Johnny Carson picked up plenty of celebrity friends and fans during his run at host of The Tonight Show. However, one joke went too far for a rock and roll legend.
Carson was one of, if not the, biggest stars on television during the prime years of his 30-year tenure in late-night TV. Everyone from Hollywood stars to politicians counted themselves among the millions who tuned to get a laugh from Carson.
Elvis Presley considered himself a Johnny Carson fan. The King of Rock and Roll's cousin confirmed as much, saying “Elvis was always crazy about Johnny Carson" in the book Elvis Aaron Presley: Revelations from the Memphis Mafia.
But all that changed when Carson jumped on the growing train of Presley punchlines. By 1975, Elvis wasn't exactly living the rock lifestyle that made him an icon. The 40-year-old spent more time away from the spotlight, leading to speculation about his health and relevance.
Presley's physical appearance also became a source of ridicule. And that's where Carson apparently crossed the line.
"But then a few years later, Johnny was doing his monologue one night, and Elvis was watching him, and Johnny said something about Elvis being ‘fat and forty," Smith said. "And, boy, Elvis turned against him after that. He wouldn’t hardly watch him anymore. Elvis took stuff like that hard."
Elvis became more of a joke as Johnny Carson's career continued
Two years later, Elvis Presley died at the age of 42 on August 16, 1977. His death rocked the entertainment world in a way that's hard to imagine by today's pop culture landscape.
But Johnny Carson continued to reference Elvis on The Tonight Show. In one memorable sketch from 1988, Carson quizzed Elvis after finding the music icon alive and well.
And it wasn't just Carson make Elvis into material. Comedy icon Andy Kaufman became known for his Elvis impressions in the late '70s.
Rubbing celebrities the wrong way is one thing Johnny Carson has in common with today's late-night TV hosts. Whether its Jimmy Kimmel or Conan O'Brien, each host probably knows of a star or two who wasn't thrilled with a monologue joke. It's hard to believe any are as big a star as Elvis Presley, so that's one more thing Carson has over his successors.