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Frequent Letterman guest Tom Dreesen speaks with Mark about how his Johnny Carson stand-up debut caused chaos backstage and how one appearance on the Tonight Show caused him to go from being on unemployment to having a deal with CBS overnight.
I’m a big fan of Johnny Carson and Tom Dreesen so it was a hoot to hear him mention my dad’s name (Lee Currlin – he worked at CBS in the ’70s). We had an enormous Sony video tape recorder at home back then (this was in the days when VCRs were called VTRs and the tapes were the size of a textbook)and one time he brought home a tape of Tom’s first Tonight Show spot. I remember him saying to me “I hired this guy, what do you think?” I had already seen the spot when it aired and I remember telling him “Oh yeah, he’s funny.” Dad kept the tape on the shelf for years.
I really liked hearing this interview, and Dreesen’s thoughts on Carson, Sinatra and Letterman. This is one of the best Carson podcasts.