A Sad Day

Fox News is reporting (via the AP) that Johnny Carson has passed away from essentially emphysema. When I can find a link, I'll post it in the comments section.

On a personal note, I had the privilege of seeing Johnny several times. During the summer of 1988, I did an internship on the NBC lot. I befriended members of his props staff, and they invited me to watch the show with them backstage whenever I wanted (which I did often). Johnny seemed to be a bit shy, so I never approached him but I do recall one time he looked at me and gave me a thumbs-up. He was brilliant. He was one of the few people who understood that the interview was about the person he was interviewing -- not himself. There isn't anyone who gets it today who has a show. It's a shame no one learned from him. He was an original.