It was supposed to be another ordinary episode of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The familiar rhythm was already in place. Ed McMahon had delivered his legendary introduction. Doc Severinsen and the NBC orchestra had filled the studio with music. The audience had laughed at Johnny’s opening jokes. Everything moved with the precision of a program that had become an American institution.
Two Little Girls Held Up a Handwritten Note for Johnny Carson — Seconds Later, He Broke Down on Live TV
