Gifford cant remember if he slept with carsons wife. They found plenty, as bushkin tells it, and carson leaned against a wall and wept. Henry bushkin, johnny carsons lawyer, is promoting his memoir johnny carson that recounts his 18 years of work for the late night legend. He is henry bushkin who was johnnys attorney, friend, confidant, business manager and fixer all rolled up in one man for twenty years. Below, a complete excerpt from bushkins upcoming book, out oct 15, 20.
Joan rivers in conversation with henry bushkin about the. Henry bushkin, who worked as a lawyer for johnny carson, has written a. At age 14, carson began his act as the magician the great carsoni for the local rotary club in his hometown. The day after he was hired by johnny carson, an obscure young lawyer named henry bushkin tagged along with him and some thugs in the night as they broke into an apartment searching for proof of carsons wifes infidelity. Its hard to imagine that henry, rather than johnny, is what you want or expect from a book entitled johnny carson, but that is what youre getting. Henry bushkins johnny carson is that rare celebrity tellall by an author who knows whom and what hes talking aboutits easy to approach this book thinking that its author has an ax to grind. Johnny carson unveils not only the hidden carson, but also the raucous, starstudded world he ruled. When i plucked this audio book off the library shelf i thought it was a biography of the entertainer. Henry wrote a ny times bestselling book called johnny carson that tells his inside years with johnny. The day after he was hired by johnny carson, an obscure young lawyer named henry bushkin tagged along with him and some thugs in. Bushkin was carsons personal attorney and business advisor in the 1970s and 80s. So when he was asked about a controversial tellall book on carson by carsons longtime attorney, henry bushkin. Bushkin was carsons personal attorney and business advisor in the 1970s and 80s and saw every private wart there was to see. Cohen and her firm, leslie cohen law pc, of legal malpractice for her alleged failure to address the value of royalties from the book, johnny carson, when bushkin.
I never really began to separate the man from the persona until i read henry buskins johnny carson an eamon dolan bookhoughton mifflin harcourt. When joan rivers guest hosted recently for wnycs leonard lopate, she sat down with author and attorney henry bushkin to remember their friendships with. Henry bushkin was a junior attorney at an entertainment law firm when he first met johnny carson, far from an obvious choice of counsel for a man who could afford pretty much whatever he wanted. Carsons complexity is revealed as the enigmatic mercurial character shattered in youth by his mother ruth. John william carson october 23, 1925 january 23, 2005 was an american television host, comedian, writer, and producer. In johnny carson, the latenight legends lawyer henry bushkin.
In this time, bushkin served as carsons lawyer and confidante, and this book reveals the entertainers insecurities and. Johnny carson relied for years and years on the silence of his personal lawyer, henry bushkin. Johnny carson biography tells of secret houston affair. Her book editor wanted something a bit more salacious, so she abandoned the. On the same honeymoon, carsons long time attorney, henry bushkin, shared that one of their outings was spoiled by johnnys persistent anger due to their yacht captain being six minutes late.
The today show cohost mocked frank giffords infamous philandering tuesday during a discussion of new claims that he had an affair with johnny carsons wife in the 1970s. Musician doc severinsen attends a screening of the pbs documentary american masters johnny carson. Perhaps the saddest hollywood bio in recent memory, henry bushkins johnny carson paints a vivid picture of a kind of genius savant. This naive pose deprives the book of some badly needed context. Bombastic bushkin, as carson called his onetime lawyer, filed. The lawyer writes that he offered to file for divorce on behalf of carson, but the comedian resisted, instead wanting to go in to the apartment to find evidence. It was filled with great stories about johnnys wives, lives, joan rivers, etc. Johnny carson by henry bushkin is an exceptional biography of the onetime king of late night. In 1957, he was lead attorney for lawrence ferlinghetti, proprietor of city lights books along with l. This book by johnny carsons longtime lawyer and friend henry bushkin tells the good, the bad and the ugly about a man who was televisions biggest star for decades. Henry bushkin could be in trouble for failing to list his bestselling johnny carson biography as an asset in bankruptcy court. In johnny carson, the latenight legends lawyer henry bushkin writes of his decades with the comedian. Johnny carson, byname of john william carson, born october 23, 1925, corning, iowa, u. He was with carson constantly, playing tennis, traveling on vacations and many more chores than just his lawyer.
Conceived by david steven simon and paul reiser, a frequent carson guest best known for the 1990s nbc sitcom mad about you, theres. This is the revealing story of johnny and ruth carson that completes the vivid picture painted in the authors best selling book. He is best known as the host of the tonight show starring johnny carson 19621992. Joanne carson, the second wife of johnny carson and a confidante.
In the 2010 feature film howl, ehrlich is played by actor jon hamm. The secrets bushkin reveals about carson are by turns hilarious and depressingsometimes both at the same time. Heeerrreees henry johnny carson, a memoir by henry bushkin 66 about his years as johnny carsons lawyer, is full of juicy anecdotes henry bushkin 66 was just four years out of law school when he was tapped by johnny carson, already the established star of the tonight show, to be his personal attorney. Johnny carson, henry bushkins tellall the new york times. Bushkin served as his personal attorney from 1970 until carson fired him in 1988, over a misunderstanding. Before david letterman, conan, jay leno, jimmy kimmel, jimmy fallon and craig ferguson there was one undisputed king of late night comedy. Johnny carson was also one of a kind, and is missed. As the attorney for carson, bushkin has an unprecedented insight into the comedian. Other famous cases robert shapiro has taken on, besides o. It is extremely well researched and extremely well written. But his job was just a sliver of his relationship with the king of late night. Maybe he does, but his account sounds unexaggerated, credible and willing to place blame wherever it belongsother authors have generalized about carsons moods, petulance and.
It is now payback time for bushkin, whose book johnny carson offers a. An excerpt from the book johnny carson, by henry bushkin, is out on shelves oct. In another connection to the world of entertainment, ehrlich. One of televisions bestknown personalities, johnny carson hosted the tonight show for 30 years. This story focuses on carson at the height of his fame. Johnny carson was getting bombed on tanqueray and spilling his guts to his new young lawyer,henry bushkin. He was inducted into the television academy hall of fame in 1987. Read an exclusive excerpt from henry bushkins johnny carson. Carson was born in corning, iowa, in 1925, to homer lloyd kit carson, a power company manager, and ruth hook carson, who was of irish ancestry. Johnny carson the former host of the tonight show was arrested for a dui in 1982, and shapiro defended him in court. He grew up in the nearby towns of avoca, clarinda, and red oak in southwest iowa before moving to norfolk, nebraska, at the age of eight. This image provided by eamon dolanhoughton mifflin harcourt shows the book cover of henry bushkins johnny carson, which offers a peak inside the tv hosts life. Henry bushkin was carsons best friend and lawyer during that period, and his book is a tautly rendered and remarkably nuanced portrait of carson, revealing not only how he truly was, but why.
Now bushkin has published a memoir in which he spills all about carson. At the age of twelve, carson found a book on magic at a friends house and immediately. A rare 1979 johnny carson interview with correspondent mike wallace. Johnny carson and millions of other books are available for instant access. In his rambling, haplessly written and arrogant memoir masquerading as a biography, johnny carson, henry bushkin offers a glimpse of only a small slice of carsons life, the 18 years that bushkin served as carsons attorney. When legendary tonight show host johnny carson signed off as the king of latenight tv in 1992 after 30 years, he had three exwives, two estranged sons and millions of adoring fans. Johnny carson is not a biography in the traditional sense, but a memoir of attorney henry buskins relationship with carson over a twodecade period. Bushkin refers to himself as carsons swiss army knife of a companion, attorney, manager, agent, henchman, crony, tennis pal. Yet, johnny was selfeffacing and had an everyman quality, combined with a peerless sense of comedic timing. Johnny carson lawyer henry bushkin prevails in court vs. Mommy dearest is a short story that wraps up the best selling book johnny carson.
I was his attorney, but more properly, i was his lawyer, counselor, partner, employee, business advisor, earpiece. Published in october, the book by carsons longtime attorney includes a number of tales about the famous comedians marital problems and mistresses. In 1970, when attorney henry bushkin was 27 years old, he became johnny carsons lawyer. For eighteen years he was johnny carsons personal legal advisor, fixer, confidant, and close friend. Joan riverstalks about johnny carsons dark side the. Carson author omitted bestselling book in bankruptcy. Doc severinsen was never one to tone down either his wardrobe or his words when he was the longtime bandleader on the tonight show with johnny carson. Carson received six emmy awards, the television academys 1980 governors award, and a 1985 peabody award. Doc severinsen blasts attorneys book on johnny carson. From 1962 to 1992, johnny carson and his tonight show dominated the american consciousness. Johnny carsons lawyer spills all in new book including.
Johnny carson by henry bushkin mcclatchytribune johnny carson, seen here on the tonight show in the 1980s, is the subject of a biography written by. Johnny carson, seen here on the tonight show in the 1980s, is the subject of a biography written by his longtime lawyer henry bushkin. Johnny carsons atty sues bankruptcy counsel over book. Johnny carson left a surprisingly massive fortune to. Born in corning, iowa, he moved with his family to nearby norfolk, nebraska when he was eightyearsold. Singer claimed in court that he and bushkin were partners. Rather its a memoir written by carsons lawyer henry. Johnny carson by henry bushkiin the washington post.
During the apex of his reign, carsons longtime lawyer and best friend was. Rather than simply getting on the boat and enjoying their trip, carson reportedly fumed on the dock for three hours, telling the captain, i didn. Bombastic bushkin, as carson called his onetime lawyer, filed for ba. I was his attorney, although that term hardly expresses all i did. Johnny carson, by henry bushkin the new york times.
38 53 1632 449 773 872 1423 192 1548 719 1127 1630 1425 357 1128 973 10 1418 1463 287 174 1060 535 995 1272 829 666 1062 577 759 185 241 563 1154 171 304 287 1270 132 812