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Jay Leno

 
Who2 Biography: Jay Leno, Comedian / Talk Show Host
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Jay Leno
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  • Born: 28 April 1950
  • Birthplace: New Rochelle, New York
  • Best Known As: Host of TV's The Tonight Show, 1992-2009

Jay Leno hosted NBC's long-running late-night program The Tonight Show from 1992 until 2009. Leno was already famous as a standup comedian with intense work habits; he reportedly toured 300 nights a year during the late 1980s. He eventually became a regular vacation standin for Johnny Carson, who hosted The Tonight Show for nearly 30 years. When Carson retired in 1992, Leno got the job full-time. (The same job had been coveted by comedian David Letterman, whose own program had followed Carson's for years. Letterman then moved his program Late Night to CBS, beginning a long-running rivalry between his program and Leno's.) Leno is known as a gentle and unthreatening comic with mass-market appeal, and he is often kidded about his sizable chin. (His book Leading With My Chin was published in 1998.) In 2004 he signed a contract extension to continue hosting The Tonight Show through 2009. NBC announced in 2008 that Leno would step down as the host of The Tonight Show in 2009, although there were rumblings in the press that Leno didn't necessarily want to go. Leno's last show was 29 May 2009, and he was replaced as host of the show by Conan O'Brien, whose first night was 1 June 2009. Leno then began hosting a new comedy show on NBC in September 2009.

Leno married his wife Mavis in 1980; they have no children... Leno is known as a collector of automobiles and motorcycles.

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Children's Author/Illustrator: Jay Leno
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(1950-)

Late-night television host Jay Leno began his show-business career as a standup comedian. Performing his comedy routines around the country, making as many as 300 appearances a year, Leno eventually procured a spot as guest host of the popular late-night program the Tonight Show, which starred Johnny Carson. With Carson's retirement from the show, Leno stepped in as his successor, beating out other contenders, including David Letterman. Soon dubbed the "King of Late Night" by the media, Leno's Tonight Show began top-ping late-night television ratings in 1995 and became a dominant force by the late 1990s.

The son of an Italian-American father and a Scottish mother who immigrated to the United States alone at the age of eleven, Leno has apparently always had a heart for comedy. His fifth-grade report card read: "If Jay spent as much time studying as he does trying to be a comedian, he'd be a big star." Leno first considered a career in comedy after winning a talent show during his senior year of high school. While a student at Emerson University in Boston, Massachusetts, Leno traveled several hours south to New York City to perform at comedy clubs. He moved to California in 1974 and made his first appearance on the Tonight Show in 1977. Years of hard work on the comedy-club circuit followed, and during the 1980s Leno often served as guest host of the popular show. When the time came, Leno was a natural choice to succeed Carson, and at Carson's retirement in 1992 he became the Tonight Show's permanent host.

Leno's 1996 autobiography, Leading with My Chin, details his rise to fame from small comedy clubs to his late-night television success. Leno's autobiography does not break from his comedic tendencies; he lightheartedly shares anecdotes of his rise to fame, including early gigs in mental institutions. One memorable appearance Leno describes in his book is performing before a group of Orthodox Jews only to find that the audience was really expecting to be entertained by a Yiddish storyteller. Entertainment Weekly contributor Bret Watson described the book as "amiable" and "mildly amusing."

In 2004 Leno published the children's picture book If Roast Beef Could Fly, which features illustrations by S. B. Whitehead. A humorous tale based on an incident from Leno's childhood, If Roast Beef Could Fly describes a disastrous family barbecue. Leno told People contributor Shannon Maughan that the story is a favorite of his. "I do a lot of charity events and fundraisers where you have everyone from kids to grandmas in the audience," Leno remarked. "Whenever I've told this story, kids seemed to think it was hilarious."

The book opens as Leno's father prepares for his latest home-improvement project: a new backyard patio and rotisserie. Young Jay tags along during the construction process, and when the rotisserie is unveiled at a big party, Jay's curiosity gets the best of him. As a roast turns on the spit, Jay scoops up the drippings with his pocket comb, which eventually gets stuck in the meat and begins to melt. As Leno recalled on MSNBC Online, "When my dad brought the roast beef out, he started to cut it and then—clunk! A big piece of plastic fell off and the meat was pink underneath." Leno's father was so angry he threw the roast outside, where the family dog quickly gobbled it up.

If Roast Beef Could Fly received mixed reviews. Some critics believed that the book's tone is loud and exaggerated; School Library Journal contributor Martha Topol wrote that the work seems "mired in excess," while a Kirkus Reviews contributor observed that Leno's tale "is told at the top of the authorial lungs, with no modulation in tone whatsoever." A Publishers Weekly reviewer offered praise for the work, however, stating that the comedian's "talent for storytelling and affection for his family shines through."

In 2002 Leno celebrated his tenth anniversary as host of the Tonight Show, and maintained that he had no intention of stopping. As he told Stephen Battaglio of the Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, "I'll do it as long as they want me to do it." His rare absences from the show were precipitated by serious illness; otherwise, he continued to appear at his interviewer's desk five nights each week. While Leno retained a staff to help him prepare monologues and other well-known bits, he also contributed mightily to the writing of each episode, often completing the next night's monologue after finishing a show. As Leno once told a People contributor, "When I was a kid growing up ... I had dyslexia. My mother told me that I would always have to work twice as hard as the other kids just to get the same grades. It's the same now. I'm not better than anybody else doing this job; I just think maybe I work harder than some."

Career

Television personality, actor, comedian, and writer. Rolls Royce auto mechanic and deliveryman; stand-up comedian at venues, including Carnegie Hall and Caesar's Palace; performed as opening act for Henry Mancini, Johnny Mathis, John Denver, James Brown, Tom Jones, and Perry Como; Good Times, CBS, writer, 1974; Jay Leno and the American Dream, Showtime, host and producer, 1986; Tonight Show, NBC, exclusive guest host, 1987-92, host, 1992—. Appeared on television-show episodes, including Good Times, CBS, 1976; Laverne and Shirley, ABC, 1979; Alice, CBS, 1981; Saturday Night Live, NBC, 1986; The Larry Sanders Show, 1993; Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1995; Mad about You, NBC, 1995; Friends, NBC, 1995; Homicide: Life on the Street, NBC, 1996; Seinfeld, NBC, 1996; Third Rock from the Sun, NBC, 1996; Bay-watch, syndicated, 1997; The Simpsons, Fox, 1998; Home Improvement, ABC, 1999; The West Wing, NBC, 2000; Titus, Fox, 2001; The Fairly Oddparents, Nickelodeon, 2001—; Just Shoot Me, 2002; and Scrubs, NBC, 2003. Other television appearances include Jay Leno's Family Comedy Hour, 1987; The 42nd Annual Prime-time Emmy Awards, 1990; Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, 1995; and Fifty Years of NBC Late Night, NBC, 2001. Appeared in films, including The Silver Bears, EMI Films, 1977; Fun with Dick and Jane, Columbia, 1977; American Hot Wax, Paramount, 1978; Americathon, Lorimar/Warner Bros., 1979; Collision Course, De Laurentiis Entertainment/Interscope Communications, 1988; Dave, Warner Bros., 1993; Wayne's World 2, Paramount, 1993; We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, Amblin, 1993; The Flintstones, Universal/Hanna-Barbera/Amblin, 1994; Major League II, Warner Bros., 1994; The Birdcage, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1996; Meet Wally Sparks, Trimark, 1997; Contact, Warner Bros., 1997; In and Out, Paramount, 1997; Mad City, Warner Bros., 1997; EDtv, Universal, 1999; Space Cowboys, Warner Bros., 2000; John Q, New Line Cinema, 2002; Calendar Girls, Buena Vista, 2003; and Mr. 3000, Buena Vista, 2004.

Awards, Honors

Writers Guild of America award nomination, 1987; Emmy Award for Best Musical or Variety Series, 1995, and nominations, 1996 and 1997, and Award for Outstanding Technical Direction, 1996, all for Tonight Show; Best Political Humorist designation, Washingtonian magazine; Favorite Late Night Show designation, TV Guide Awards, 1999 and 2000, for Tonight Show; honored with star on Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Writings

(Editor) Headlines: Real but Ridiculous Samplings from America's Newspapers (also see below), photographs by Gary Bernstein, cartoons by Jack Davis, Warner (New York, NY), 1989.

(Editor) More Headlines: Real but Ridiculous Samplings from America's Newspapers (also see below), photographs by Joseph Del Valle, cartoons by Jack Davis, Warner (New York, NY), 1991.

(Editor) Headlines III: Not the Movie, Still the Book: Real but Ridiculous Samplings from America's Newspapers (also see below), photographs by Joseph Del Valle, cartoons by Jack Davis, Warner (New York, NY), 1991.

(Editor) Headlines IV: The Next Generation: More Out-of-This World Headlines from the Bestselling Series, photographs by Joseph Del Valle, cartoons by Jack Davis, Warner (New York, NY), 1992.

(Editor) Jay Leno's Headlines. Books I, II, III, Wings (New York, NY), 1992.

(Editor) Jay Leno's Police Blotter: Real-Life Crime Headlines from "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," Andrews & McMeel (Kansas City, MO), 1994.

(With Bill Zehme) Leading with My Chin, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1996.

(Author of introduction) Jon Macks, Heaven Talks Back: An Uncommon Conversation, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1998.

(Author of introduction) Frederick Voss, editor, Faces of Time: Seventy-five Years of Time Magazine Cover Portraits, Little, Brown (Boston, MA), 1998.

(With Dennis Homstrom and others) The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles, Alpha Books (Indianapolis, IN), 2001.

(Author of introduction) Dennis Adler, The Art of the Sports Car: The Greatest Designs of the Twentieth Century, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.

If Roast Beef Could Fly (for children), illustrated by S. B. Whitehead, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.

Biographical and Critical Sources

Books

  • Adler, Bill, The World of Jay Leno: His Humor and His Life, Carol Publishing (New York, NY), 1992.
  • Carter, Bill, The Late Shift: Letterman, Leno, and the Network Battle for the Night, Hyperion (New York, NY), 1994.
  • Contemporary Newsmakers, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1989.
  • Leno, Jay, and Bill Zehme, Leading with My Chin, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1996.
  • Leno, Jay, editor, Headlines: Real but Ridiculous Samplings from America's Newspapers, Warner (New York, NY), 1989.
  • St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, St. James Press (Detroit, MI), 2000.
  • Walker, Jay, The Leno Wit: His Life and Humor, Morrow (New York, NY), 1997.

Periodicals

  • Advertising Age, May 25, 1992, p. 24; November 30, 1993, pp. 1-3.
  • Booklist, January 1, 1990, p. 870.
  • Boston, May, 1992, pp. 16-21.
  • Cosmopolitan, December, 1993, pp. 70-72; May, 1996, pp. 180-185.
  • Entertainment Weekly, August 14, 1992, pp. 20-27; February 11, 1994, p. 63; April 22, 1994, p. 12; November 3, 1995, p. 19; March 15, 1996, p. 52; October 11, 1996, pp. 84-85; November 8, 1996, p. 11.
  • Esquire, October, 1995, pp. 98-105.
  • Hollywood Reporter, May 2, 2002, Barry Garron, "Leno: Tenth Anniversary," p. 10.
  • Insight on the News, July 22, 1991, pp. 42-44.
  • Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2004, review of If Roast Beef Could Fly, p. 273.
  • Kliatt, January, 1991, p. 55.
  • Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, April 17, 2002, Stephen Battaglio, "Tireless Comic Jay Leno to Mark Ten Years as Tonight Host," p. K7195.
  • Ladies' Home Journal, February, 1997, p. 166.
  • Life, November, 1993, p. 100.
  • Newsweek, June 29, 1992, p. 56; January 25, 1993, pp. 60-63.
  • New Yorker, November 9, 1992, pp. 46-65.
  • New York Times, January 30, 1994, p. 28; September 24, 2000, Marshall Sella, "The Stiff Guy vs. the Dumb Guy," p. 72.
  • New York Times Book Review, November 17, 1996, p. 24.
  • O, February, 2003, "Oprah Talks to Jay Leno," pp. 138-144.
  • People, December 24, 1990, pp. 56-59; August 23, 1993, pp. 46-49; October 14, 1996, p. 39; May 6, 2002, Michael A. Lipton and Pamela Warrick, "Funny Man at Work," p. 64; April 19, 2004, "Jay Leno," p. 24.
  • Playboy, December, 1990, pp. 57-69; October, 1996, pp. 51-60.
  • Publishers Weekly, January 15, 1996, p. 320; March 8, 2004, review of If Roast Beef Could Fly, p. 72, and Shannon Maughan, "Where's the Beef?," p. 73.
  • Redbook, July, 1992, pp. 48-51.
  • School Library Journal, June, 2004, Martha Topol, review of If Roast Beef Could Fly, pp. 112-113.
  • Time, March 16, 1992, pp. 58-62.
  • Tribune Books (Chicago, IL), January 14, 1990, p. 4.
  • TV Guide, April 11, 1992, pp. 16-21; August 15, 1992, p. 27; January 30, 1993, pp. 49-51; August 28, 1993, pp. 18-23; October 22, 1994, pp. 28-33; October 5, 1996, pp. 14-22; April 13, 2002, Jason Gay, "The Hardest-working, Least Talked about, Most Popular Man in Show Business," p. 16.
  • Vanity Fair, July, 1991, pp. 48-50.
  • Variety, May 29, 2000, Peter Bart, "Building the Leno Legend," p. 2.
  • Washingtonian, November, 1993, pp. 76-80.
  • Woman's Day, March 10, 1992, pp. 36-40.

Online

Quotes By: Jay Leno
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Quotes:

"If God had wanted us to vote, he would have given us candidates."

"The crime problem in New York is getting really serious. The other day the Statue of Liberty had both hands up."

Actor: Jay Leno
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  • Born: Apr 28, 1950 in New Rochelle, New York
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '90s-2000s
  • Major Genres: Comedy
  • Career Highlights: American Hot Wax, We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, Collision Course
  • First Major Screen Credit: American Hot Wax (1978)

Biography

A popular comedian during the 1970s, Jay Leno is best known as the man who replaced Johnny Carson at the helm of The Tonight Show in 1992. Leno was born James Douglas Muir Leno to parents of Italian and Scottish heritage (Leno is particularly fond of discussing the Italian part) in New Rochelle, NY, but was raised in Andover, MA. During the year in which he was establishing his standup career, Leno was performing 300 nights throughout North America. He made his television debut on the Merv Griffin Show and his acting debut in Silver Bears (1977). That year he appeared in the cast of the short-lived Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. Show, a musical variety summer replacement series. By the early '80s, Leno had left behind any notion of becoming an actor because his comedy career was in high gear. His subsequent film appearances have been as himself or as a parody of himself (The Flintstones, 1994). Leno made his first appearance on The Tonight Show on March 2, 1977. Though he can be sharp and is an astute political commentator, there is something nice and comforting about the soft-eyed, lantern-jawed funnyman that appeals to vast middle-American audiences, the same sort who regularly tuned in to Carson. It is small wonder that Leno became Carson's sole guest host by 1987. Leno hosted his first show as Carson's successor on May 25, 1992, with comedian Billy Crystal as his first guest. There was much furor surrounding the selection of Leno as many believed fellow late night gab-meister David Letterman would inherit the throne. Since taking the Tonight Show's reigns, Leno has attempted to inject the show with a slightly hipper edge by featuring more radical musical acts and affecting a more casual look. It's a tough balancing act, for he must do so without alienating his older, more conservative fan base. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Wikipedia: Jay Leno
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Jay Leno
JayLeno.jpg
Jay Leno in 2006
Birth name James Douglas Muir Leno
Born April 28, 1950 (1950-04-28) (age 59)[1]
New Rochelle, New York, U.S.[1]
Medium Television
Nationality American
Years active 1973–present
Genres Observational comedy
Subject(s) Everyday life, American culture
Influences Johnny Carson, Robert Klein, Alan King, George Carlin, Don Rickles, Bob Newhart, Rodney Dangerfield
Influenced Dennis Miller, Conan O'Brien
Spouse Mavis Leno (1980–present)
Notable works and roles The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (host, 1992–2009)

The Jay Leno Show (host, 2009–present)
Signature Jay Leno Autograph.svg
Website The Jay Leno Show
Emmy Awards
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series
1995 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno (born April 28, 1950)[1] is an American stand-up comedian and television host. From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. During his tenure, the show held the top ratings position in its time slot on nearly every weekday. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which airs weeknights at 10:00 p.m. (Eastern Time, UTC-5), also on NBC.

Contents

Early life

Jay Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York, on April 28, 1950. His mother, Catherine (née Muir), a homemaker, was born in Greenock, Scotland, and came to the United States at age 11. Her schooling was limited and as a result she prized her children's successes. Leno's father, Angelo, who worked as an insurance salesman, was born in New York to immigrants from Flumeri, Italy.[2] Leno grew up in Andover, Massachusetts, and although his high school guidance counselor recommended that he drop out of school, he later obtained a Bachelor's degree in speech therapy from Emerson College, where he started a comedy club in 1973.[3] Leno's siblings include his late older brother, Patrick, who was a Vietnam veteran[4] and a lawyer.[3] He was raised as a Catholic.

As Leno was growing up, he used to say that he would take over Johnny Carson's job,[citation needed] which he eventually did. In the late 1970s, he was the warm-up act for Johnny Mathis, Tom Jones, and John Denver.

Career

Leno in 1993, shortly after becoming host of The Tonight Show

The Tonight Show

Main article: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

He replaced Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show in 1992, after having been a regular substitute host for Carson since 1987.[5] Leno continued to perform as a stand-up comedian throughout his tenure on The Tonight Show.

In 2004, Leno signed a contract extension with NBC which would keep him as host of The Tonight Show until 2009.[6] Later in 2004, Conan O'Brien signed a contract with NBC under which O'Brien would become the host of The Tonight Show in 2009, replacing Leno at that time.[7]

During the 2007-2008 WGA Writers strike, Leno was accused of violating WGA guidelines by writing his own monologue for The Tonight Show. While NBC and Leno claim there were private meetings with the WGA where there was a secret agreement allowing this, the WGA denied such a meeting.[8] Leno answered questions in front of the Writers Guild of America, West trial committee in February 2009 and June 2009, and when the WGAW published its list of strike-breakers on 11 August 2009, Leno was not on the list.[9][10]

Leno said in 2008 that he was saving all of his income from The Tonight Show and living solely off his income from stand-up comedy.[11]

On April 23, 2009, Leno checked himself into a hospital with an undisclosed illness.[12] He was released the following day and returned to work on Monday, April 27. The two subsequently cancelled Tonight Show episodes for April 23 and April 24 were Leno's first in 17 years as host.[13][14] Initially, the illness that caused the absence was not disclosed, but later Leno told People magazine that the ailment was exhaustion.[14][15]

Michael Jackson trial

In the 2005 trial of Michael Jackson over allegations of child molestation, Leno appeared as a defense witness (many celebrity defense witnesses had been expected, but Leno was one of the few whose testimony was actually needed). In his testimony regarding a call by the accuser, Leno testified he never called the police, no money was asked for, and there was no coaching - but that the calls seemed unusual and scripted.[16]

As a result, Leno was initially not allowed to continue telling jokes about Jackson or the case, which had been a fixture of The Tonight Show's opening monologue in particular. But he and his show's writers used a legal loophole by having Leno briefly step aside while stand-in comedians took the stage and told jokes about the trial. Stand-ins included Roseanne Barr, Drew Carey, Brad Garrett, and Dennis Miller among others.[17]

After NBC challenged the gag order, the judge permitted Leno to make jokes, as long as they were not related to his testimony. After the gag order was lifted, the next show featured a monologue entirely of Michael Jackson jokes.

Succession by Conan O'Brien

Because Leno's show continued to lead all late-night programming in the Nielsen ratings, the pending expiration of Leno's contract led to speculation about whether he would become a late-night host for another network after his commitment to NBC expired.[18] Leno's last Tonight Show was on Friday May 29, 2009.[19][20]

The Jay Leno Show

Main article: The Jay Leno Show

On December 8, 2008, it was reported that Leno would remain on NBC and move to a new hour-long show at 10 p.m. (9 p.m. central time) five nights a week.[21] This show is a similar format to The Tonight Show, tapes at the same lot, and retains many of Leno's most popular bits. Late Night host Conan O'Brien was his successor on The Tonight Show itself.[22]

Jay Leno's new show, titled The Jay Leno Show, debuted on September 14, 2009.[dated info] It was announced at the Television Critics Association summer press tour that it will feature one or two celebrities, the occasional musical guest, and keep the popular "Headlines" and "Jaywalking" segments, which will now air near the end of the show. It will also include a new segment called the "Green Car Challenge" in which celebrities will race around a track for the title of the fastest green celebrity. First guests included Jerry Seinfeld, Oprah Winfrey (via satellite), and a short sit-down with Kanye West discussing his controversy at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.[23]

Personal life

Leno with President Barack Obama in March 2009

Leno is known for his prominent jaw, which has been described as mandibular prognathism.[24] He has stated that he is aware of surgery that could reset his mandible, but does not wish to endure a prolonged healing period with his jaws wired shut.[citation needed]

Leno is dyslexic.[3] He has been married since 1980 to Mavis Leno; they have no children.[25]

Charity

Along with his wife, he donated $100,000 in 2001 to the Feminist Majority's campaign to stop gender apartheid in Afghanistan, to educate the public regarding the plight of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Mavis Leno is on the board of the Feminist Majority.[26][27]

In 2001, he auctioned off a Harley-Davidson motorcycle signed by his celebrity guests in an effort to help victims of the September 11 attacks. The bike sold for about $360,000. In 2005, he repeated the gesture twice: first, to aid victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake, with a bike sold for $810,000, and then again to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina; that bike sold for $1,550,100.

Leno arriving at the 45th Primetime Emmy Awards in his Hispano-Suiza 8

Vehicle collection

Leno is widely known as a car and motorcycle aficionado. He has a large antique car and motorcycle collection of various international marques spanning from the early 1900s to modern vehicles.

Leno's column in the American magazine Popular Mechanics showcases his car collection and gives advice about various automotive topics, including restoration and unique models, such as his jet-powered motorcycle and solar-powered hybrid. Leno also writes occasional "Motormouth" articles for The Sunday Times (London),[28] reviewing high end sports cars and giving his humorous take on automotive matters. He also writes a monthly column for Octane Magazine.

The collection also includes several Duesenbergs, eight steam-powered cars including an original 1912 Stanley Steamer (which, with Leno behind the wheel, became the oldest car to ever receive a speeding ticket[citation needed]) and a rare 1913 Mercer Raceabout, a 1918 Stutz Bearcat and a 1964 Studebaker Avanti.

Along with his collection of classic cars, he has several high-performance cars. These include a 1994 McLaren F1, Porsche Carrera GT, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, Lamborghini Miura, Ariel Atom, Dodge Viper GTS, Ford GT, Audi R8 and a custom Corvette C6RS (a modified Z06 built by Pratt & Miller). This Corvette can run on either E-85 Ethanol or gasoline. His EcoJet car runs on bio-diesel fuel. Its engine is a 650 horsepower (480 kW) Honeywell LT-101 turbine. The shell is carbon-fiber over Kevlar.

Leno's Blastolene Special is a 21-foot (6.4 m)-long aluminum-bodied roadster powered by a V12 engine from an M47 Patton tank Leno bought from Blastolene Brothers.[29] It was featured in the 2005 racing game Gran Turismo 4, and Monster Garage.

Leno's passion for classic cars led him to an affiliation with the Automobile Restoration Department at McPherson College, in McPherson, Kansas. Today he serves on the National Advisory Board for the college's automotive restoration program and helps fund the Fred Duesenberg Memorial Scholarship.

Leno also has an Internet site, called "Jay Leno's Garage," which contains video clips and photos of his automobiles in detail. It also allows viewers to post photos and descriptions of their cars. [30]

Since 2006 Leno has had his garage work on a biodiesel turbine-powered car in collaboration with GM: the EcoJet concept car.

On August 2, 2009, he made an appearance on BBC motor show Top Gear, in the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car segment. His lap time was 1:48.8. In the interview, he told presenter Jeremy Clarkson that Top Gear was his favourite show.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Jay Leno Biography". The New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/person/1548610/Jay-Leno/biography. Retrieved February 3, 2009. 
  2. ^ "Jay Leno Biography (1950-)". Film Reference. http://www.filmreference.com/film/70/Jay-Leno.html. Retrieved May 11, 2008. 
  3. ^ a b c Carter, Bill. "Pushed From Late Night, Leno Is Set for Prime Time" The New York Times, 12 September 2009.
  4. ^ Aivaz, Mike (October 18, 2007). "Obama on Leno: Hillary has declared 'mission accomplished' too soon". The Raw Story. http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Obama_takes_jab_at_Clinton_on_1018.html. Retrieved May 11, 2008. 
  5. ^ "Carson cuts appearances". Rome News-Tribune. Associated Press (Rome, Ga.): p. 14. June 2, 1987. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NQMIAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SzYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5008,192179&dq=tonight+jay-leno+shandling. Retrieved October 26, 2008. 
  6. ^ "NBC signs Jay Leno to contract extension". USA Today. Associated Press. March 31, 2004. http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2004-03-30-leno-contract-extended_x.htm. Retrieved October 26, 2008. 
  7. ^ Carter, Bill (September 27, 2004). "Conan O'Brien to Succeed Jay Leno in 2009, NBC Announces". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/27/business/media/28CND-NBC.html?pagewanted=print&position=. Retrieved October 26, 2008. 
  8. ^ "LENO/WGA: WHAT'S THE REAL STORY? NBC Claims Jay Asked For & Received WGA Permission To Write Monologue At Secret Monday Meeting With Verrone". Deadline Hollywood Daily. http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/lenowga-whats-the-real-story-nbc-claims-jay-asked-for-received-wga-permission-to-write-monologue-at-monday-meeting-with-verrone-et-al/. Retrieved May 11, 2008. 
  9. ^ Verrier, Richard (2009-08-11). "WGA: No chin music for Jay Leno". Company Town. Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/08/guild-clears-jay-leno-of-violating-strike-rules.html. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
  10. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (2009-08-11). "Jay Leno cleared of strike violations; WGA West issues penalties in three cases". Variety (New York City: Reed Business Information). http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007189.html?categoryId=2821&cs=1. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
  11. ^ della Cava, Marco (July 17, 2008). "Jay Leno Gears up for Life After 'Tonight'". USA Today. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-07-16-leno-cover_N.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-25. 
  12. ^ Hannah, Jack (2009-04-23). "Jay Leno hospitalized; 'Tonight Show' tapings canceled". CNN.com (Cable News Network). http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/23/leno.hospitalized/index.html. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
  13. ^ "Jay Leno released from the hospital". NYDailyNews. http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/04/24/2009-04-24_rep_jay_leno_hospital_trip_precautionary_late_night_host_to_be_released_friday.html. Retrieved 2009-04-24. 
  14. ^ a b "Jay Leno misses first show in 17 years". Canada.com. Reuters (Winnipeg, Manitoba: Canwest Publishing Inc.). 2009-04-24. http://www.canada.com/News/Leno+misses+first+show+years/1530668/story.html. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
  15. ^ Warrick, Pamela (2009-05-01). "Jay Leno Reveals Mystery Ailment: Exhaustion". People.com (Time Inc.). http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20276256,00.html. Retrieved 2009-08-14. 
  16. ^ Sweetingham, Lisa (May 24, 2005). "Comedians Jay Leno and Chris Tucker testify for Michael Jackson". Court TV. http://www.courttv.com/trials/jackson/052405_ctv.html. Retrieved May 11, 2008. 
  17. ^ Showbiz Tonight. 2005-03-08. Retrieved on 2008-05-11.
  18. ^ Moore, Frazier (May 18, 2008). "NBC's Jay Leno-Conan O'Brien swap prompts rumors". Newsday. Associated Press. http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/ny-fftv5685783may18,0,4188633.story?track=rss. Retrieved October 26, 2008. 
  19. ^ Carter, Bill (July 22, 2008). "Date Is Set for Leno's 'Tonight' Finale". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/arts/television/22late.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/T/Television. Retrieved October 26, 2008. 
  20. ^ "Jay Leno Takes Final Bow on ‘Tonight Show’". New York Times. 2009-05-30. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/arts/television/30leno.html?em. Retrieved 2009-05-30. 
  21. ^ "Where Is Leno Going? To Prime Time, on NBC". http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/business/media/09leno.html?em. 
  22. ^ Associated Press (July 21, 2008). "Leno's last 'Tonight' announced". CNN.com. http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/21/tv.nbc.tonight.ap/index.html. Retrieved July 21, 2008. "Leno's last show was Friday, May 29, and O'Brien started the following Monday, June 1, NBC executives told a Television Critics Association meeting Monday." 
  23. ^ Jay Leno Reveals What To Expect From His New Primetime Show
  24. ^ Chudley, A.E. (October 1998). "Genetic landmarks through philately - The Habsburg jaw". Clinical Genetics 54 (4): pp. 283-284. 
  25. ^ "Jay Leno". Who's Who in America. Marquis. http://www.whoswhoinamerica.com/jay_leno/talk_show_host_comedian_writer/occ28/5463136. 
  26. ^ "Hollywood's Latest Cause: Can A Pack Of Celebrities Save Afghanistan's Women?". Newsweek. December 6, 1999. http://www.newsweek.com/id/90455/output/print. 
  27. ^ Greenberg, Susan H. (February 21, 2000). "So Many Causes, So Little Time Save The Rain Forest! Free Tibet! For Today's Stars, There's No Business Like Fund-Raising Business". Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/id/82834. 
  28. ^ "Jay Leno's million dollar garage". The Times. May 9, 2007. http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/article1746609.ece. Retrieved May 11, 2008. 
  29. ^ "The Blastolene Special". Blastolene. http://www.blastolene.com/jay_leno/index.htm. Retrieved May 11, 2008. 
  30. ^ "Jay Leno's Garage". Official Website. http://www.jaylenosgarage.com. 

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Johnny Carson		 Host of The Tonight Show
May 25, 1992–May 29, 2009		 Succeeded by
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