A close friend of the Carson family revealed that Johnny Carson’s oldest son, Christopher Carson, passed away earlier this year. Although his Tonight Show host father was one of the most famed comedians of all time, Chris Carson stayed away from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood. According to People, Howard Smith shared the news on the Nostalgia Tonight podcast. Howard said he learned of Chris’ passing from Johnny’s nephew, Jeff Sotzing.
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“When John died, I tried to keep in communication with Chris,” Howard said. “I moved and bought a house outside of Fort Lauderdale. And at this golf club that I joined, I said to the guys, ‘You guys know Chris Carson?’ The guy said, ‘Oh yeah, he’s a member here.’ And I go, ‘Oh God.’ I said, ‘Well, I’m trying, you know, I’m a friend of his dad and all that. And I’ve been trying to get a hold of Chris, and Chris never got back with me.'”
Howard Learned Of Johnny Carson’s Son’s Death By Chance
Howard said he was asking another friend how Chris Carson was doing and learned he’d passed away. The news came as a shock. Johnny Carson shared three sons with his first wife Joan Morrill Wolcott. Their son Rick died in a car accident in 1991. The coupe’s youngest son, Cory, is still alive.
While Johnny Carson was a very public figure, he was famously shy outside the spotlight and liked to keep to himself. As his sons aged, they took on their father’s more private persona.
“Chris was an avid golfer, and so when he used to come, he lived in Florida, Fort Lauderdale, when he used to come to visit his dad, he would bring his clubs, because I would take them,” Howard recalled. “We would play golf together, and John wouldn’t play golf. John did play golf at one time, but he would just ride along with us.”
This story’s featured image is by Hulton Archive/Getty Images.
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