David Letterman
Talk Show Host
Late Night With David Letterman premiered on February 1982 on NBC, where it followed the famed Tonight Show hosted by Johnny Carson. Letterman's show became a huge hit with college students and night owls, famous for its offbeat humor and nightly "Top Ten" lists. Letterman made no secret of his wish to host the Tonight Show once Carson retired; when NBC gave that job to Jay Leno in 1992, Letterman jumped to CBS and began the competing The Late Show with David Letterman. In January of 2000 Letterman missed five weeks of shows after undergoing quintuple bypass heart surgery.Extra credit: Letterman attended Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana... He was married to college sweetheart Michelle Cook from 1970-1977... He has a son, Harry (b. 2003) with longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko... He was once an all-purpose announcer on station WLWI in Indianapolis, a job which included introducing movies and serving as a substitute weatherman... An auto racing enthusiast, he formed the Rahal Letterman racing team with former driver Bobby Rahal.
Letterman is a special guest in our loop on Tonight Show Hosts.
Four Good Links
The Late Show With David Letterman
His official site, with huge archives of his Top Ten lists
Bill's David Letterman Page
Utter fandom, though sadly no longer updated
Letterman, David
Career profile from the Museum of Broadcast Communications
Forbes Celebrity 100: David Letterman
2007 profile of him as one of the best-paid TV stars
Vital Stats
Birth
Birthplace
Death
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Best Known As
Host of The Late Show With David Letterman
