A Hard Act to Follow by Henry BushkinMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Let me begin by saying something--this book is long, but well worth the read if you are a fan of old TV and even classic movies. I only knew a little bit about Johnny Carson when I started this book. I remember growing up, and his "Tonight Show" was on. I was too young, and it was on too late. Therefore, I never watched it. My mother felt it was inappropriate for me, and I did not quesiton it.
As I read through the book, I can completely appreciate why I did not watch the show growing up. The book is full of profanity--you have been warned. Johnny Carson did not mince words, and he had some favorites he used over and over. You will find they appear prominently in the book.
I was unaware of Henry Bushkin, Carson's attorney for a good share of the comedian's career. Let me say that this lawyer has an amazing memory (and I'm sure he took good notes). I was impressed with the attention to detail, and I honestly never found myself bored. There are definitely some funny stories, but there are the heart-wrenching ones as well. I shared a lot of the book with my mom--she was a big Carson fan back in the day.
This biography is a massive undertaking, but I felt it was worth it. This is not a book you can read in a day and maybe not even in a week!
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
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I used to watch the Tonight Show as a teenager. Crazy thing is the book is full of language but the show was not. Probably what surprised me most about the book because I was not used to the colorful language ;)
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