Johnny Carson Author: Visit Amazon's Henry Bushkin Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0544217624 | Format: PDF
Johnny Carson Description
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
- Hardcover: 304 pages
- Publisher: Eamon Dolan/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (October 15, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0544217624
- ISBN-13: 978-0544217621
- Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
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.
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.
Johnny Carson Preview
Link
Please Wait...