Ed McMahon, voice of Here’s Johnny!, has died

Ed McMahon, low key, affable sidekick for 30 years to Johnny Carson (late host of the Tonight Show), died just past midnight today.

McMahon, a true TV personality, was everywhere. In addition to his Tonight Show stint, he was the face of the American Family Publishers sweepstakes, co-host of Jerry Lewis’s Labor Day Telethon, and even found time to act in several films. He also wrote a couple of books – Here’s Johnny! (2005) and For Laughing Out Loud (1998).

Perceived as a modest, gentle giant, McMahon was a decorated Marine fighter pilot in both WW II and in the Korean War. In recent years, McMahon, who was known for his low-key comedic side, became the public face of a decidedly unfunny subject – he nearly lost his home to foreclosure.

McMahon, who had been in poor health for several years, was 86.