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Celebrating the life of

Ed McMahon

06 Mar 2023 - 23 Jun 2009

Edward Leo Peter "Ed" McMahon, Jr. was an American comedian, game show host and announcer who passed away at the age of 86 due to natural causes. He is most famous for being Johnny Carson's sidekick and announcer on “The Tonight Show” from 1962 to 1992. Perhaps he found his career as an announcer when he was in high school when he worked as a bingo announcer at carnivals. Born 1923 in Detroit, Michigan, he enrolled at Boston College but soon joined the Marine Corps in 1945 and was a flight instructor for two years. He then studied at The Catholic University of America under the GI Bill and graduated in 1949 with a speech degree. McMahon and Johnny Carson first worked together as announcer and host on the daytime game show "Who Do You Trust?" from 1957 to 1962. They both left the show to join “The Tonight Show” in 1962 and the rest is history. In 1982, he hosted the television series "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes" on NBC from 1982–98. In 1983 he hosted the popular show “Star Search” which ran until