Here's Johnny!: My Memories of Johnny Carson, the Tonight Show, and 46 Years of Friendship

This book was more about McMahon than Carson. Not a very good author.

Great book, wished I hadn't lent it out to someone because I don't think I am going to see it again. It is great having Ed write this book, good background info on both of them.

An easy read. Enlighting dialog and pictures help bring Ed's lifestory into the readers life. Would prefer a little more info on Ed McMahon's personal life, but this is the personal memories of years with Johhny, from the Big Apple to California. A Wonderful Book!

Ed McMahon has compiled some wonderful anecdotes in his book, 'Here's Johnny!' Just about every page gave me a laugh. It is well written and warmly sympathetic to Carson. There is, however, one story McMahon regrets leaving out. Ed and I recently had lunch together at the Mansion, and during dessert, he said to me, "Schwarz, I should have put this one in but it completely slipped my mind. I must be getting old and tired." A minute passed before I lifted his face out of the Devil's Food cake and gently shook him awake. "What was I saying?" he mumbled as he cleaned his glasses with his tie. Pushing the cake plate to a safe area two feet away, I reminded him about the story he'd forgotten to include. "Ah, yes," he said, wiping his tie with his shirt-tail. "It goes like this. After he left the show, Johnny wanted to get into musical productions. So we both chipped in a million bucks to do a remake of Gershwin's 'Porgy and Bess'. We signed Oprah Winfrey and Donald Trump for the two leads but the morning rehearsals started they both walked out." Leaning in to wipe Ed's shirt with my cashmere sweater, I said, "They realized they couldn't sing?" Ed licked the chocolate off my sweater and replied, "No, they could sing okay. It was the remake's title Johnny had come up with. To me, it was perfect but for some strange reason, Oprah and Donald thought 'Porky and Boss' was not quite right. Go figure." 'Here's Johnny!' is a sincere account of a unique show business relationship.

I enjoyed the book. There may or may not be any new material, but Ed McMahon has written a narrative that covers the 30 years and is a smooth flow of conversation with the reader.and at the end I felt I had a better understanding of Johnny. I must confess a broad perspective - I actually was an audience member of a Jack Phar tonight show., and have watched all of the players from Steve Allen to Johnny. It is difficult to recognize how special something/someone is until it is no longer there. I watch Johnny's successors, and they serve only to remind me how special Johnny was. I do think Ed has done complete justice to his subject, and has gained my admiration for his approach.

Only Ed McMahon could write a book like this and do it justice. I wasn't around for most of the Tonight Show, and now I know I missed out on a great thing. At least there will always be the DVDs. This book will make you laugh, definitly. There are some sad parts though. This is an amazing book, and if you want to learn about the real Johnny, buy it. We'll miss you Johnny. As Ed says in the book, it was too soon.