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Monday, January 24, 2005

Fountain remembers Johnny Carson as lover of jazz >The Associated Press

Fountain remembers Johnny Carson as lover of jazz


The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS -- Article published Jan 24, 2005
Fountain remembers Johnny Carson as lover of jazz

The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS Jazz musician Pete Fountain remembers Johnny Carson as a fan of jazz and plans to dedicate his signature tune, "Just a Closer Walk with Thee," to the "Tonight Show" host.

Carson died on Sunday at the age of 79. He was the host of the "Tonight Show" for three decades and during that time he had Fountain on his show 59 times - one of Carson's most frequent guests.

"They kept on bringing me back until I got it right," Fountain joked.

Carson retired before Fountain could reach his goal of 60 appearances.

Fountain said he'll dedicate his signature tune, "Just a Closer Walk with Thee," to Carson during his Tuesday night show at Casino Magic. "That's about the best thing I can do," he said, noting Carson's love for jazz music.

Fountain called Carson "an icon" and said they bonded over a mutual love of music. During one appearance, Fountain played "Comin' Around the Mountain," with Carson backing him on the snare drum.

"The world is really going to miss him," Fountain said. "He was a great man and a very talented entertainer."

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Information from: The Times-Picayune

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