David Letterman - Tv Presenters, Timeline and Facts
David Letterman's Personal Details
David Letterman is an American television host
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | April 12, 1947 |
| Nationality | American |
| Famous | Media Personalities, TV Presenters, Tv Presenters |
| City/State | Indiana |
| Nick names | The Big Man, Dave |
| Spouses | Regina Lasko (m. 2009), Michelle Cook (m. 1968–1978) |
| Siblings | Gretchen Letterman, Janice Letterman |
| Known as | David Michael Letterman |
| Childrens | Harry Joseph Letterman |
| Universities |
|
| Founder / Co-Founder |
|
| Birth Place | Indianapolis |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
| Height | 188 |
| Gender | Male |
| Father | Harry Joe Letterman |
| Mother | Dorothy Mengering |
| Sun Sign | Aries |
| Born in | Indianapolis |
| Famous as | TV Presenter |
| Socials |
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David Letterman's photo
Who is David Letterman?
David Michael Letterman, popularly known as David Letterman, is an American television host who has served the longest period hosting a late night talk show in the history of American television. Starting with the first episode of ‘Late Night with David Letterman’ on February 1, 1982 on NBC, he had hosted a late night television talk show for 33 years, until 2015. David Letterman was ranked 45th on the TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time. Also a comedian and television and film producer, he opened his own company, Worldwide Pants, that produced some of his shows and several prime-time comedies like ‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ and ‘The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson’. Known for his “disrespectful” sense of humor, Letterman left NBC when the channel chose Jay Leno to replace Johnny Carson instead of him as the host of ‘The Tonight Show’. He then joined CBS and started hosting ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’ which directly competed for viewership with ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’. In 2015, he announced his plans to retire from the show. A few years later, he returned in a new talk show series, which was premiered on Netflix in January 2018.
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Childhood & Early Life
David Letterman was born on April 12, 1947 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to father Harry Joseph Letterman, who was a florist, and mother Dorothy Marie Letterman Mengering, who was a secretary for the Second Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis. He has a sister.
He stayed close to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and was fond of collecting model cars. While growing up, he admired his father's skills to entertain people with jokes and make a party lively. His father suffered a heart attack when David was a young boy. He eventually died of a second heart attack at the age of 57.
He attended the Broad Ripple High School and worked at the local Atlas Supermarket. He studied radio and television at the Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana, and graduated in 1969. He completed a four-year double major in journalism news/telecommunications.
David was the announcer and newscaster at the college's student-run radio station—WBST. However, he was fired because he treated classical music with disrespect. He then founded another campus station—WAGO-AM 570.
Career
David Letterman started his career as the host of a radio talk show on WNTS (AM), and as an anchor and weatherman on Indianapolis television station WLWI. In 1971, he was a pit road reporter for ABC Sports' Indianapolis 500.
In 1975, he moved to Los Angeles to become a comedy writer, and began performing at a comedy club called The Comedy Store. He joined American actor and comedian Jimmie Walker’s group of comedians to write jokes for his stand-up acts. He also wrote material for popular shows like ‘Good Times’.
In 1977, he became a regular writer on the six-week series ‘The Starland Vocal Band Show’, aired on CBS. In 1978, he became a cast member on Mary Tyler Moore's variety show, ‘Mary’. Finally, he landed at ‘The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson’, and soon became a regular guest on the show.
In June 1980, he bagged his first morning comedy show on NBC, called the ‘The David Letterman Show’. Although it was critically successful, it failed to get good ratings, and was eventually canceled in October 1980.
He then started hosting the show ‘Late Night with David Letterman’ in February 1982 at NBC. His fans loved his self-mockery and cynical sense of humor. Later, his style inspired numerous comedy talk shows.
In 1992, when Johnny Carson retired, David Letterman expected that he would be offered Carson’s position at ‘The Tonight Show’. But instead, NBC offered the role to Jay Leno. As a result, David left NBC and joined CBS to host his own late night show, in direct completion to ‘The Tonight Show.’ His new show was called the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ and started airing in August 1993.
Although David Letterman retained his unique sense of humor, this show was not an exact replica of his old NBC show. From 1993 to 2009, David Letterman was ranked higher than Leno 12 times in the annual Harris Poll of Nation's Favorite TV Personality. In 2003 and 2004, Letterman’s show ranked second, just behind Oprah Winfrey, and that year, Leno’s show was ranked fifth. However, Leno’s show was ranked higher than David’s show during 2007 and 2008.
In March 2002, as his contract with CBS was about to expire, ABC offered him a show, which he was keen to accept. But on December 4, 2006, CBS announced that Letterman had signed a new contract to host the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ till 2010.
In April 2012, CBS announced that Letterman’s contract had been extended till 2015. About 13.76 million viewers in the United States watched the final episode of his show which ended on May 20, 2015.
In 2016, he joined a climate change documentary show ‘Years of Living Dangerously’ as one of the show's celebrity guests. In 2017, he and Alec Baldwin co-hosted ‘The Essentials on Turner Classic Movies’.
In 2018, he started hosting a six-episode series—‘My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman’—on Netflix. The first episode on January 12, 2018, featured Barack Obama.
Major Works
David Letterman is best known for hosting the ‘Late Show with David Letterman.’ The talk show was a major hit with the audiences and was also critically acclaimed. The show was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Awards in the category ‘Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series’ for 16 seasons in a row and won the award six times.
Awards & Achievements
David Letterman is the winner of several Emmy awards including the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Variety Series for ‘The David Letterman Show’ in 1981 and the Primetime Emmy Award for the Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series for ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ in 1994.
He was honoured with the prestigious Peabody Award in 2015 and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2017.
Personal Life
On July 2, 1968, David Letterman married his college girlfriend, Michelle Cook. They divorced in October 1977. From 1978 to 1988, he was in a live-in relationship with Merrill Markoe, former head writer and producer of ‘Late Night’.
While still in the live-in relationship, he started dating Regina Lasko in February 1986. He also has a son, Harry Joseph Letterman, with her. Harry was born on November 3, 2003. David married Lasko on March 19, 2009.
Letterman suffers from tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Once an alcoholic, he no longer drinks alcohol. He started drinking at the age of 13. He later became sober with the help of transcendental meditation and low doses of medication.
In May 1988, Margaret Mary Ray, a woman who suffered from schizophrenia, stalked him. She stole his car and broke into his house several times. She committed suicide in October 1998.
Robert J. ‘Joe’ Halderman, producer of the CBS crime series ‘48 Hours’, once blackmailed Letterman, threatening to disclose that he had had sex with several of his female employees. The blackmailer was finally arrested and served a six-month jail sentence, followed by probation and community service.
A routine check-up on January 14, 2000 revealed that an artery in Letterman’s heart was severely blocked. He was immediately rushed to emergency surgery for a quintuple bypass.
David Letterman had funded the journalism school at Ball State University. He owns an extensive collection of cars. In 2012, he owned ten Ferraris, eight Porsches, four Austin Healeys, two Honda motorcycles, one Chevy, one Mercedes-Benz, one Jaguar, an MG, a Volvo and a Pontiac. According to Forbes, in 2015, his estimated annual income was $35 million.
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David Letterman's awards
| Year | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
Other | ||
| 0 | Primetime Emmy Award | |
| 0 | Daytime Emmy Award | |
| 0 | Kennedy Center Honors | |
David Letterman biography timelines
- // 12th Apr 1947David Letterman was born on April 12, 1947 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to father Harry Joseph Letterman, who was a florist, and mother Dorothy Marie Letterman Mengering, who was a secretary for the Second Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis. He has a sister.
- // 2nd Jul 1968On July 2, 1968, David Letterman married his college girlfriend, Michelle Cook. They divorced in October 1977. From 1978 to 1988, he was in a live-in relationship with Merrill Markoe, former head writer and producer of ‘Late Night’.
- // 1969He attended the Broad Ripple High School and worked at the local Atlas Supermarket. He studied radio and television at the Ball State University, in Muncie, Indiana, and graduated in 1969. He completed a four-year double major in journalism news/telecommunications.
- // 1971David Letterman started his career as the host of a radio talk show on WNTS (AM), and as an anchor and weatherman on Indianapolis television station WLWI. In 1971, he was a pit road reporter for ABC Sports' Indianapolis 500.
- // 1975In 1975, he moved to Los Angeles to become a comedy writer, and began performing at a comedy club called The Comedy Store. He joined American actor and comedian Jimmie Walker’s group of comedians to write jokes for his stand-up acts. He also wrote material for popular shows like ‘Good Times’.
- // 1977In 1977, he became a regular writer on the six-week series ‘The Starland Vocal Band Show’, aired on CBS. In 1978, he became a cast member on Mary Tyler Moore's variety show, ‘Mary’. Finally, he landed at ‘The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson’, and soon became a regular guest on the show.
- // 1980In June 1980, he bagged his first morning comedy show on NBC, called the ‘The David Letterman Show’. Although it was critically successful, it failed to get good ratings, and was eventually canceled in October 1980.
- // 1981David Letterman is the winner of several Emmy awards including the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host or Hostess in a Variety Series for ‘The David Letterman Show’ in 1981 and the Primetime Emmy Award for the Funniest Male Performer in a TV Series for ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ in 1994.
- // 1982He then started hosting the show ‘Late Night with David Letterman’ in February 1982 at NBC. His fans loved his self-mockery and cynical sense of humor. Later, his style inspired numerous comedy talk shows.
- // 1986While still in the live-in relationship, he started dating Regina Lasko in February 1986. He also has a son, Harry Joseph Letterman, with her. Harry was born on November 3, 2003. David married Lasko on March 19, 2009.
- // 1988In May 1988, Margaret Mary Ray, a woman who suffered from schizophrenia, stalked him. She stole his car and broke into his house several times. She committed suicide in October 1998.
- // 1992In 1992, when Johnny Carson retired, David Letterman expected that he would be offered Carson’s position at ‘The Tonight Show’. But instead, NBC offered the role to Jay Leno. As a result, David left NBC and joined CBS to host his own late night show, in direct completion to ‘The Tonight Show.’ His new show was called the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ and started airing in August 1993.
- // 1993Although David Letterman retained his unique sense of humor, this show was not an exact replica of his old NBC show. From 1993 to 2009, David Letterman was ranked higher than Leno 12 times in the annual Harris Poll of Nation's Favorite TV Personality. In 2003 and 2004, Letterman’s show ranked second, just behind Oprah Winfrey, and that year, Leno’s show was ranked fifth. However, Leno’s show was ranked higher than David’s show during 2007 and 2008.
- // 2000A routine check-up on January 14, 2000 revealed that an artery in Letterman’s heart was severely blocked. He was immediately rushed to emergency surgery for a quintuple bypass.
- // 2002In March 2002, as his contract with CBS was about to expire, ABC offered him a show, which he was keen to accept. But on December 4, 2006, CBS announced that Letterman had signed a new contract to host the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ till 2010.
- // 2012In April 2012, CBS announced that Letterman’s contract had been extended till 2015. About 13.76 million viewers in the United States watched the final episode of his show which ended on May 20, 2015.
- // 2012David Letterman had funded the journalism school at Ball State University. He owns an extensive collection of cars. In 2012, he owned ten Ferraris, eight Porsches, four Austin Healeys, two Honda motorcycles, one Chevy, one Mercedes-Benz, one Jaguar, an MG, a Volvo and a Pontiac. According to Forbes, in 2015, his estimated annual income was $35 million.
- // 2015He was honoured with the prestigious Peabody Award in 2015 and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2017.
- // 2016In 2016, he joined a climate change documentary show ‘Years of Living Dangerously’ as one of the show's celebrity guests. In 2017, he and Alec Baldwin co-hosted ‘The Essentials on Turner Classic Movies’.
- // 2018In 2018, he started hosting a six-episode series—‘My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman’—on Netflix. The first episode on January 12, 2018, featured Barack Obama.
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David Letterman's FAQ
What is David Letterman birthday?
David Letterman was born at 1947-04-12
Where is David Letterman's birth place?
David Letterman was born in Indianapolis
What is David Letterman nationalities?
David Letterman's nationalities is American
What is David Letterman nick names?
David Letterman's nickNames is The Big Man, Dave
Who is David Letterman spouses?
David Letterman's spouses is Regina Lasko (m. 2009), Michelle Cook (m. 1968–1978)
Who is David Letterman siblings?
David Letterman's siblings is Gretchen Letterman, Janice Letterman
Who is David Letterman childrens?
David Letterman's childrens is Harry Joseph Letterman
What was David Letterman universities?
David Letterman studied at 1969 - Ball State University, Broad Ripple High School
Which company or organization was founded by David Letterman?
David Letterman was the founder/co-founder of Worldwide Pants, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing
What is David Letterman's religion?
David Letterman's religion is Lutheranism
How tall is David Letterman?
David Letterman's height is 188
Who is David Letterman's father?
David Letterman's father is Harry Joe Letterman
Who is David Letterman's mother?
David Letterman's mother is Dorothy Mengering
What is David Letterman's sun sign?
David Letterman is Aries
How famous is David Letterman?
David Letterman is famouse as TV Presenter
What is David Letterman's twitter?
David Letterman's twitter is https://www.instagram.com/letterman/
What is David Letterman's instagram?
David Letterman's instagram is https://www.instagram.com/letterman/