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David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947 in Indianapolis) is an award-winning American television personality, late night talk show host, television producer, Indy Racing League car owner and philanthropist. His first major success was on the long-running NBC television program Late Night with David Letterman, before he transferred to CBS in 1993 to his current position on The Late Show. Letterman's ironic, often absurd comedy is heavily influenced by comedians Steve Allen, Andy Kaufman and Johnny Carson.
In early 2005, it was revealed that retired King of Late Night Johnny Carson still kept up with current events and late-night TV right up to his death that year, and that he occasionally sent jokes to Letterman, who used these jokes in his monologue; according to CBS senior vice president Peter Lassally (a onetime producer for both men), Carson got "a big kick out of it." Letterman would do a characteristic Johnny Carson golf swing after delivering one of Carson's jokes. In a tribute to Carson, all of the opening monologue jokes during the first show following Carson's death were written by Carson. Lassally also claimed that Carson had always believed Letterman, not Leno, to be his "rightful successor." Letterman also frequently employs some of Carson's trademark bits on his show, including "Carnac the Magnificent" (with Paul Shaffer as Carnac), "Stump the Band" and the "Week in Review."
