New Johnny Carson Memoir Reveals Private Side of Famous Host: ‘Some Would Say He Lived a Lavish Lifestyle’
In a new memoir called My Friend Johnny: The Last 20 Years of a Beautiful Life with Johnny Carson and Friends, author Howard Smith offers an intimate portrait of his enduring friendship with the legendary late-night host. Smith — whose bond with the late-night legend began over a tennis match and blossomed into a deep relationship marked by private dinners, boat rides and weekly game — provides a rare glimpse into Johnny Carson‘s personal life, sharing anecdotes that reveal the thoughtful and generous man behind the comedic icon. Smith is also the friend who recently broke the news that Carson’s son, Chris, had passed away.
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From a humorous night when a Malibu sheriff drove them home after a tipsy dinner, to being part of Carson’s small 60th birthday celebration, the memoir captures wonderful moments of their friendship. Smith also highlights the strength of Carson’s marriage to his fourth wife, Alexis Maas, and the star’s desire to focus on relationships over public accolades, as evidenced during his final Tonight Show episode in 1992. Through heartfelt storytelling, Smith celebrates the private side of Carson, offering fans a touching tribute.
In an exclusive excerpt courtesy of Parade, Smith writes, “John was a private, meat-and-potatoes, average guy. However, and this is public record, the man’s salary was $25 million a year to host The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He gave away millions of dollars, but some would say he also lived a lavish lifestyle. Those who knew John well knew him to be a car enthusiast. He invested in the DeLorean Motor Company and was gifted a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 with a 2.85-liter V6 engine he loved driving. He also had a mint-condition 1939 Chrysler Royal that his father originally owned.”
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He continued, “However, more than any car, John loved his boat. Well, boat is a loose term. It was 130 feet long with a beam of 26 feet. Most people called it a mega-yacht. It could host up to 12 passengers in 5 luxurious rooms, including the master suite with a California king bed, a wet bar, and a jacuzzi. John named it The Serengeti because of his love for the African plains, which reminded him of the plains of Midwest America. John spent a lot of time on The Serengeti, using it almost as a vacation home. Two of his trips that stuck out to me were when he went to Alaska and when he went up and down the East Coast. It was not uncommon for John to make occasional trips by himself or to spend days on the yacht alone without taking her out.”
He added, “I was blessed to have been on this ‘boat’ several times. Sometimes, it would be just John and me. Sometimes, we would be there with our wives. John loved to be out on the open sea. In another life, he would be a sailor for sure, although he was too nice to be a pirate.”
Remind 
1968 Retrospective
January 2018
This special expanded issue celebrates all things pop culture in 1968.
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