Christopher Carson, the eldest son of legendary late Tonight Show host Johnny Carson, died at the age of 74 earlier this year, his father's longtime friend, Howard Smith, revealed on an episode of Joe Sibilia's Nostalgia Tonight podcast released on Monday (June 2).
Smith said he learned about Chris' passing from Jeff Sotzing, the elder Carson's nephew, two months ago, but didn't reveal a cause of death.
“When John died, I tried to keep in communication with Chris,” Smith said. “I moved and bought a house outside of Fort Lauderdale.”
“And at this golf club that I joined, I said to the guys, ‘You guys know Chris Carson?’ The guy said, ‘Oh yeah, he’s a member here.’ And I go, ‘Oh God.’ I said, ‘Well, I’m trying, you know, I’m a friend of his dad and all that. And I’ve been trying to get ahold of Chris, and Chris never got back with me,'” he continued. “When I went to this show that Jeff put on about John, and it was a fantastic, two-hour show that he did for about 100 people, and I said, ‘So Jeff, what’s happening with Chris?’ And he looks at me, goes, ‘Howard, Chris just died last week.’ ‘Really?’ I go, ‘Oh no.’ ”
Johnny Carson shared three sons, Chris, Rick and Cory, with his wife, Joan Morrill Wolcott. Rick died in a car accident at the age of 39 in 1991 while Cory is still alive, according to Smith.
“Cory is still alive,” Smith said. “But I don’t know. They don’t see anybody that much.”
Smith said Chris would commonly tag along on his father's golf trips when he was younger and continued to play the sport during his later years.
“Chris was an avid golfer, and so when he used to come, he lived in Florida, Fort Lauderdale, when he used to come to visit his dad, he would bring his clubs, because I would take them,” he said. “We would play golf together, and John wouldn’t play golf. John did play golf at one time, but he would just ride along with us.”
Chris mostly stayed out of the public spotlight but was involved in a public custody battle with his ex Tanena Love Green over their daughter, Christal Love Carson in the 1980s, which revealed he'd been working as a golf instructor despite his main source of income coming from his famous father, the New York Post reported. Johnny Carson hosted the Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson from October 1, 1962, to May 22, 1992, and died at the age of 70 on January 23, 2005.