CBS's Late Show With David Letterman On Ice
What Happens When Celebrities Act Like Everyday Folk
Oct 6, 2009
David Michael Letterman was born April 12, 1947 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the son of Dorothy and Joseph Letterman and the brother to two sisters, Gretchen and Janice. According to Biography, David’s mother was a church secretary while his father worked as a florist.
The Next Big Thing for David Letterman
After he graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana in 1969, the late night talk show host worked in talk radio at WXLW. He later worked as a weatherman at television station WLWI. While there Letterman’s style and sense of humor was at times on full display. His crack where he congratulated a weather storm for being upgraded from tropical to hurricane status did not sit well with his supervisor at the time.
As if on a search for the next big thing, Letterman left television station WLWI, moved from Indiana to Los Angeles and began writing. He wrote for the popular 1970s African American sitcom Good Times. Desiring to break into comedy and make a name for himself, David found regular success after he started to appear on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.
The year was 1978. Johnny Carson would have a large impact on David Letterman during this time. Two years after he started appearing regularly on The Tonight Show, David was offered his own talk show on NBC.
Johnny Carson’s Impact on David Letterman
June 1980 The David Letterman Show aired for the first time on NBC, the same station that aired the widely popular Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. The talk show was a hit with critics and won two Emmy Awards for its brief three month run.
Despite the cancellation of The David Letterman Show on NBC, the late night talk show host had accomplished what he set out to achieve. He had made a name for himself.
In 1982 NBC gave David Letterman another talk show. It followed “The Tonight Show” and was called Late Night With David Letterman. Segments of the show that became fan favorites include The Top Ten List, Stupid Pet Tricks and Viewer Mail.
Paul Schaffer was David’s constant side kick. Leader of the Late Night With David Letterman band, Schaffer laughed at Letterman’s jokes and orchestrated The World’s Most Dangerous Band toward international recognition, if only during the airing of the talk show. Like the show’s host, Paul soon became a likable guy who viewers enjoyed watching interact with Letterman.
Leaving NBC and Moving to CBS
As reported at Biography, when Johnny Carson retired from The Tonight Show, David Letterman expressed his desire to replace his mentor. NBC had other plans. In 1993 Jay Leno became the next host for The Tonight Show.
Following the decision by NBC, David Letterman moved his late night talk show to CBS. Not only did Letterman host his own show, he also put his writing skills to use and penned some of the show’s segments.
Throughout the years, guests such as President Barack Obama, Will Smith, Madonna, Cher, Shirley MacLaine and Oprah Winfrey have appeared on Late Night With David Letterman. Since he began hosting the television show, Letterman had maintained a measure of privacy.
David Letterman’s Veil of Privacy Is Removed
March 19, 2009 he married his longtime girlfriend, Regina Lasko. Regina Lasko is David Letterman’s second wife and the mother of his son, Harry. Late 2009 David Letterman’s life became somewhat of an open book when a CBS news producer was charged with attempting to extort him out of $2 million for having a sexual affair with his girlfriend.
National reactions to the charge and the affair have been mixed. Perhaps supportive viewers realize that David Letterman has done what many men and women across the country have done or continue to do each day in stepping out on their spouse. Few adults seem to want to cheat but many do, as if their life is not their own. Perhaps David Letterman’s fan base is loyal enough to stay the course with the humbled talk show host. Time will tell.
Sources:
Biography. David Letterman. 6 October 2009.
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