David Letterman Was My King Of Late Night

Johnny Carson was my parents' late night show.

David Letterman was mine.

Much like you didn't like your parents' music, you also didn't like their TV shows either. My parents watched "60 Minutes," "McMillan & Wife" and "Carson."

When I would look under my bedroom door down the hall to the TV when it was in the right corner, at 11:30 p.m. there it was.

The NBC peacock came up with: "The following program brought to you in living color ... on NBC."

Then. Ed McMahon would announce: "From Hollywood ... 'The Tonight Show' ... Starring..."

Then, Johnny would do his monologue about world politics and famous people I'd never heard of. My parents laughed, because they got it; much like my kids wouldn't get Letterman's monologue today.

But when 1982 rolled around and I got a little more worldly, Letterman came on AFTER Carson.

At 12:30 a.m., Letterman just seemed fresher, different. It was later, and edgier, and more me.

Instead of Tony Bennett or Joan Embry, it was Elvis Costello and Andy Kaufman.

Johnny wore a sensible suit. Dave wore wrestling shoes.

"Letterman" was and is MY late night show. Farewell Dave.