After graduating from high school, Carson had his first encounter with Hollywood. Soon, many other performances at local picnics and county fairs followed. He debuted as 'The Great Carsoni' at age 14 and was paid $3 a show. He was known for following his family members around saying, 'Pick a card, any card.' Carson's mother sewed him a cape, and his first performance was staged in front of the local Kiwanis Club. After purchasing the kit, Carson practiced his entertainment skills on family members with card tricks. At the age of 12, Carson found a book on magic at a friend's house and immediately purchased a mail-order magician's kit. There, Carson grew up and began developing his talent for entertaining. As a child, he lived in the nearby towns of Avoca, Clarinda, and Red Oak in southwest Iowa before moving to Norfolk, Nebraska, at the age of eight. He had an older sister, Catherine 'Kit' (Carson) Sotzing (1923-2014) and a younger brother Richard Carson (1929-2021). John William Carson was born on October 23, 1925, in Corning, Iowa, to Ruth Elizabeth (Hook) Carson (1901–1985) and Homer Lloyd 'Kit' Carson (1899–1983), a power company manager. Carson is a cultural icon and widely regarded as the king of late-night television. Former late-night host and friend David Letterman, as well as many others, have cited Carson's influence. He adopted a casual, conversational approach with extensive interaction with guests, an approach pioneered by Arthur Godfrey and previous Tonight Show hosts Steve Allen and Jack Paar but enhanced by Carson's lightning-quick wit. He remained an American icon even after his retirement in 1992. He moved from radio to TV and took over as host of the late-night talk show Tonight from Jack Paar in 1962. After the war, Carson started a career in radio. ĭuring World War II, Carson served in the Navy. Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1993. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987. Carson received six Primetime Emmy Awards, the Television Academy's 1980 Governor's Award, and a 1985 Peabody Award. He is best known as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992). John William Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer.

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