John William "Johnny" Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and writer best known for his iconic status as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years.
Death
Johnny Carson died of Emphysema.
Johnny Carson was 79 years old at the time of his death
At 6:50 AM PST on January 23, 2005, Carson died at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, of respiratory arrest arising from emphysema. Following Carson’s death his body was cremated, and the ashes were given to his wife. In accordance with his family’s wishes, no public memorial service was held. There were countless tributes paid to Carson upon his death, including a statement by President George W. Bush, all recognizing the deep and enduring affection held for him.
Tributes published after his death confirmed that he had been a chain-smoker. While The Tonight Show was broadcast live, he would frequently smoke cigarettes on the air; it was reported that Carson had said "these things are killing me" as far back as the 1970s.
Johnny Carson’s Last TV appearance (Letterman)