Ed McMahon Dies at 86: Former Johnny Carson Sidekick

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Ed McMahon Dies At 86

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Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson's former sidekick on NBC's The Tonight Show, has died at the age of 86 in Los Angeles early Tuesday morning.

Ed McMahon was best known for his introduction of 'Heeeeere's Johnny!' when Johnny Carson would take the stage, and as the presenter of the American Family Publishers sweepstakes, where he would arrive unannounced at the homes of winners.

Ed McMahon retired from The Tonight Show in 1992 when Johnny Carson left, and since then has suffered a number of medical problems. In 2002 he successfully sued his insurance company for $7 million after it was discovered contractors negligence allowed mold into his home, making he and his wife Pamela ill.

In 2007 the announcer broke his back in a fall and was recovering from multiple surgeries, which left him unable to work. He was also apparently admitted in February of 2009 to a Los Angeles hospital for almost a month for pneumonia.