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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
- If you want the answer to the trivia question "Who was the final guest of "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson?" it would be Bette Midler. That next to last episode ends with Midler singing one last song to Johnny: "One More for My Baby (And One More for the Road)."
I was there that night. What you don't see was during the credits, Robin, Bette and Johnny did a theatrical bow. Already awash in tears, we all roared. The standing ovation began at the end of Bette's song. No one sat down again until we were in our cars after leaving Studio 1. Everyone was emotionally drained. And it was only 6:30 p.m.
Pretty marvelous! You’ll never forget it.
That’s amazing!
I can imagine it was such a beautiful experience.
What a great story. Good for you that you got to see that!
Priceless moment. TY
This woman could sing the phone book and make you cry. She is absolutely one of the best vocalists alive today.
@cornelius washington you said it, yes she is the best at getting us all to cry, she can cry easy herself & the fact she has had quite a bit of heartache, we just have to love her, and be kind & the more we tell her how much we love her, she smiles
I still can't say enough about Bette, she was amazing that night, so caring, and a true sweetheart, love her.
I just love her spirit I swear she is a mega talent.
She's an even better performer when on stage singing live, that's Bette at her best.
TV performance does her no justice, you have to be THERE.
@@shihlin1 You are so right. I saw her in Las Vegas in 2008, I believe. I had 8th row center seats. She sang, danced, changed costumes, played the ukelele for nearly 3 hours! It was incredible.
This is why he wanted her as his final guest. Her entire performance that night earned her an Emmy. I don't think she really was focused on that. She just wanted to give him the best send--off ever. He trusted her to do that. And boy, did she deliver.
She won an Emmy for that? WOW! I didn't know.
It was so beautiful. I broke down sobbing while I was watching it live.
I've watched this before...def worth another see. Won't be the last.
I don't think it deserved an award.
Spot on, simple perfection ❤
One of the iconic moments of television history. Nobody in the world could have matched what Bette delivered that night. Absolutely the perfect performance at the perfect moment.
I remember watching that night. Such a great memory.
She is so underated
@@jaygee6738 - I remember that night too; I must've been peeling onions. :)
Glad to say that I watched that night. The end of an era in late night television. The world has changed so much. I’d give anything to still tune in to Carson at night. He was a constant. And this song, and Bette Midler, could not have been more perfect.
Yes
A lot of people don't understand why Bette Midler ran offstage right after her number. She said many years later she was on verge of sobbing and ran offstage to shed her tears. She did not want to upstage Carson by losing it in front of his audience. You can hear her voice cracking with emotion in the final seconds of the song. Beautiful.
Yes you can, bless her heart, it is hard to watch her cry, you would have to be a hard hearted person to not feel what she felt.
She was horrible
@@jasontodd8071 Actually she was beautiful and amazing
@@jasontodd8071 you are one of those people who have to he vehemently negative for no reason. That evening was unmatched; the end of a television era. There wasn’t a dry eye in all the viewers. It was magical.
@@jasontodd8071 Alice Henderson was spot on and you sir are Exhibit A of a hardhearted person. Or to put it another way , you are simply a dick . She showed class . you sir are 2 letters short .
Bette deservedly won an Emmy for her performance on this last show!
I watched this when it was broadcast and had tears streaming down my face. I watch it now, again, all these many years later and the tears stream down my face again. One of the most dramatic, poignant moments on television, ever.
Ditto tears as I watched it tonight so many years later still moved by the moment as she sang to Johnny and what a beautiful camera view they set up.
Brings me to tears everytime. Johnny was the best. Unique and unrepeatable.❤
This won her the 1992 Emmy for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program.
It's January 10th 2024, grew up with these talented, fantastic people. What a wonderful time to be alive in those days, they all made life a bit easier. Thanks to Johnny Carson, Robin Williams and beautiful Bette Midler🥹🥲💖💖💖 thank you all very much 💖🥰🤗 🤗🤗
Bette's reaction at the end of that song was ALL of us. But at least we were able to give Johnny his flowers while he could see and smell them. What a memory...
If this doesn't bring you to tears, you weren't lucky enough to be alive throughout Johnny's tenure on the Tonight's show. I cried like a baby the next night when Johnny sat on a stool and addresses he fans alone for the last time. It was truly the end of an era.
I probably watched the last 5 or 6 years of Carson. I am grateful to have been alive then. So much great stuff.
As did I
Some of my earliest memories are listening to my parents laughing to Johnny Carson when I was supposed to be asleep. I was 16 when he left the show. He was an almost daily part of my childhood.
Hands down, one of televisions most powerful moments. Thanks for the memories, Johnny Carson, ... and the class. :)
Kevin Lopez I was in tears as was Johnny! She sang the hell out of a song many have sang. Bette put her own spin on it! I always loved her!
Well Johnny, was part of the family for such a long time miss you
@@early60srcool bette still love her wonderful lady special artist
@@erhardjackel4822 so true! I just think every artist has their own signature song! Judy Garland has “The man who got away”, Tony Bennet has “I left my heart in San Francisco” and Billie has “in my Solitude”
(Continued) but Bette could almost made my heart strings gripped around my heart. What I loved is that it wasn’t exactly like Frank’s! And you’re so right Jackel😊💕💖
After she finished, she hugs him turns her head and runs offstage cause she burst into tears.
Johnny was having a hard time trying to keep from doing the same. The expression on his face as he watched her sing is one of such poignancy... She choose the perfect song to say good-bye to him.
A well-rehearsed performance and appropriate to the situation.
I think it was as hard for Bette to hold him up that night as it was for Carson to be there. He chose the right guest for the final show. She could get him through it. Til those last two minutes. . .
One of the finest moments in television broadcasting. The final guest on Johnny Carson's show, Bette Midler singing, "One More For My Baby." The camera angle captured the moment perfectly.
A camera angle that had never been done on the show before, the one time it was done it was perfect
@@RageTVHTX and it captured Bette start to cry as she turned the corner, bless her heart & Johnny's too.
Yes it sure did, Bette was perfect, it was my favorite Johnny Carson show, next to the one in 1988, she was also on.
Wait.....cameras have angels now?
@@Soxruleyanksdrool Thanks for catching that typo lol
Bette Midler was awarded an Emmy for this and very rightfully so.
Yes--Rightfully So:)))
She was absolutely one of his favorites of all time.. That's why she got the nod. He told her at her first appearance on the show in 1970 that she was gonna be a huge star someday and he was spot on
TV Legend has it that Miss M could not return to the stage because she was so overcome with emotion. The mark of an artist who knows how to deliver a song and make it mean something.
awesome that she could get through that song without breaking down right?
Not legend, a true story.
Bette Midler is a national treasure.
No legend - true. If you're looking for it, you can see her crying at the end in the official video as she goes behind the curtain. she's talked about it
being from Hawaii, I love the fact that she gives Johnny a big lei at the end.... it's a big carnation lei, not the lei most locals would choose (most would choose a Maile lei or Ilima), but the sentiment is there. Many don't know that the Divine Miss M. went to high school in Honolulu (Radford) and credits her time in Speech and Debate as one of the primary reasons she developed her talents...
No matter how many times i see this video; it always gets me at the end.
+Jay Wolf I know exactly what you mean!!!!
Jay Wolf Every. Single. Time.
Same here.
Jay Wolf me too! Gosh I grew up with Johnny! He’s incomparable! Oh and so is Bette!
I have to wait a couple years between viewings. The crying starts earlier each time. Best sendoff in tv history.
One of the most precious moments in TV history. I love how she sang the first part of the song to everyone but the second part directly to him. She always said that Johnny Carson was the reason for her success, thus he was the wind beneath her wings. He was in a class above others in many ways. May he continue to rest in peace.
Along with Ed McMahon and Robin Williams. 🙏🙏🙏
Anyone who saw this live that night lost it. Still do…Was the end of a great era.
Johnny was one in a trillion. Bette summed it up wonderfully with this World War II Era standard..
When I watch this it brings me right back to the early 1990s and sometimes I miss those days so much. Time flies so fast its like I watched this episode yesterday even though it was 33 years ago. So here's to you johnny in heaven. One more for the road💕 and thanks Bette Midler for an incredible performance on the last episode Johnny Carson❤
Miss this time in life... Obvious here that Johnny cared about her deeply and her the same for him. I truly wish we could all get back to just caring for one another regardless of any difference in political, religious or social beliefs.
I still miss him. He had such polish and such humor. There'll never be another Johnny. So long familiar friend...
I am old enough to remember watching his shows live. He was the absolute king of late night. The last two shows were so memorable. All the pictures of those he had on the show, words can’t describe the talent. This almost got Johnny emotional. Bette was on her A game
This is 2019, September. I am a Mexican and started watching Carson ever since the early 60’s when I was living in the USA. I was lucky to keep watching him in Mexico till the end. I always feel that Johnny Carson was the finest product that America ever had. Thank you all for let me watch once again this unforgettable moment so many years ago, and so emotional tears again.
watched this when it was broadcast in 1992. Watched Carson from childhood til the end. When you know the history, and Johnny in your living room via tv for years, this strikes deep.
I remember the camera angle, and Johnny in the background soaking in the moment. Very very special.
Bette Midler, one of only two performers who could bring me to tears in an instant because of the pure emotion in their voices. The other one is Judy Garland. And there has not been any other talk show host that can introduce so many, what would ultimately be, famous stars than Johnny Carson. He started so many careers, including Bette's. She always credits him as the one that helped her become the star she is. Such a beautiful moment in TV history.
May Johnny Carson RIP he was a great enertainer😢
This guy helped raise a generation myself included in that, you could come home from a night out, work or perhaps you just couldn't sleep, turn on the TV and you knew Johnny would be there too keep you company for awhile. RIP Johnny you were a class act.
Johnny helped raise about three generations...
Truly, one of a kind....Bette did a marvelous job of helping Johnny off the stage and Robin helped him laugh himself silly on the last actual show. This was part of the golden age of television.
She gave him, and the world, a memorable gift of song that night. A perfect ending. Outstanding!
I am a 41 year old male and I have watched this clip way too many times to count. It is so beautiful.
Gorgeous, beautiful, heartwarming, I love it. With the influence that Johnny had, he could have had anyone in the world as his final guest. He chose Bette Midler, good choice.
I can listen to her all day she is a true vocalist
Carson knew what he was doing when he demanded Bette for that last show, and it says a lot that she managed to hold him together that night. It couldn't have been easy on either of them
Well, Johnny was not dumb. He got the worlds funniest man to keep the ship upright and funny, and the one of the worlds most emotive singers to express the emotion of the night. Bette won an Emmy for this episode.
This indeed marked the end of an era. A lot of things in the present day-from popular music to late night television, seem so empty, so hollow. Thanks for the memories from when I was growing up Johnny. Now I’m an old man, and so many things I grew up with have gone away.
True words amigo..
Everything now is street culture. Ghetto, crude and classless. People ‘twerking’. We’ve gone to the gutter.
What a beautiful and perfect song to send Johnny off with especially for all of us who grew up watching him at night.
One of THE top moments of TV......bar none.
Quite possibly the greatest single moment in television history. Bette just nailed it. Johnny was total class and this performance summed all that up perfectly.
I've said this a thousand times. Bette Midler is one of the few people in the world that exudes emotion in every single note she sings. No wonder she is national Idol. As simple as it seems, it's a surprisingly difficult thing to do, but she excels at it.
That camera shot at 1:57 was brilliant. It was suggested by producer Peter Lassally.
Yes, that shot grabs my heart to this day.
Excellent job by Mark Shaiman on piano.
Dropping in the notes from "Johnny's Theme" at the end was just perfect.
@@donaldrohan1046 I never caught that! Spot on, pal!
I remember watching that show. And now it’s 2022 and it still makes me teary-eyed.❤
Me too,in 2023.....
Me too! ❤️
My dear friend David Buckley dressed Bette Midler and made her outfit! He used black spray paint on the sunflowers! I was visiting him from South Carolina but was not able to go to the show! 😢
When you hit the pinnacles of making Johnny Carson not only cry, but getting him to ask you to be his very last guest on his much treasured talk show, and yet winning an Emmy for it; you've accomplished something.
You feel in your bones every single note that comes out of her mouth. She is a person that moves you to tears. Are there better technical singers out there; yes, but there are very few that possess the ability to move you to your core with every single note they sing. Bette is blessed with that gift.
You are absolutely right. It’s very rare that artist moves me thst much. Bette is pretty much the only one who can do that. I don’t always cry but the feelings - I consider myself a bit tough but she can really break through the shields ❤️
The camera shot at the 2:00 mark had never been used before where they looked over the performers shoulder toward Johnny and it perfectly showed the feelings of the night.
Bette 's voice is full of pure love and respect for Johnny, and Carson's eyes and expression are returning it in full . One of the most graceful and lovely moments I've ever seen.
The camera angle starting at 2:28 was so touching. You can see Johnny tearing up at the end. Such a memorable moment in television history.
what's cooooool about this lady is she doesn't just smile from her mouth... it's also in her eyes, hands. scalp, legs, soul... thank you Bette (I never knew ya)!
I remember this. I remember when he died. Such a great comedian. I seriously hope he’s resting with Jesus.
I grew on on Johnny Carson... No one can compare..
I have seen this many times, but it always chokes me up.
Three legends. Pure class.
4
Well said.
I was born at the end of the Carson era. I never got to watch him.
The way my parents and my grandparents talked about him and loved him. I couldn’t understand it.
Then in 2016 when Jon Stewart retired from the Daily Show and his final show aired, and seeing how they sent Jon Stewart off and I was misty eyed and couldn’t believe it was over.
My parents said to me “that’s how we felt when Carson went off the air.”
And It made me realize so much that day.
Every rare once in a while,tv reaches perfection.
End of an era. Watched him when I was growing up. Thank you soo much for the memories. Bette was perfect for this moment. If you were young during this time and remember Johnny, it's ok to shed a tear.
I watched this episode when it aired. Even then, as a 22 y/o man, it made me tear up. Looking at Carson, it appears he was hanging on by a thread. Such a class act. And Midler hurried of the stage as she was sobbing uncontrollably. 26 years later, this clip still gets me
I grew up watching Carson. (Really hearing him on tv across the hall from my parents' room). When he went off the air, I was 22 y/o. I watched this episode and the last one. I felt really sad watching Midler sing this song. I knew it was the end of an era. Watching it now, I tear up whenever I see it. His greatness has never been matched since he left the air
Carson was everything, and nonpareil Bette signing him off is legendary.
Remember this like it was yesterday. Thursday night. May 1992. At a bar it st. Lois. Entire place dead quiet during this song. Great moment.
Bette is, was, and always will be
Truly Divine...❤
Doc Severinsen was once asked what he thought of the "new" late night shows. Doc said that Johnny set the bar so high that it just wasn't fair for anyone else. Present nail. Hit nail head.
Amen
He passed about 13 years later. He was a legend and bette as well
One of those rare moments of magic.
If this does not send a chill down your spine and bring a tear to your eye, you must be made of stone.
Our lives all changed that night; such a sentimentalist am I. We don't realize the importance little things make in our lives, at the time.
I remember watching this then with my now deceased parents. Beautiful performance & great memory.🙂
Ditto.
A decade later and watched it a thousand times it’s still getting me teary eyed.
This is seriously my "go to" song when im feeling a bit low.......Bette sings this classic with the perfect amount of pathos and hope....always brings a nice tear to my eye...beautiful.
This is a wonderful sort of thing that my kids will never, ever undertand or experience. So sad. So, so sad.
Thank you Bette & Johnny!
What a classy, graceful, beautiful performance.
Wow, someone who sang without autotune, backing tracks or half naked. Congrats!
Singing that song so well and so clearly when she was already tearing up is an All-Star performance. There are a lot of singers, yes including professionals, who would have melted into sobbing. Bette hung in there and nailed it. One reward for her was seeing Johnny wipe away a tear at the end.
I agree she took it like a champ
She also said in a interview she was shocked that out of all the people he asked for her.
Bette is just stunning, her voice, her looks, my goodness, I love her
They always had something going together. And Bette did this beautiful. Couldn t have asked for a better last guest.
God, she's so good at expressing gratitude. It's a hard thing for even good performers to do and she makes it look easy. I hope she brings the house down at the Oscars tonight.
i saw this as it aired. she crushed it! that woman killed the whole room that night.
I have said this a thousand times, there are a very few artists who can pour every ounce of emotion into every note they sing. Bette Midler is blessed with that talent. You literally feel every note. She is remarkable!
Wow! There's no other like Johnny, Bette, and Robin. Great performance. Made me cry.
at her best no one puts it across like Bette
Makes me cry every time.
Me too.
Gay
2014 and it is still a magical moment . I love to relive this night.
Well said. Johnny went out with the class and style that epitomized his 30 years on the Tonight Show. If there was ever a class act, he was it. Leno blew it by not paying tribute to the man who built a golden path to the 11:30pm time slot on NBC, I don't care if it was the doing of his megalomanical exec producer Kushnick, it meant that he always operated under the huge shadow of Carson and never quite got out from under it. I predict Leno will in his last show pay the long overdue homage due to Johhny.
I can not compare Leno to Mr Carson there is no comparison and I am Scottish .
Lol its 2022 and I still bawled like a child for the beauty of the episode and all the lost time in between 😂
I actually never cared for Bette Midler all that much. But she is spectacular here. Poignant and real. One of the great moments in television history.
Watch her in a movie called "For the Boys" where she sings to some soldiers. Fabulous.
In My Life was the one that really tied the movie together.
Not to mention Hello Dolly and she won the Tony award
This was the one time that I appreciate Bette Midler's artistic performance. She was the bomb in singing this tribute song to Johnny, it still makes me tear up even to this day more than (23) yrs later. Simply a Classical performance
The divine Miss M. What a wonderful woman and talent. Funny, tough, classy and racy. A true entertainer. I don't think they make them like that anymore.
There is no one better than Bette and the perfect last guest for Johnny Carson.
What a classic performance! Bette knocked it out of the park that evening. What's both interesting and ironic is that this song began it's life as a pathetic drunk song, and has over the years evolved into a poignant "end of an era" song. It especially hit home this night.
No, it’s still a pathetic drunk song. The definitive version is Sinatra’s. Midler did a great job here suffusing the song with an optimistic note, but the song itself hasn’t evolved into something else as you describe here.
She is truly one of the great ones!
That was the perfect farewell. I cry every time I see his face watching her. Love them both .. 💕
Absolutely beautiful. I never witnessed this when it happened, I just came upon this on a countdown list and had to see it for myself. I'm in tears. I don't think that song can ever be sang the same way, or as expertly, ever again. Simply outstanding.
You were probably too young, maybe not born. Watching it end, we knew nothing like it would ever be on the air again.
Why did 87 people put thumbs down, she was awesome that night, that night she was emotional but nailed the song.
The Divine Miss M and the Master of Late Night....simply awesome.
That was the best farewell to Johnny Carson
I watched that and cried all the way through it, I couldn’t imagine late night without Carson.
The BEST of the Best in Late Night Television -- ever ...
For all her Over-the-Top antics and songs, Bette Midler chose the perfect song for this show; and nailed her performance. Johnny Carson was not often humbled by his guests, but she captured the moment so well. Class Acts, both Johnny & Bette...
The crazy thing is she doesn't think she's that great of a singer. She has said this in interviews. She possesses one of the rarest talents in music; she is able to put every ounce of emotion into every note she sings. That is a very unusual and sought after gift and one she excels at! I never get tired of listening to her.
Love his reaction to this song & love that Bette is singing it, beautiful singer
What a wonderful world it was - Johnny Carson and the Divine Miss M on the same stage...so long ago.
WOW still makes my cry years later
I remember watching this the night that it aired. It touched me then. And I've probably seen this a ton of times since and it still touches me. Johnny was the Best and The Divine Miss M' is simply an Icon!
You honestly feel you are back in time when watching this. Outstanding Bette!!!