Ed McMahon, of "Tonight" Show Fame, Dies at the Age of 86

He sat beside Johnny Carson for 30 years, announcing "H-e-e-e-e-ere’s Johnny!" to open the "Tonight" show and engaging in a witty back and forth with his friend and co-worker Carson. Now, Ed McMahon has died at the age of 86. The announcement came shortly after midnight on Tuesday at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where McMahon was surrounded by family members, including his wife, Pam. McMahon’s publicist, Howard Bragman, did not offer a cause of death, but noted that McMahon had a "multitude of health problems the last few months."

Doc Severinsen, who was the band leader for the "Tonight" show for much of the Johnny Carson era, noted that McMahon was "full of life and joy and celebration. He will be sorely missed. He was one of the greats in show business, but most of all he was a gentleman. I miss my friend." Don Rickles, who appeared regularly as a guest on the "Tonight" show, said that McMahon was "a friend from the day I first walked [onto the set]. That kind of fun will never be repeated. Ed was the best at what he did and will never be replaced. Another giant is gone."

Bob Newhart, who was also a regular on the show, noted simply, "I will miss that laugh, and I will miss him." Many more denizens of the genre weighed in on McMahon, who touched the lives of almost everyone working in the "late night" television space. Said David Letterman, "Ed McMahon’s voice at 11:30 was a signal that something great was about to happen. Ed’s introduction of Johnny was a classic broadcasting ritual – reassuring and exciting. We will miss him."