By Hollywood Book Publicist Charlie Barrett of The Barrett Company
Long before I became a book publicist…I was Jay Leno’s very first publicist at NBC’s
“Tonight Show” when he was named guest host in 1987 for Mr. Johnny Carson. In those days of my career in Hollywood, I served as the network’s staff PR director for
“Tonight.” Monday was Mr. Johnny Carson’s day-off from the “Tonight Show” and for years NBC had numerous guest hosts “fill in” for Johnny. In 1987, Jay shared the duties as “temp” Monday night guest host with Gary Shandling (“The Larry Sanders Show”) -- after the abrupt departure of Joan Rivers, who for years was the show’s permanent Monday night guest host.
Lately, I have been reading and re-reading Jay’s most popular book, “Leading With My Chin.” It is a very funny, curious and sometimes painfully honest account of his early life in Massachusetts, his parents and how he made it big in the entertainment biz after years and years of struggling. For a good read, I totally recommend this book (with co-author Bill Zehme) from Harper Collins publishers. See www.amazon.com for copies.
I found Jay in those late 1980’s days at NBC to be very easy going, always eager and ready to do whatever media interviews I asked him to do. That worked out well for me since Mr. Carson rarely did any media interviews whatsoever. Jay was as quick-witted as they come and, as many of you may recall, a comic Mr. Carson invited on the show many times before he became a guest host. Jay’s wry and sharp-witted sense of humor that he has developed so well over the years has served him well as evidenced by his continued long run and late night popularity as host of “Tonight.”
When Mr. Carson retired, Jay assumed the late night throne on “Tonight” in 1992. Jay eagerly invited my new PR client - Mr. Ed McMahon - on the show in 1993, just before Ed and I were scheduled to cross the USA in Ed’s specially-equipped tour bus to publicize his series “Star Search” which was produced at Walt Disney World in Orlando. Jay was so gracious, warm, respectful and hospitable to Ed that day when he returned to
“Tonight.” Ed even started to tear-up a bit, since the last time he sat in that “famous chair” next to “the desk” was the night of May 22, 1992 when he and Mr. Carson bid their audience good-bye after nearly 30 years at NBC. Since those days I have returned to the “Tonight Show” green room (the back stage lounge) numerous times to watch Jay and his guests even if I did not have a client with me as a billed performer.
I particularly recall one very humorous incident in 1990 with Jay. His alma mater, Emerson College sent an emissary to the show to present Jay with a citation for being a “famous alumni.” When the NBC photographer took the photo of Jay and the Emerson man for the college newspaper, Jay quipped, “My professors at Emerson told me I should forget show biz….hmmm.”
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~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~
Pump Up Your Book and The Barrett Company are teaming up to give you a chance to win a Kindle Fire!
This giveaway is part of the Barrett Company Hollywood Publicity Tour hosted by Pump Up Your Book. There are a lot of great blogs participating in this Kindle Fire giveaway. After you enter, check out the other stops on the Barrett Company Hollywood Publicity Tour and enter there too!
Here’s how it works:
Each person will enter this giveaway by liking, following, subscribing and tweeting about this giveaway through the Rafflecopter form below.The Kindle Fire promotion will run March 5 – 23, 2012. Winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, contacted by email and announced on March 24, 2012.
To find out who else is participating and more chances to win, visit http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/02/09/the-barrett-company-hollywood-virtual-book-publicity-tour-march-2012-kindle-fire-giveaway/.
Contest is only open to U.S. and Canada residents.
Good luck everyone!
