Johnny Carson

Johnny Carson and a much younger woman came into my shop at the Manhattan Arts & Antiques Center on Second Ave. in New York City in the late 1980s.  I now assume the younger woman was Alexis Maas, whom he wed on June 20, 1987, but I had no idea at the time.  They were interested in several items in the shop.  I thought it odd that the woman was asking all the questions.  By the time they left, (without making a purchase), I realized that Johnny (is it OK to call him by his first name?) had never said a single word.

In his final appearance ever on TV, Johnny appeared on the Letterman show.  He chatted with Letterman for a short while, delivered the “Top 10” list to him, and indicated by hand gesture that he would like to sit in Letterman’s chair behind the desk.  Letterman complied.  After about 40 seconds, during which time the audience continued a standing ovation, he mouthed thank you once and left the stage without saying one word to the audience.  Later, when asked, he explained that he had had a case of acute laryngitis. Well, excuuuuse me, but I don’t think so.  I guess that after all those years in the public eye, he had had enough and reverted to being the very private person that he probably always was.

More celebrities coming.

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