The Johnny Carson You Never Knew: The Dr Brian McDonough Show with Henry Bushkin

·29 min·2 clips

Johnny Carson's attorney reveals the off-air secrets of the legendary Tonight Show host.

Dr. Brian McDonough hosts a special episode focusing on Johnny Carson, featuring guest Henry Bushkin, Carson's attorney and friend. Bushkin explains Carson's success stemmed from his Midwestern charm and ability to let guests shine, with an average nightly audience of 14-15 million. He recounts meeting Carson in 1970 when hired to help raid Carson's wife's apartment to gather evidence of an affair with Frank Gifford. Bushkin describes Carson's personal demons, including alcoholism and headaches from past boxing matches. He shares a story about Carson giving his parents a 40-day cruise with a gold American Express card but never receiving thanks. Bushkin details Carson's business decisions, such as shutting down Carson Productions in 1988-89 and rejecting a Coca-Cola deal worth $2.3 billion by 2022 to avoid board meetings. He mentions Carson's early career transition from radio to television in the 1950s and his rise to host The Tonight Show in 1962. Bushkin highlights lesser-known moments, like Carson pitching to Mickey Mantle in 1964 and flying with the Blue Angels. He discusses Carson's generosity in 1968 by letting Harry Belafonte host for a week during the civil rights movement. Bushkin reveals Carson's womanizing led to a mob hit on his life and his fallout with friends like Joan Rivers. He talks about his first book on Carson and an upcoming second book, 'It's Good to be King,' covering Carson's early days. The episode also mentions a musical in development called 'Here's Johnny,' set in 1979. Bushkin reflects on Carson's retirement in 1992, suggesting it was medically induced, and emphasizes the hidden aspects of Carson's personality beneath his public image.

As heard by us

A focused portrait of Johnny Carson as a television giant with little appetite for the business around him.

Johnny Carson comes through as a television force who was far less eager to run the machinery around his own success. Henry Bushkin, his attorney and close associate, links Carson's reach with audiences to his ease with people and Midwestern charm, then shifts to the Carson…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Press play for the Carson behind the desk and under the surface, where television scale meets a very human dislike of board meetings.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The Dr Brian McDonough Show