Why Bette Midler Was Johnny Carson’s Last Guest
In 1970 Bette Midler sang in a bathhouse. Johnny Carson put her on national TV — and 22 years later made her his last guest. Here’s the story behind it.
Classic Late Night
Why Johnny Carson Never Forgave Joan Rivers
In 1985, a confidential memo circulated among NBC’s top executives. On it were roughly ten names. These were the people the network considered capable of taking over The Tonight Show whenever Johnny Carson finally retired. Joan Rivers read the list. She’d been Johnny’s permanent guest host for two years by then. And it had been … Read more