Goodnight, Johnny

CNN.com - Johnny Carson, late-night TV legend, dies at 79 - Jan 23, 2005: 'And so it has come to this. I am one of the lucky people in the world. I found something that I always wanted to do and I have enjoyed every single minute of it,' Carson said to close his final show. 'I bid you a very heartfelt goodnight.'

I'm old enough to remember that watching Johhny was a rite of passage. As a teenager, "getting to stay up late" meant being able to watch the Tonight Show. He opened the door for me to enjoy Letterman, Leno and O'Brien, and anyone else attempting to follow in his steps is grateful to achieve half the success.