Celebrating Johnny Carson; a new book details what it was like to be his friend
Heeeeere’s Johnny! Considered by many to be the GOAT of last-night hosting, Johnny Carson would have celebrated his 100th birthday today. To celebrate Carson’s birthday and legacy, a new book written by his long-time friend, Howard Smith, gives a first-hand view of his time with the late-night host – a friendship that started and blossomed on the tennis court. In this excerpt, Smith details what it was like to be “celebrity adjacent” to his famous friend. Nifty 50+ was granted an excerpt from the book.
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The following is excerpted from the new book, My Friend Johnny: The Last 20 Years of a Beautiful Life with Johnny Carson and Friends, reprinted with permission from the publisher.
While our friendship had begun because John wanted to play tennis,
it thankfully didn’t end when he built his own court. Years later, he
installed a beautiful grass tennis court across the street from his main
house. It had a men’s and women’s locker room, shower stalls, and a
comfortable living room with a big television on the wall.3 This let us
alternate playing at his house and mine. However, playing at his court
had some noticeable disadvantages.
One day, out of the blue, John called me. “Howard, you’re famous!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your smiling mug is right next to mine in none other than the
National Enquirer. Say goodbye to your privacy and hello to fame.
The paparazzi now know who you are, you poor schmuck!”
I ran out and got the magazine. Sure enough, there we were,
chopping it up on his tennis court. I don’t remember what we had
been talking about, but we’d obviously been cracking ourselves up.
The next time we met at his court, we discussed the photo.
“At least it’s a good picture,” I quipped.
“Not so much. I should have had our makeup gal brush you up
a little.”
Note: The tennis court and adjacent house were guarded 24 hours a day. Before gaining notoriety in the O. J. Simpson case, Officer Mark Furman pulled shifts there when off duty.
MY FRIEND JOHNNY
“Is this the first time someone took a picture of you like this?” I asked.
“Oh, I think so, but I can’t be sure. There are probably a million
pics of me I haven’t seen, but this is the first one I’ve seen on my property.”
He looked around. “Where do you think that sneaky photographer
took it from?”
“I was talking to Jane about that,” I answered. “Judging by the
angle, it looks like it was taken from right around there.” I pointed to a corner of the property.
“That makes sense,” he said.
“I wonder how long it took him to get this shot.”
“Well,” he smirked, “probably a long time since you never make me laugh!”
“I don’t have to. You laugh at your own bad jokes.”
We sat silently for several moments, looking at the corner of his tennis court.
I said, “Someone probably held on to the top of that fence for a
while to take that shot. Got to appreciate the tenacity.”
John mumbled, “Latching on the top of my fence…some people …”
I still have that picture.
The Smart-Ass
John was known for many things, but throwing elaborate parties was
not one of them, so it surprised me when he invited Jane and me to
a tennis party.
“What’s a tennis party?” I asked.
“Well, I can see how the term is confusing even to someone as
intelligent as you, Howard,” he smirked. “Let me see if I can simplify
it. Ah yes, a tennis party is a party in which people get together and
play tennis and then have a party.”
“You don’t always have to be a smart-ass,” I remarked.
“Well, one of us does, otherwise, we’re just a couple of dumbasses.”
My Friend Johnny: The Last 20 Years of a Beautiful Life with Johnny Carson and Friends is published by Howard Smith Publishing LLC. Copyright © 2025, Howard Smith. All rights reserved.
