RIP Ed McMahon, 1923-2009

Sad to see this news. I grew up on Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon, and they were a big influence on me growing up. I always identified with Johnny Carson, as an introverted person in "real life" who found his place in life as a performer, and enjoyed his relationship with Ed McMahon on the show.

A point that may seem random: as someone who's always been a supporter and lover of hip-hop, I've always remembered The Tonight show as the landmark of a cultural crossroads: the last representatives of pre-Hip-Hop America. On the Tonight show in the 1980's Ed Mcmahon and Johnny Carson were the last men standing as gatekeepers of a world where hip-hop remained invisible. It's a testament both to hip-hop's power and to Ed McMahon's longevity that he was around to see things change so much since then..

RIP Ed McMahon, 1923-2009
source

Ed McMahon, who steadfastly introduced Johnny Carson through the host’s nearly 30 year run on “The Tonight Show,” died Tuesday morning, NBC said.

Though Ed McMahon had also been a host of the talent program “Star Search” and the prank show “TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes,” he is best remembered for his years as Mr. Carson’s announcer and sidekick, and for a deep resonant laugh that unfailingly followed even the worst of Mr. Carson’s jokes.