A Hard Act to Follow Blog Tour

Why is this book worth reading?

A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW delivers the only candid and heartfelt portrait of the icon who reigned over late night television for three decades.  Loved by all of America and revered by other comedians and entertainers, he remained a fiercely private enigma even to those closest to him.  Henry Bushkin was Carson’s personal attorney, agent, manager, and best friend for nearly two decades, an integral party of Carson’s life at the pinnacle of the Hollywood ladder and one of the very few to ever gain Carson’s trust. 

In this memoir, Bushkin takes the reader on a rollicking trip through 70s and 80s Hollywood, Las Vegas, backstage at the Tonight Show, private yachts, Cannes, London, Malibu, and of course, many of the most exclusive hotels and resorts in the world.   Work, vacations, weddings, divorces, on the road---Henry Bushkin was there in good times and bad.  At its heart, this is the story of a deep and enduring friendship and partnership, that navigated rough waters but inevitably, would end up on the rocks. 

Many biographers have tackled the elusive Johnny Carson; hundreds of stories have appeared in the press over the years about “Bombastic” Bushkin and his business deals—many quite critical, one-sided, and protective of the legend’s reputation.  Mr. Bushkin sets the record straight, revealing the unvarnished truth about what really happened by the one person who was constantly at Johnny’s side. 

“Theres no way to write about comedy in a funny way, so why bother?” Carson used to say about writing an autobiography.  Bushkin believes that in fact the process would have been too painful, forcing him to examine demons and self-destructive tendencies he preferred to bury in his work.  After twenty years of reflection and distance, Henry Bushkin has gained proper perspective to finally tell their story.  Funny, full of affection and priceless stories, sharing wonderful vignettes while not whitewashing the more troubling aspects of his behavior, this book is the closest thing the world will ever have to an inside loo at the man who was a Hard Act to Follow.