David Letterman booking

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Born April 12, 1947, in Indianapolis, Indiana, David Letterman’s big break came when he began
appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He was eventually offered his own late-night
show. His humor was well suited to the late-late hour, and the show became widely popular. When
NBC gave Carson’s spot to Jay Leno, Letterman moved to CBS. His CBS show airs opposite Leno’s
show.
Television personality, talk show host. Born April 12, 1947, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Harry Joseph
Letterman, a florist, and Dorothy, a church secretary who now appears regularly as a correspondent
on his late-night talk show. He has two sisters, Janice and Gretchen. Letterman is best known for his
gap-toothed self-mockery, and his brash, wry, somewhat cynical sense of humor, which was, at first,
unconventional, attracting a cult following, but which has gone on to define the young, hip, mediasavvy generation that is his main audience, and inspire countless comedians and talk show hosts who
have followed him. Letterman studied radio and television at Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana
(B.A. 1969). He worked in Indianapolis as a radio talk-show host; the host of a children’s program and
a late-night movie; a news anchor; and as a television weatherman, where his brand of humor was
already evident, if not necessarily appreciated. One night he reportedly upset his bosses when he
congratulated a tropical storm on being upgraded to a hurricane. In 1975 Letterman moved to Los
Angeles and wrote material for popular sitcoms, including Good Times. His big break came when he
began appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, whom he has since referred to as his
mentor. In 1978, he became Carson’s regular guest host, and in 1980, he was offered his own show,
the daytime David Letterman Show. The show only lasted for three months, but was a critical success,
and convinced NBC-TV to give the young comedian a late-night show following Carson’s.
The late-late show hour was well-suited to Letterman’s brash and quirky humor. Late Night with David
Letterman soon became popular with a young audience by mixing the usual talk-show ingredients of
celebrity guests and music with his irreverent manner and zany comic stunts. His signature features
include The Top Ten List; Stupid Pet Tricks (along with its companion, Stupid Human Tricks); Viewer
Mail; and pencils tossed at the camera and at the set behind him, “breaking” the non-existent glass
with a cued crash sound. He is also known for his parody sketches that play upon the obvious weak
acting abilities of his bandleader Paul Schaffer (and other members of The World’s Most Dangerous
Band), stage-hand Biff Henderson, and general odd-ball Larry Bud Melman. After NBC chose Jay
Leno as the replacement for the retiring Johnny Carson in 1993—a position Letterman had publicly
desired—Letterman moved to CBS. He signed a lucrative deal to host The Late Show with David
Letterman, which airs opposite The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. He also founded his own production
company, Worldwide Pants, that same year, which bought a stake in his new show. His displeasure
with NBC executives was fodder for his monologues, and when they blocked him from transferring
regular features of his show to CBS (claiming it was NBC’s “intellectual property”) that, too, was
mocked on air. The years that followed this head-to-head competition spawned a book and cable
movie documenting the late-night talk show “wars.” Letterman has received several Emmys for both
writing and for his talk show hosting duties.
On January 14, 2000, fans were shocked to learn that Letterman underwent quintuple heart bypass
surgery. In typical Letterman fashion, the recovering patient joked that “in addition to rerouting the
arteries, they also installed an E-Z pass.” Letterman’s first post-op show aired on February 21,
featuring Regis Philbin, Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams (wearing medical scrubs), and eight members
of the team who took care of Letterman during his stay in the hospital. In December 2006, Letterman
renewed his contract with CBS, agreeing to host The Late Show with David Letterman through the fall
of 2010. In 2007, he was ranked as No. 17 on the Forbes list of richest men in the entertainment
industry, making an estimated $40 million that year. In 2009, Forbes also listed Letterman as No. 14
on their list of most powerful personalities in entertainment. The magazine cited Letterman’s Peabody
Award-winning company, Worldwide Pants, as one of the secrets behind his current wealth and
power; in addition to Letterman’s show, the company has produced successful comedies such as

Everybody Loves Raymond and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Letterman is known for
successfully keeping his romantic and private life under tight wraps from the media. He was married to
Michele Cook from 1969-1977. He has also been romantically linked to comedienne/writer Merrill
Markoe. He then began a relationship with production manager Regina Lasko in the mid 80s.
Letterman and Lasko celebrated the birth of their son in 2004, who they named after Letterman’s
father, Harry Joseph Letterman.
Letterman and Lasko wed during a private courthouse ceremony in Choteau, Montana, on March 19,
2009. The talk show host announced his nuptials during his March 23rd show. The family now resides
in North Salem, New York, on a 108-acre estate.