Johnny Carson’s Pal Recounts Emotional ‘last Supper’ With Tv Icon: ‘he Knew He Was Dying’

Howard Smith was often worried astir his friend and neighbor, Johnny Carson.

"He smoked a batch - he would fume 3 packs of cigarettes a day," Smith told Fox News Digital. "He would travel complete to my house, and we’d play tennis, and past aft that he would ray up a cigarette."

"I was astir apt connected him for six months conscionable saying, ‘John, you should see possibly not smoking arsenic much,'" Smith shared. "One day, he yet told me, ‘I’ve realized that it’s not bully for you and I shouldn’t beryllium doing it.’ He ne'er smoked aft that.’"

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Johnny Carson is seen present astatine his "Final Show," circa 1992. The legendary TV big died successful 2005. He was 79. (Alice S. Hall/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images)

For nan past 18 years of his life, nan legendary "Tonight Show" big didn’t smoke, Smith claimed successful his book. But irrevocable harm was done. In 2002, he was diagnosed pinch emphysema, a illness that killed him successful 2005 astatine nan property of 79.

Smith, who "knew and loved" nan fiercely backstage TV icon, has precocious written a memoir, "My Friend Johnny: The Last 20 Years of a Beautiful Life pinch Johnny Carson and Friends." The foreword was written by Jay Leno.

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"I wanted group to cognize John – nan John I knew," nan retired businessman explained. "I was not successful show business. I had nan largest package institution successful nan world astatine that time. And I deliberation because I wasn’t successful show business, he could spot me. And successful showbiz, you sometimes don’t cognize who you tin trust. I deliberation that meant a batch to him."

Johnny Carson was friends pinch his neighbor, businessman Howard Smith, for complete 2 decades. (Courtesy of Howard Smith)

"I person publication respective things that person been written astir John, and I would opportunity that 90% of those articles were not favorable," he shared. "They were down connected John. And that was not nan John I knew. I wanted group to get to cognize my friend."

And for illustration immoderate bully pal, Smith was concerned astir Carson’s habits. According to his book, Carson was "an avid smoker," prompting him to ask, beg, and moreover situation him to see quitting smoking. And it was Carson's 4th wife, Alexis Maas, who yet sewage him to quit, said Smith.

According to Howard Smith, it was Johnny Carson's wife, Alexis, who yet sewage nan prima to discontinue smoking. (Courtesy of Howard Smith)

"John was a stubborn person," Smith admitted. "I’d springiness him s—t a lot. I deliberation that’s why he liked me, because we’d spell backmost and distant connected different things. I ne'er treated him for illustration a star."

Howard Smith's memoir, "My Friend Johnny: The Last 20 Years of a Beautiful Life pinch Johnny Carson and Friends," is retired now. (Howard Smith)

In 2002, CBS News published a communicative titled "Johnny Carson: I'm Not That Sick." At nan time, Carson said done a spokesperson that erstwhile it came to his illness, "I’m dealing pinch it nan champion I can, and it is not causing maine immoderate awesome problems." However, Smith claimed that Carson was a batch sicker than nan header implied. He conscionable didn’t want nan nationalist "to make a fuss."

"In our 20 years of playing tennis together, I knew nan sound of John’s laugh, his forehand grunts, and his labored breathing," Smith wrote. "Toward nan end, his breathing became progressively difficult. We started playing little often, and then, sadly, moreover suddenly, contempt each nan signs, nan time I dreaded arrived."

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Johnny Carson pinch his woman Alexis and Howard Smith's boy Scott. (Courtesy of Howard Smith)

Smith told Fox News Digital he still vividly remembers nan past clip he saw his friend. It was aft New Year’s successful 2005. He described their evening arsenic "the past supper."

Johnny Carson and Howard Smith are seen present embracing their wives. "He came astir to maine and gave maine a large hug and buss and said, 'Howard, I emotion you,'" Smith wrote. "I felt nan tightness of his hug and knew it came from nan deepest portion of his heart. We were amazed because he had ne'er expressed his emotions aliases affection successful specified a individual mode towards america successful each nan years we had known each other. Naturally, we hugged him backmost and told him we loved him too. We were profoundly moved. I’ll ne'er hide that feeling." (Courtesy of Howard Smith)

"I’m astatine a drugstore successful Malibu, and he happened to beryllium there," Smith recalled. "He goes, ‘What are you doing tonight?' I said, ‘Nothing.’ He said, ‘Why don’t we spell get meal tonight?’ John's woman had a spot successful Pittsburgh, truthful she spent a batch of clip pinch her family there. So, he was by himself connected that day. I retrieve he picked maine and my woman up, and we went to this restaurant. We were nan first group location and nan past to leave."

"John was nan funniest I’ve ever seen him," Smith reflected. "He went connected and on, told stories astir different group that he had connected nan show… We conscionable laughed truthful hard. Our stomachs were sore from laughing… At 1 point, I said, ‘I sewage to spell to bed,’ and John was like, ‘Oh no, Howard, I want to show you this different story.’ And it kept going."

Johnny Carson and his woman Alexis successful London, circa 1991. The mates joined successful 1987. (Tom Wargacki/WireImage/Getty Images)

"Looking back, location must person been thing going connected successful his caput that night. We astir apt had 500 dinners together, and he was ne'er that funny, going connected and on. We would person meal astatine 6 o’clock and beryllium backmost location by eight."

Johnny Carson and his woman Alexis watch a tennis match, circa 1995. Carson, nan long-time big of NBC's "Tonight Show," died from emphysema. (CARLO ALLEGRI/AFP via Getty Images)

"For immoderate reason, that night, he conscionable wanted to show america each these stories and make america laugh," Smith continued. "We’ve ne'er laughed for illustration that before. It's for illustration he didn't want america to time off without proceeding him first. At nan extremity of nan night, he drives america up to our house, gets retired of nan car. He gave some my woman Jane and maine a buss and a hug. Then he tells us, ‘I emotion you.’ John was not standoffish, but I'd ne'er seen him do thing for illustration that."

Howard Smith told Fox News Digital he wanted nan nationalist to observe a caller broadside to nan "king of precocious night." (NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)

"I deliberation he knew he was dying, but didn’t want america to worry," said Smith quietly, fighting backmost tears. "But astatine that moment, he conscionable wanted to retrieve nan bully times. He wanted to show america really overmuch we meant to him. He wanted to springiness america nan champion of himself."

According to Smith, Carson died 16 days later.

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Johnny Carson holding Howard Smith's boy Scott. (Courtesy of Howard Smith)

"When I deliberation astir that night, I consciousness he wanted to show america that he would beryllium OK, and that he loved us," said Smith. "That’s nan John I knew."

Today, Smith prefers to retrieve nan happier times. While Carson was "intimate and shy," he slow opened up to his neighbor, who offered to play tennis pinch him.

Johnny Carson and nan wives. (Courtesy of Howard Smith)

"We utilized to play tennis 3 to 4 days a week," Smith chuckled. "Then 1 time he said, ‘Howard, I don’t deliberation I tin play anymore. I deliberation I ran retired of gas. But let’s do this. On Saturdays and Sundays, you travel complete to my house. I’ll make you a coffee, and we’ll conscionable beryllium around, talk astir life.’"

Johnny Carson and his neighbor, businessman Howard Smith, bonded complete tennis. (Courtesy of Howard Smith)

And successful those later years, Carson wasn’t craving nan spotlight, Smith insisted.

"After he retired, he had different life," Smith explained. "He was walking astir nan world. He went to Africa. He spent 2 months learning Swahili. Then he went to Russia and learned Russian truthful he could talk to group there. He would usage this scope astatine his location to look up astatine nan stars. My woman and I would often person discussions pinch him about nan Big Bang Theory."

Johnny Carson pinch Lucille Ball astatine a backstage tennis nine circa 1975.  (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

"A batch of group wished he hadn’t retired," said Smith. "But John didn’t. He loved being retired. He would study astronomy. He played paper tricks. I retrieve we went to a section edifice successful Malibu for meal and location was a young kid location doing different paper tricks for people. And John was delighted. He would go, ‘Can you do this?’ He did each kinds of paper tricks for this kid… John was awkward and quiet, but he loved conscionable being himself."

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Johnny Carson chats pinch a chap personnel astatine a backstage tennis nine circa 1975 successful Los Angeles, California. Tennis kept nan prima engaged aft he retired. (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

And Carson was a loyal friend who didn’t deliberation doubly astir offering a helping manus successful secret, said Smith. He softly donated to nan Children’s Hospital successful Los Angeles, arsenic good arsenic to a section group dedicated to helping bum veterans, among different charities.

"He loved life," said Smith. "And he gave back. He didn’t request nan publicity for it."

Today, Smith wants nan nationalist to observe a caller broadside of "the king of precocious night."

Johnny Carson is seen present pinch his woman Alex. According to Howard Smith, nan prima enjoyed nan last years of his life pursuing his passions. (Courtesy of Howard Smith)

"I didn’t recognize that he and I were building this typical bond," said Smith. "But I’m still grateful for that time erstwhile we first decided to play tennis together."