Heeere's Johnny, one of the most familiar catchphrases in TV history, was delivered most nights a week for 30 years by Johnny's longtime sidekick, Ed McMahon on the "Tonight Show." After the Carson era ended, Ed made his living doing commercials
and guest shots on TV and in movies. In the '90s I spotted him in a Hollywood bookstore promoting his autobiography, and it brought back a wonderful memory of the time I "worked" with him.
It was 20 years earlier when I was writing ads and commercials for Frito-Lay, for whom McMahon did a lot of voice work. The only way to record him was to book a few minutes during the taping of the Tonight Show, so off I went to beautiful downtown Burbank and waited backstage until he was free. At one of the commercial breaks, he raced over, shook my hand limply, and took a 20-second glance at the 30-second script I'd written. Proclaiming my copy "Excellent," he stepped into a tiny booth and recorded it in one take. After listening to the playback, he pronounced it a wrap, shook my hand limply again, and dashed back to join Carson on-stage.
When I saw McMahon at the bookstore, I shook his hand (firmly) and told him how proud he'd once made a young ad copywriter.
It was 20 years earlier when I was writing ads and commercials for Frito-Lay, for whom McMahon did a lot of voice work. The only way to record him was to book a few minutes during the taping of the Tonight Show, so off I went to beautiful downtown Burbank and waited backstage until he was free. At one of the commercial breaks, he raced over, shook my hand limply, and took a 20-second glance at the 30-second script I'd written. Proclaiming my copy "Excellent," he stepped into a tiny booth and recorded it in one take. After listening to the playback, he pronounced it a wrap, shook my hand limply again, and dashed back to join Carson on-stage.
When I saw McMahon at the bookstore, I shook his hand (firmly) and told him how proud he'd once made a young ad copywriter.
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