With all the fanfare surrounding the return of Jay Leno to The Tonight Show – and earlier, the drama around hosts and ratings, I was remembering my own visit to The Tonight Show, as a member of the studio audience, back when Johnny Carson was host.

This would have been many moons ago, in the summer of 1982 …

I was a college kid selling Cable TV in Southern California – and a coworker’s mom just happened to be on the editorial staff of The Tonight Show. So, a friend and I got comp tickets, even a behind the scenes tour!

I, Ladies and Gentlemen, met The Tonight Show producer Freddie Decordova and Johnny’s sidekick, Ed McMahon!

Anyway …

On that night’s show, Johnny’s guests were tennis star Bjorn Borg and … wait for it … Paul Tavilla, the world’s greatest grape catcher!

[The above link will take you to a video of “the world’s greatest grape catcher” — from the very night I was on the show! Click the link below for this week’s podcast which features pretty much everyone — from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Conan O’Brien to Carnac the Magnorfodox, David of Wales, and Red Skelton!]

The Orthodixie Podcast on Ancient Faith Radio.