At the age of 86, show biz veteran Ed McMahon passed away in a Los Angeles hospital today due to a “multitude of health problems.” He was best known as the sidekick to former Tonight show host Johnny Carson as well as for his years hosting Star Search, the talent show that was the starting point for many of today’s biggest music stars, including Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and many more.
I remember watching Star Search as a child and thinking that McMahon was the quintessential TV host who was not only likeable and smart, but could also somehow make the sentence, “Is is 3 stars or 4 stars?” seem exciting, every single time. Let’s not forget his work in the “Publishers Clearing House” Sweepstakes commercials either, where I, among many, truly believed that he would stop by my house with a check for $1 million.
While McMahon is no longer with us, his famous Tonight Show opening line, “And Heeeeeeere’s Johnny!”, will live on forever in show biz history. We’ll miss you Ed McMahon.
RIP Ed McMahon. The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon is timeless Americana. Let us also not forget that Ed McMahon was the host of the Star Search game show, which was really the original American Idol if you think about it.