Ed McMahon

Ed McMahon became that rare pop cultural mainstay - most recognizable for the sound of his voice. First and foremost, his nightly introduction of late-night TV icon Johnny Carson with his inimitable "He-eeeeeere's Johnny!" his "Hi-yo!" and unmistakable off-camera laugh made him one of the most lovable sidekicks in television history. McMahon came to engender the "second banana" - the professional co-host and the star's set-up man - leveraging his genial, Everymanesque celebrity into a raft of side projects and high-profile commercial spokesman jobs. His booming voice made him a journeyman announcer through the early days of television, until the portentous link-up with Carson on a 1950s game show that would lead to a 34-year collaboration with the legend, with 30 of those years on Carson's landmark stint as host of "The Tonight Show" (NBC, 1962- ).