CLEVELAND - Ed McMahon will forever be known and thought of as Johnny Carson's sidekick; a fiercely loyal second-banana and the creator of the iconic 'Heeeeeeeeeeere's Johnny' introduction on NBC's The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson for 30 years.The truth is, he was also a legend.
McMahon died this morning at age 86 after spending most of this decade afflicted with a series of serious illnesses. The memory of the man is predictably being tethered to the legendary Carson, who died in January 2005. While it is true that McMahon excelled in his role as co-star to Carson's leading man, he should never be thought of as merely a tag along.
To me, McMahon was the quintessential team player and an unforgettable staple of late-night television. He knew, expertly so how to augment Carson's pitch-perfect comedic genius and endless array of goofy sketches. He punctuated Carson's punchlines and muggings for the camera with his signature guffaw and often offered his two cents to Carson's monologues, which in turn added spice to the entire production.
McMahon also hosted Star Search and co-hosted T.V.'s Bloopers and Practical Jokes, all the while being recognized as "Johnny's sidekick." It can be argued, especially amongst people of my generation who grew up in the 1980's and '90's, that McMahon's most famous role was that of the endorser of the American Family Publishers, often mistaken for Publisher's Clearing House. Visions of him with microphone in hand and knocking on some unsuspecting person's door and announcing,"you may have just won ten million dollars" are embedded in our memory banks.
Let's stop thinking of Ed McMahon as just a sidekick and give him the credit and recognition he truly deserves; that of a legend.
He will certainly be missed.
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