E-mail a friendSeptember 11, 2009
In part 2 of his conversation with Tavis, Jay Leno talks about his youth in New England, the perceived rivalry with Letterman and why his show looks like America. Grammy-winning music producer Mark Johnson explains the backstory and the goal of his "Playing for Change" project.
Jay Leno
Jay Leno
Comedian shares the story of his mother shushing the audience when he was performing at Carnegie Hall. (2:21)
Full interview. (16:57)
Jay Leno began his show business career in small comedy clubs, performing stand-up with as many as 300 dates a year. His numerous appearances on TV turned into a regular guest host job on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and a full-time gig when Carson retired. A car and motorcycle enthusiast, Leno writes on automotive topics in several publications, including Popular Mechanics. The Emmy-winning star left his late-night post earlier this year and, in September, will begin hosting duties on a new primetime comedy show.
Mark Johnson
Mark Johnson
Grammy winner talks about music being one of the few things in the world that can inspire people to believe in each other. (:52)
Full interview. (6:19)
Mark Johnson is a Grammy-winning producer-engineer and award-winning film director. He's also co-founder of the "Playing for Change" project and board chairman for the foundation of the same name, which works to build music schools and art centers. He has a diverse body of work in the music, film and TV industries, including Bugsy and Rain Man, for which he won Best Picture Oscar and Golden Globe awards. Johnson began his career as an actor and with production assistant gigs and has his own indie production company.