Gratitude Mixes With Sadness

Johnny Carson made us laugh but, reports The Early Show national correspondent Hattie Kauffman, comedians who appeared on his show were anxious to make him laugh.

"It wasn't so much being on the show and having the millions of people watch you; it was having him watch you," says Ray Romano.

Carson helped launch the careers of comedians as diverse as Romano and Roseanne, from Jerry Seinfeld to David Letterman.

On hearing of Carson's death, Letterman said, "He gave me a shot on his show and in doing so, he gave me a career. All of us who came after are pretenders."

"I was just shattered," says Betty White, who adds that, whenever Carson called her to do a skit, she was there.

"Once, I was the first woman allowed in the locker room and Johnny was with a towel in the shower. Another time, we were Adam and Eve. Finally, I said, 'Johnny, every time you want to take your clothes off, you call me!' "

For any comedian, being on the Carson show was the pinnacle, confirms frequent guest Don Rickles: "Oh, yeah. When I started in the '60s with Carson, he never looked at the notes. That made it an event. He'd say, 'How are you?' I'd say, 'It's none of your business, Johnny. Get out of my life.' "

The nation's love for Carson is evident in the tributes from Hollywood to Washington, Kauffman observes.

President Bush called Carson "a steady and reassuring presence in homes across America for three decades."

Nancy Reagan says, "Ronnie and I always enjoyed him on 'The Tonight Show,' and we were honored to know him as a friend."

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says, "He welcomed me on his show when no one knew who I was."

Johnny's last guest, Bette Midler, says, "So many of us who are working in show business today owe our careers to him."

"The man died," says Jerry Lewis. "We're all broken up. There's nothing we can do."

Carson rarely appeared in public after he retired from "The Tonight Show" 13 years ago.

"I love the way he just sort of eased on out, and lived his life and did the things he really wanted to do," says Michael Keaton.

Carson was an inspiration to Romano. "Even before I had an inkling to become a standup (comedian)," he told Kauffman, "I would watch him and fantasize about being on his show and meeting him. I mean, here we are, and look where I am now, and you know, had he not been there, I don't think any of this would have happened."

"It's a very sad day," commented White, "but he went very peacefully and very quietly, and we would, we would wish that for our best friends."

"He was loved and appreciated," says Rickles, "and if I may, I would like to say very honestly to, uh, wherever his soul is, and I know it's in heaven, uh, 'Johnny, you'd be so happy to know we're all talking about you.' "