkin too - he was intertwined with Carson for so many years. He finds much of what Carson does funny and even acceptable...peeing in a wine bucket at a Friar's roast and his serial womanizing. There are blunt observations on Johnny's drinking and his love life. We are also informed of the power and importance of Johnny Carson the star, with all his amazing influence and prestige and huge ego. Carson's cursing; bad sportsmanship on the tennis courts, his arrogance and nastiness is all described. Yet amazingly Bushkin still appreciates him, even with the tantrums and the inexplicable firings in this book.

We learn much about Johnny Carson and much about Henry Bushkin. Despite the fact much of Carson's behavior and actions leave a bad taste one can still see his talent and why so many still adore and admire the man in this easy to read and compelling book.