http://youtu.be/cLiEVvGMjhk
I think I can remember Johnny Carson before the Tonight Show. He was a periodic guest on some Sunday afternoon variety show, where he preformed magic tricks. I don't think I knew his name, but I recall realizing he was the guy that did magic, when he first hosted the Tonight Show. And I remember George Gobel (pronounced like it looks, not Go-bell. Think of the guy in Hitler's cabinet).