Johnny Carson was the undisputed King of Late Night, a folksy Midwesterner welcomed into millions of homes to comment on news of the day, trade risqué banter with celebrities, and ham it up in corny sketches.
He made the Tonight Show into an institution, the gold standard of late night comedy shows that generations of hosts have strived to emulate.
But a new book about Carson by his attorney, Henry Bushkin, paints a darker picture of the TV legend. He was a womanizer, a heavy drinker and apparently not a particularly nice guy.
And when Carson played Vegas his raging id found the perfect playground.
Henry Bushkin, former attorney to Johnny Carson, author of tell all "Johnny Carson"