
Carson the Magnificent
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Narrated by:
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Johnny Heller
About this listen
A much-anticipated biography—twenty years in the making—of the entertainer who redefined late-night television and reshaped American culture.
In 2002, Bill Zehme landed one of the most coveted assignments for a magazine writer: an interview with Johnny Carson—the only one he’d granted since retiring from hosting The Tonight Show a decade earlier. Zehme was tapped for the Esquire feature story thanks to his years of legendary celebrity profiles, and the resulting piece portrayed Carson as more human being than showbiz legend. Shortly after Carson’s death in 2005 and urged on by many of those closest to Carson, Zehme signed a contract to do an expansive biography. He toiled on the book for nearly a decade—interviewing dozens of Carson’s colleagues and friends and filling up a storage locker with his voluminous research—before a cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatments halted his progress. When he died in 2023 his obituaries mentioned the Carson book, with New York Times comedy critic Jason Zinoman calling it “one of the great unfinished biographies.”
Yet the hundreds of pages Zehme managed to complete are astounding both for the caliber of their writing and how they illuminate one of the most inscrutable figures in entertainment history: A man who brought so much joy and laughter to so many millions but was himself exceedingly shy and private. Zehme traces Carson’s rise from a magic-obsessed Nebraska boy to a Navy ensign in World War II to a burgeoning radio and TV personality to, eventually, host of The Tonight Show—which he transformed, along with the entirety of American popular culture, over the next three decades. Without Carson, there would be no late-night television as we know it. On a much more intimate level, Zehme also captures the turmoil and anguish that accompanied the success: four marriages, troubles with alcohol, and the devastating loss of a child.
In one passage, Zehme notes that when asked by an interviewer in the mid-80s for the secret to his success, Carson replied simply, “Be yourself and tell the truth.” Completed with help from journalist and Zehme’s former research assistant Mike Thomas, Carson the Magnificent offers just that: an honest assessment of who Johnny Carson really was.
©2024 Bill Zehme (P)2024 Simon & Schuster AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Performance
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For the past seven decades, Tim Matheson has been an on-screen favorite in Hollywood. In his debut memoir, Tim takes fans behind-the-scenes of his illustrious career, and reveals what it was like to learn from and work alongside the greats, including Lucille Ball, Dick Van Dyke, Steven Spielberg, and Aaron Sorkin. Tim also talks about how he transitioned from acting to directing, the role in The West Wing that nabbed him two Emmy nominations–and so much more.
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Crazy life and live to talk about it
- By Charles on 11-20-24
By: Tim Matheson
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Saturday Night
- A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live
- By: Doug Hill, Jeff Weingrad
- Narrated by: Bill Hemberger
- Length: 20 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Saturday Night is the intimate, original history of Saturday Night Live, from its beginnings as an outlaw program produced by an unruly band of renegades from the comedy underground to a TV institution that made stars of John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, Laraine Newman, Garrett Morris, Joe Piscopo and Eddie Murphy. This is the book that revealed to the world what really happened behind the scenes during the first ten years of this groundbreaking program, from the battles SNL fought with NBC to the battles fought within the show itself.
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A.I. reader???
- By Justin on 06-16-25
By: Doug Hill, and others
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Inside Gilligan's Island
- From Creation to Syndication
- By: Sherwood Schwartz
- Narrated by: Mike Hennessy
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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While every new TV series has to face some problems, no show had to overcome greater obstacles than Gilligan's Island. In spite of that, no series has achieved greater success, as measured by the fact that Gilligan's Island has given rise to three TV movies, two animated series, and is the most rerun program in the entire history of television.
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The complete Gilligan's Island story
- By Steven Gerweck on 03-24-24
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Citizen
- My Life After the White House
- By: Bill Clinton
- Narrated by: Steven Weber, Bill Clinton
- Length: 15 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Citizen is Clinton’s front-row, first-person chronicle of his post-presidential years and the most significant events of the twenty-first century, including 9/11 and the runup to the Iraq War, the Haiti earthquake, the Great Recession, COVID-19, the January 6th insurrection, and the enduring culture wars of our times. Yet Citizen is more than a presidential memoir. This book captures Clinton in a rare and unforgettable light: not only as celebrated former president and foundation leader, but also as a father, grandfather, and husband.
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Thought-provoking and Inspiring!
- By Mark A. Titsworth on 11-21-24
By: Bill Clinton
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The Comedians
- Drunks, Thieves, Scoundrels and the History of American Comedy
- By: Kliph Nesteroff
- Narrated by: Kliph Nesteroff
- Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Comedians, comedy historian Kliph Nesteroff brings to life a century of American comedy with real-life characters, forgotten stars, mainstream heroes and counterculture iconoclasts. Based on over 200 original interviews and extensive archival research, Nesteroff's groundbreaking work is a narrative exploration of the way comedians have reflected, shaped, and changed American culture over the past 100 years.
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Performance issues
- By E. A. Smith on 09-02-19
By: Kliph Nesteroff
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Tied Up in Knotts
- By: Karen Knotts
- Narrated by: Karen Knotts
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Much has been written about Don Knotts's career, especially about his iconic role as Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show, but personal views into the man himself are few and far between. In Tied Up in Knotts, a loving daughter provides a full-life narrative of her father: Don's difficult childhood in an abusive home, his escape into comedic performance, becoming a household name, his growth as a feature film actor, his failing health, and his family life throughout, leading to touching and hilarious moments that will make the listener laugh and cry.
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For diehard Don Knotts fans only
- By JIM HOWELL on 08-31-24
By: Karen Knotts
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Gandolfini
- Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend
- By: Jason Bailey
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 10 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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In Gandolfini, critic and historian Jason Bailey traces the twinned stories of the man and the unforgettable roles he played. Gandolfini’s roots were working class, raised in northern New Jersey as the son of Italian immigrants, and acting was something he loved for a long time before he could see it as a career. It wasn’t until he was well into his bohemian twenties that he dedicated himself to a life on the stage and screen.
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Excellent book about the best actor!
- By Adriane Dragomirescu on 05-20-25
By: Jason Bailey
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Live from New York
- The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests
- By: James Andrew Miller, Tom Shales
- Narrated by: Christina Delaine, Paul Woodson
- Length: 28 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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When first published to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, Live from New York was immediately proclaimed the best book ever produced on the landmark and legendary late-night show. In their own words, unfiltered and uncensored, a dazzling galaxy of trail-blazing talents recalled three turbulent decades of on-camera antics and off-camera escapades.
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The First Forty Years ... and Counting
- By Dubi on 10-21-18
By: James Andrew Miller, and others
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James Arness
- An Autobiography
- By: James Arness, James E. Wise Jr.
- Narrated by: Mike Hennessy
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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James Arness gives the full story on his early years, his family, his military career and his film work in Hollywood, including appearances in the cult-favorite science fiction movies Them! and The Thing. He had a very long run on television’s Gunsmoke and a role in the miniseries How The West Was Won. His post-theatrical period is also covered. This is the long anticipated account of one of the icons of 20th–century television.
By: James Arness, and others
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The Fixer
- Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars, and Marilyn
- By: Josh Young, Manfred Westphal
- Narrated by: Jefferson Mays, Manfred Westphal
- Length: 9 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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During the height of Hollywood’s golden age, one man lorded over the city’s lurid underbelly of forbidden sin and celebrity scandal like no other: Fred Otash. An ex-Marine turned L.A.P.D. vice cop, Otash became the most sought-after private detective and fixer to the stars by specializing in the dark arts that would soon dominate the entertainment industry. The Fixer delves into the extraordinary life of Hollywood’s most infamous private detective and “fixer” to the stars, revealing newly discovered shocking revelations from his never-before-seen investigative files.
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For Hollywood gossip lovers!
- By Janna Wong Healy on 06-01-24
By: Josh Young, and others
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The JFK Conspiracy
- The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy—and Why It Failed
- By: Brad Meltzer, Josh Mensch
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Kennedy, the thirty-fifth president of the United States, is often ranked among Americans’ most well-liked presidents. Yet what most Americans don’t know is that JFK’s historic presidency almost ended before it began—at the hands of a disgruntled sociopathic loner armed with dynamite. On December 11, 1960, shortly after Kennedy’s election and before his inauguration, a retired postal worker named Richard Pavlick waited in his car—a parked Buick—on a quiet street in Palm Beach, Florida.
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Pretty Good But With Some Errors
- By Scott on 01-29-25
By: Brad Meltzer, and others
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Desi Arnaz
- The Man Who Invented Television
- By: Todd S Purdum
- Narrated by: Todd S Purdum
- Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Despite being underestimated due to his accent and origins, Desi Arnaz’s legacy is monumental. Purdum’s biography, enriched with unpublished materials and interviews, reveals the man behind the legend and highlights his enduring contributions to pop culture and television. This book is a must-hear biography about innovation, resilience, and the relentless drive of a man who changed TV forever.
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Desi would love this
- By MAV on 06-20-25
By: Todd S Purdum
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Notorious
- Portraits of Stars from Hollywood, Culture, Fashion, and Tech
- By: Maureen Dowd
- Narrated by: Maureen Dowd
- Length: 16 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Shining a white-hot spotlight on America’s famous, from Hollywood legends to Broadway stars to media moguls, Notorious is a captivating assortment of columnist Maureen Dowd’s most compelling style features and profiles. Using her signature wit and incisive commentary as a scalpel, Dowd dissects influential cultural elite.
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The honesty of the subjects
- By rumdok on 03-22-25
By: Maureen Dowd
Good story and great material.
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Magnificent
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Young people have no idea of the staggering talent of Johnny Carson.
What I miss the most is Johnny Carson‘s ability to interview a young child. And his opening monologue.
The Gutfeld show has opened the door for a possible new Johnny Carson show on network TV. He has two of the things I like the most about Johnny Carson show. Sometimes all the people on the couch on the Johnny Carson show would join in and it would be a comedy riff of jokes. Johnny Carson was not afraid to be politically incorrect. The current nighttime comedy shows have to compromise and hire someone who is less talented and woke.
A new Johnny Carson is possible
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the completeness
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Nothing new regarding “Here’s Johnny”!
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When this is in its 100th printing decades from now, there still won’t have been another like him.
An inside look at a man we all thought we knew
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details
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Meh
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Heeeeeeere’a Johnny!
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Narration
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