Yes, he was only a "pitchman" and Johnny Carson's "sidekick", his #2, whose laugh became a joke itself, but the passing of Ed McMahon, although expected, is sad nevertheless.


Even in his prime, McMahon knew his role. There was nothing flashy about McMahon in his routine as second banana on The Tonight Show, but that was just the point -- he was supposed to be the Average Joe, looking on with admiration at the wit and dazzle of the star, and occasionally feeding the star a line or two that would make Carson look ever better, and he managed to pull it off on a nightly basis.Oh sure, a recurring line of his "comedy" was his legendary drinking, but for some strange reason, it worked. It was funny. Often when his sidekick was talking, Carson would look at the camera and raise an invisible glass to his lips. The gesture always resulted in laughs. Such was the mindset of the late night TV audience -- and much of mainstream America -- in the 1960s and '70s heyday of The Tonight Show.While Carson was a perfectionist who made life difficult for those who worked with him, McMahon said in repeated interviews over the years that his job as sidekick was "the world's greatest job." At a reported $4 million a year, no doubt. McMahon had stints hosting "Star Search" and working with Jerry Lewis on the Labor Day telethon, but it was his Tonight Show gig that made him famous. His signiture "Heeeerrreees Johnny!" was a fixture in the 70's and 80's lexicon and "hayyyyo!", McMahon's version of "bravo" will forever be remembered and preserved in Youtube nostalgia.


source : http://www.sfgate.com