Johnny

Heather just called with the news that Johnny Carson passed away this morning.

Beyond being a pioneer of television, the most consistently entertaining host in the history of the medium, and the very definition of a class act, he was a personal hero to me - even though I was born nearly 15 years after he had begun his reign on the air. No entertainer in my early years had more of an long-standing impact on me than Carson did - his wit, his never-ending enthusiasm for his job, his comedic timing, and above all, his grace in his handling of everything that came his way. You never heard a negative word about Johnny, or a messy scandal to be dealt with stemming from the show - he was the epitomy of class and dignity on the air, while still maintaining a glint of mischief in his eye. I don't know of a single person who didn't, at some level, love and respect Johnny and his work. And when it was time to end it all, he bowed out so beautifully, leaving us all with an amazing and touching coda topping off nearly three decades of memories.

Television has just lost perhaps its single greatest performer, ever.

More to come, I'm sure.