Ed McMahon dies at 86

June 23rd, 2009 // 39 Comments

After spending his golden years battling foreclosure on his home, TV legend Ed McMahon died early this morning at 86, according to the AP:

McMahon died shortly after midnight at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center surrounded by his wife, Pam, and other family members, said his publicist, Howard Bragman.
Bragman didn’t give a cause of death, saying only that McMahon had a “multitude of health problems the last few months.”
McMahon had bone cancer, among other illnesses, according to a person close to the entertainer, and had been hospitalized for several weeks. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to release the information.

If you’ve never seen a classic episode of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon, do yourself a favor and Google one up. You’ll never see a classier comedy act in your life. Except here – HIYO! (For you, big guy.)

Rest in Peace, Ed.

Photo: WENN

  1. RIP

    There will never be another…

    HIIYOOO!

    R.I.P.

  2. doc

    Hi-o! big guy, Hi-o. rip.

  3. I call bullshit. He’s just trying to avoid his coming home foreclosure.

    Word has it he’s hanging out in Havana with Tupac and Elvis.

  4. havoc

    He was a helluva lot classier than 99.9% of the asswipes on TV today.

    RIP Mr. McMahon….

    .

  5. joe

    Damn he was very influential in my growing up wanting to be an entertainer…. R.I.P….

  6. kathryn

    RIP, Ed. :-(

  7. Deacon Jones

    His gold-digging wife drove him to an early grave and wiped out his life savings. Have a martini for me Ed

  8. His wife will be living under a freeway in a year because she has a terrible spending problem.

    She is the reason why an established 86-year old man had numerous lawsuits against him, a foreclosure, etc., all in his later years when he should have been well-established after his career. Sad story.

  9. Damon

    Rest in Peace…

  10. Sara

    One of the few really great entertainers of our time. He always seemed like such a sweet man.

    Rest in peace Ed

  11. Max Planck

    He looks a lot better than Shauna Sand.

  12. truth

    Cause of death: sub prime lending.

  13. Moto Rola

    R.I.P. Ed. Take your seat next to Johnny and make’em laugh!

  14. Great, and Andy Richter is alive and kicking! So long ED!

  15. missywissy

    R.I.P.
    and Ed McMahon gets.. (drum roll)……… 4 stars!

  16. Dura

    HEEEEERRREEEEESSSSS HEAVEN!

    RIP Ed

  17. Hash

    Old people die. Why is this even news? Why do you waste my bandwidth with such an ordinary article? Proceed with the bikinis, -please-.

  18. CrunchPop

    His wife is a fucking gold-digging poolboy-fucking cunt whore.

    She drove him into the ground.

    Nice job, cunt. Hope you’re turning tricks under the 110 by the end of the month, you plastic-titted whore.

  19. Bye Ed

    I am very sad to hear this I love him for who he was. A good guy and I grew up with Johnny Carson and Ed McMahon. The guy was classy. They don’t make like that anymore. God Bless Him.

  20. wonderboy

    Man, he must have been really upset about John and Kate.

  21. JimmyBachaFungool

    Has there ever been a bigger “no-talent” that made it as far as him. Can’t sing, act, do stand up, do impressions. Honestly what has this guy done that makes you say he was a talent? Sadly he is gone but that has nothing to do with the fact that he was about as entertaining as watching paint dry.

  22. mikeock

    Will they need a separate coffin for those glasses?

  23. Dread not

    Grew up watching Johnny Carson. Can still here Ed bellow, “heeeeeeeere’s, Johnny!” When Ed Mac gets to the pearly gates, maybe Johnny can return the favor. “Heeeeeeere’s, Eddie! R.I.P. Ed. Now get on that puffy cloud couch, and laugh, while Johnny does his monologue about the immaculate conception, Soddom and Gomorrah, and Jesus turning water into wine!

  24. Jared

    Leno was good, but no one can beat the magic that Johnny and Ed had. Probably one of the best sidekicks of all time. Fans are paying their respects at a memorial for him here:

    http://tinyurl.com/mdy7bg

  25. Rich

    Ed was the best. Go on You Tube & watch him with ‘Carnak’ on the Tonight Show. Those were some on the funniest bits ever. Wonder if he ‘will be hermetically sealed in a mayonaise jar on Funk & Wagnalls porch’?

  26. Tanzarian

    Seasbiscuit, gravity, and Ed McMahon.

    …Seabiscuit… gravity… EdMcMahon…

    Name a horse, a force, and a corpse.

  27. Jethro

    People like Ed, Johnny, Dean and others of that era that have left us were truly a class act. Not many ‘wimps’ of today can compare.

  28. Rhialto

    Our most heartfelt condolences and sympathy to the family.May you have the strenght you need for this trying and difficult time.

  29. pasteve

    I’m preemptively giving his funeral 3 stars.

  30. Brett M

    I gotta give you credit, you know your sh*t. Johnny and Ed were an amazing comedy team. You played this one well. Rest in peace good buddy

  31. I was so sad to hear about Ed. I invite readers to view my retrospective on him, and my salute to talk-show sidekicks, at this URL:

    http://www.examiner.com/x-12184-Detroit-TV-Examiner~y2009m6d23-In-honor-of-Ed-McMahon-top-five-talk-show-sidekicks

  32. timmy the frisky virus

    He’s back with Johnny; they’re doing a Karnak bit this very moment.

  33. Christina

    I love that he’s wearing something with his Simpsons representation on it. Classic episode where he pokes fun at himself… hosting a FOX special called “World’s Deadliest Executions”, from the producers of When Skirts Fall Off and Secrets of National Security Revealed. I’ll also remember his brief cameo on Scrubs.

    RIP Ed.

  34. RedFantaGirl

    @ 3–you are an asshole, but admittedly, you made me LOL. Still horrible though. ;)

  35. Anexio

    Always Faithful, Mr. McMahon.

    Thank you for your service to our country.

    Thank you.

    RIP

  36. ……………………..IT WAS TIME, folks.

  37. I was so sad when I heard the news. I mean, look at him! He’s wearing a pin of a caricature of himself from the Simpsons! This guy was awesome!!

    Though anytime I got a letter in the mail with his face on it, I threw it away. Man, that takes me back…

  38. happybabe

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ She is my sweetheart…..She is the sunshine in my heart…..She is my best match…..I knew I would not love any other woman since I met her…Thanks for ************Cougar Circle . com*********** which brought us happiness. Wish you are as lucky as me…… ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

  39. Ed was and remains one of the assistants that kept the skits and comments/opinions of Carson respectable. When Carson wandered into an area that that might be similar to the mis-informers like Fox or conservative radio [sic] hosts, Ed would nudge Carson to a centrist opinion that was acceptable as ironic and funny. I will always remember the softer side of Ed. He left the world in a better place as have other entertainment giants like himself. His family should relish having had him in an intimate setting, having given us preprogrammed joy.

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