Editing Johnny Carson (section)

== Final years, death and tributes ==
[[File:Johnny Carson - TV.jpg|upright=.9|thumb|Carson's star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]]]]
On March 19, 1999, Carson suffered a severe heart attack at his home in [[Malibu, California]], and was hospitalized in nearby [[Santa Monica, California|Santa Monica]], where he underwent [[heart bypass|quadruple-bypass surgery]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=QUADRUPLE BYPASS FOR JOHNNY CARSON |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1999-03-25-9903250167-story.html |access-date=September 1, 2022 |website=Sun Sentinel|date=March 25, 1999 }}</ref>

Carson had been a heavy smoker for decades, and in the early days of his tenure on ''The Tonight Show'', he often smoked on-camera, at one point having smoked four packs of [[Pall Mall (cigarette)|Pall Mall]] cigarettes a day.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/books-and-literature/reviews/here-s-johnny-carson-as-you-ve-rarely-seen-him/article_425d26f1-974c-53bd-bd8b-12d054005e7f.html |title=Here's Johnny Carson as you've rarely seen him |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |last=Levins |first=Harry |date=October 19, 2013 |access-date=July 26, 2021 }}</ref> It was reported that as early as the mid-1970s, he would repeatedly say, "These things are killing me." His younger brother recalled that during their last conversation, Carson kept saying, "Those damn cigarettes."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gliatto |first1=Tom |last2=Tresniowski |first2=Alex |title=Johnny Carson: 1925-2005 |url=https://people.com/archive/cover-story-johnny-carson-1925-2005-vol-63-no-5/ |website=People |access-date=October 19, 2019 |date=February 7, 2005}}</ref>

In 2002, he turned down an offer to appear at NBC's 75th anniversary.<ref name="ew.com"/>

In September 2002, Carson revealed that he had [[emphysema]] but denied he was terminally ill.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 20, 2002 |title=Johnny Carson: I'm Not That Sick - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/johnny-carson-im-not-that-sick/ |access-date=July 6, 2023 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> On January 23, 2005, Carson died at [[Cedars-Sinai Medical Center]] in Los Angeles of [[respiratory failure]] arising from [[emphysema]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/24/arts/television/24john.html# |title=Johnny Carson, Low-Key King of Late-Night TV, Dies at 79 |date=January 24, 2005 |newspaper=The New York Times |first1=Richard |last1=Severo |first2=Bill |last2=Carter |access-date=May 7, 2010}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050125025342/http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6504289/ Longtime host of 'Tonight Show' dies at 79] Associated Press, February 8, 2005</ref><ref>[http://news.cnet.com/Net-mourns-death-of-Johnny-Carson/2100-1026_3-5546915.html Net mourns death of Johnny Carson] Jeff Pelline CNET News February 8, 2005</ref> His body was cremated, and the ashes were given to his wife, Alexis Maas. In accordance with his family's wishes, no public memorial service was held. Carson was also survived by his younger brother, [[Dick Carson|Dick]], who was an [[Emmy Awards|Emmy Award]]–winning director of, among other things, the competing ''[[Merv Griffin Show]]'' and ''[[Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0141225/|title=Dick Carson|work=IMDb}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nebraskacoast.com/famous-hollywood-nebraskans/richard-c-dick-carson/|title=Richard C. ("Dick") Carson|work=★ Nebraska Coast Connection & The Hollywood Salon|date=December 19, 2013|access-date=May 11, 2015|archive-date=October 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001131316/http://nebraskacoast.com/famous-hollywood-nebraskans/richard-c-dick-carson/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Numerous tributes were paid to Carson upon his death, including a statement by then-President [[George W. Bush]], all recognizing the deep and enduring affection held for him.<ref>[http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/wire/sns-ap-carson-quote-box,0,885790.story Quotations on Johnny Carson's Death] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112112056/http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/wire/sns-ap-carson-quote-box,0,885790.story |date=November 12, 2007 }} Associated Press January 23, 2005</ref>

On January 31, ''Late Show with David Letterman'' paid tribute with former ''Tonight Show'' executive producer [[Peter Lassally]] and bandleader [[Doc Severinsen]]. At the beginning of this show, Letterman said that for 30 years, no matter what was going on in the world, whether people had had a good or bad day, they wanted to end it being "tucked in by Johnny." He also told his viewers that the monologue he had just performed, which was very well received by the studio audience, consisted entirely of jokes sent to him by Carson in the last few months of his life.<ref>{{cite news| url= http://www.redorbit.com/news/general/123709/letterman_pays_special_tribute_to_carson/ |title= Letterman Pays Special Tribute to Carson | date= February 1, 2005 | agency=Associated Press}}</ref> Doc Severinsen ended the Letterman show that night by conducting and playing, along with [[Tommy Newsom]] and [[Ed Shaughnessy]], one of Carson's two favorite songs, "[[Here's That Rainy Day]]" (the other was "[[I'll Be Seeing You (song)|I'll Be Seeing You]]"). ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' also paid tribute to Carson with guests [[Ed McMahon]], [[Bob Newhart]], [[Don Rickles]], [[Drew Carey]], and [[k.d. lang]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050125011900/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/01/23/entertainment/main668621.shtml Tribute To Johnny Carson Friends Return To Stage Where They And Johnny Carson Made TV Magic] By Chris Hawke CBS News Burbank, Calif. January 25, 2005</ref>

On his final ''Tonight Show'' appearance, Carson himself said that while sometimes people who work together for long stretches of time on television do not necessarily like each other, this was not the case with McMahon; he and McMahon were good friends who would have drinks and dinner together, and the camaraderie they had on the show could not be faked. Their friendship spanned 46 years.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=OzkV0UxzRRgC&pg=PA21 |title=Lauderdale: Playground of the Stars |isbn= 978-0-7385-5351-1 | page=21 | first=Jack| last=Drury | year=2008 | publisher=Arcadia Publishing |access-date=April 26, 2011 |series=Images of America}}</ref>

The 2005 film ''[[The Aristocrats (film)|The Aristocrats]]'' was dedicated to Carson.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/aristocrats/synopsis.html |title=''The Aristocrats'' Synopsis |publisher=HBO |access-date=April 26, 2011 |archive-date=April 26, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426054948/http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/aristocrats/synopsis.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

''The Simpsons''<nowiki/>' seventh episode of [[The Simpsons Season 16|season 16]], entitled "[[Mommie Beerest]]", was dedicated to his memory.

At the first [[The Comedy Awards|Comedy Awards]] on [[Comedy Central]], the Johnny Carson Award was given to David Letterman. At the 2nd Annual Comedy Awards on Comedy Central, the Johnny Carson Award was given to Don Rickles.

A two-hour documentary about his life, ''[[Johnny Carson: King of Late Night]]'', aired on PBS on May 14, 2012, as part of PBS's ''[[American Masters]]'' series. It is narrated by [[Kevin Spacey]] and features interviews with many of Carson's family, fellow comedians, and [[Mentorship|protégés]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Lloyd |first=Robert |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-johnny-carson-20120510,0,1177468.story |title='Johnny Carson: King of Late Night' goes behind throne: Review |work=Los Angeles Times |date=May 12, 2012 |access-date=May 22, 2012}}</ref>

A park is named in his memory in [[Burbank, California|Burbank]], across from the former NBC Studios.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.google.com/maps/place/Johnny+Carson+Park/@34.1551988,-118.3326244,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x6eb1d812f3b4aec6!8m2!3d34.1542843!4d-118.3299207 |title= Johnny Carson Park (34.1551988,-118.3326244) |publisher= Google Maps }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.burbankca.gov/web/parks-recreation/johnny-carson-park |title= Johnny Carson Park; 400 S. Bob Hope Drive; Burbank; CA; 91505 |publisher= Burbank, California, City Government |work= Parks and Recreation }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.latimes.com/socal/burbank-leader/tn-blr-me-park-20160628-story.html |title= After more than a year of renovating, curtain rises on Burbank's Johnny Carson Park |author= Kelly Corrigan |date= July 1, 2016 |newspaper= The Los Angeles Times }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.seeing-stars.com/Immortalized/JohnnyCarsonPark.shtml |title=   Johnny Carson Park |author= Seeing-Stars.com |publisher= Seeing Stars: Where the Stars are Immortalized |date= 1999 }}</ref>