Jay Leno
Jay Leno in 2005
Birth name	James Douglas Muir Leno
Born	April 28, 1950 (1950-04-28) (age 58) New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Years active	1973–present
Genres	Observational comedy
Subject(s)	everyday life, American culture
Influences	Johnny Carson, Don Rickles, Bob Newhart
Influenced	Dennis Miller
Spouse	Mavis Nicholson Leno (1980—present)
Notable works and roles	Host of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (NBC)
Website	The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Emmy Awards
Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series 1995 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno (April 28, 1950) is an Emmy Award-winning American stand-up comedian and television host, who succeeded Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show in 1992. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. New Rochelle ( French: Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in the south-east portion of the U The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Nationality is a relationship between a Person and their State of Origin, Culture, association Affiliation and/or Loyalty The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Comedy may be divided into multiple Genres based on the source of humour the method of delivery and the context in which it is delivered Observational comedy is a style of Humor based on making remarks about various facets of Everyday life. Personal life (or everyday life or human existence) is the course of an individual Human 's life especially when viewed as the sum of personal choices The development of the culture of the United States of America — music, cinema, dance, architecture, literature, poetry John William “Johnny” Carson ( October 23, 1925 &ndash January 23, 2005) was an American Television host and For the radio and television announcer see Donald Rickles (announcer. George Robert "Bob" Newhart (born September 5, 1929) is an American stand-up comedian and Actor. Dennis Miller (born November 3, 1953) is an American Stand-up comedian, political/sports commentator, and television/radio personality Mavis Nicholson Leno is the wife of Talk show host Jay Leno. A leading Feminist in California, as well The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an Emmy Award -winning American late-night Talk show currently hosted by Jay Leno, on The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an Emmy Award -winning American late-night Talk show currently hosted by Jay Leno, on Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Stand-up comedy is a style of comedy where the performer speaks directly to the audience with the absence of the theatrical " Fourth wall " A presenter, or host (sometimes hostess, in feminine form is a Person or Organization responsible for running an event John William “Johnny” Carson ( October 23, 1925 &ndash January 23, 2005) was an American Television host and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an Emmy Award -winning American late-night Talk show currently hosted by Jay Leno, on Leno will remain with The Tonight Show until 2009, when Late Night host Conan O'Brien begins his scheduled succession. Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an Emmy Award -winning American late-night Talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien on NBC Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an Emmy Award -winning American Television host and Comedian, best known

Biography

Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York. New Rochelle ( French: Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in the south-east portion of the U New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous His mother, Catherine (née Muir), a homemaker, was born in Greenock, Scotland and came to the United States as an eleven year-old. His father, Angelo Leno, who worked in the insurance business, was born in New York to immigrants from Flumeri, Italy. Flumeri is a town (comune in the Province of Avellino, Campania, Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest ^[1][2] Leno grew up in Andover, Massachusetts, and received his bachelor's degree in speech therapy from Emerson College in 1973. Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. A bachelor's degree is usually an Undergraduate Academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three four or in some cases and Speech-language pathology is the study of disorders that affect a person's Speech, Language, cognition voice swallowing ( Dysphagia) and the rehabilitative Emerson College is a private university in Boston, Massachusetts that focuses on "communication and the arts" Leno's siblings include a brother, who is a veteran. ^[3]

As he was growing up he used to say that he would take over Johnny Carson's job, which he eventually did. Early in his career Leno did commercials for Doritos brand tortilla chips. Doritos-iljpg|thumb|Mexican Nacho Flavored Doritos Israel (old style]] Doritos (dəˈriːɾoʊz is a brand of flavored Tortilla chips produced since 1966 by the American In the late 1970s, he was the warm-up act for Johnny Mathis, Tom Jones and John Denver. John Royce "Johnny" Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American Singer of Popular music. Sir Thomas John Woodward, (born 7 June 1940 known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh pop music singer particularly noted for his powerful voice John Denver (December 31 1943 &ndash October 12 1997 born Henry John Deutschendorf Jr He replaced Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show in 1992. John William “Johnny” Carson ( October 23, 1925 &ndash January 23, 2005) was an American Television host and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as appropriate --> The Tonight Show is a long-running He plans to retire from the show in 2009, to be replaced by Conan O'Brien. Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an Emmy Award -winning American Television host and Comedian, best known During an August 1, 2007 interview with CNN journalist Anderson Cooper on The Tonight Show, Jay Leno confirmed that he is dyslexic. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Dyslexia is considered to be a Learning disability. It manifests primarily as a difficulty with written language particularly with Reading and Spelling Leno presented Microsoft Windows 95 on Windows 95 Launch on Computer Chronicles on August 24, 1995. Windows 95 is a consumer-oriented Graphical user interface -based Operating system. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar 's General Gaius Scribonius Curio is defeated in the Second Battle of the Bagradas River Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 ^[4]

Acting, cameos and voice overs

Leno is not widely known as an actor, but he did have a number of small roles early in his career in mostly unsuccessful movies; an exception was a bit part in the more popular film American Hot Wax. American Hot Wax is a 1978 Biopic film telling the story of Cleveland, Ohio Disc jockey Alan Freed, who was instrumental in introducing His most prominent role was in the 1989 film Collision Course, a comedy about a mismatched crime fighting pair, in which he played a detective opposite Pat Morita. Events Actress Kim Basinger and her brother Mick purchase Braselton Georgia for $20 million Collision Course is a 1989 action comedy starring Jay Leno as a Detroit police officer and Pat Morita as a Japanese Noriyuki "Pat" Morita Morita Noriyuki)--> ( When Steve Martin appeared on Leno's "The Tonight Show" in December 2005, a clip from the movie appeared during Martin's game of "Name That Clip". Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an Emmy Award -winning American Actor, Comedian, Writer, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an Emmy Award -winning American late-night Talk show currently hosted by Jay Leno, on Leno was to differentiate clips from Martin's two new movies Shopgirl and Cheaper by the Dozen 2, or give Martin $20 if he got one wrong. Shopgirl is a 2005 American romantic Drama film directed by Anand Tucker. Cheaper by the Dozen 2 is a Film produced by 20th Century Fox and released in 2005. The last clip played was from Collision Course, which Leno immediately said was "a horrible movie. " Martin said Leno was right, but he would still lose $20 for making it.

Leno also appeared in a 1975 episode of the television series Good Times, in which he plays a character in the waiting room of a public clinic who talks about the value of getting tested for venereal diseases. Good Times is a American sitcom that originally aired from February 8, 1974, until August 1, 1979, on the He also appeared as one of the "pool guys" in the original 1977 version of Fun with Dick and Jane. Fun with Dick and Jane is a 1977 romantic comedy film starring George Segal and Jane Fonda as an upper-middle class couple who turn to crime He appeared on other TV shows such as Laverne & Shirley and Alice. Laverne & Shirley was a popular American television Situation comedy that ran on ABC from 1976 to 1983 Alice was an American Television sitcom series which ran from August 31 1976 to July 2 1985 on CBS. In 1986, Leno hosted NBC's Saturday Night Live in its 11th season (musical guest: The Neville Brothers). Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City

Since becoming the host of the Tonight Show, Leno made a number of cameo appearances, usually appearing as a talk show host or making fun of his famous chin (due to mandibular prognathism). A cameo role or cameo appearance (often shortened to just cameo) is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the Performing arts, such as Prognathism is a term used to describe the positional relationship of the Mandible and/or Maxilla to the skeletal base where either of the jaws protrudes In 1993, Leno played the voice of the alien Vorb in the animated film We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story. See also List of extraterrestrials in fiction In Popular cultures Life forms -especially intelligent life forms that are of extraterrestrial We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story is an Animated film, produced by Steven Spielberg 's Amblimation animation studio distributed by Universal In 1994, he played "Bedrock's Most Wanted Host," along with Cynthia Clemons, in the live-action comedy film The Flintstones. The Flintstones is an animated American television sitcom that ran from 1960 to 1966 on ABC. Also in 1994, he played himself in Major League II which starred Charlie Sheen. Major League II ( 1994) is a sequel to the 1989 film Major League. Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3 1965 better known as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor He also appeared as himself in an episode of Baywatch, in which Mitch (David Hasselhoff's character) saves him from choking to death. Baywatch was an American Television series about the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the crowded Beaches of David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952) is an American Actor and Singer, who is best known for his lead roles on Knight In 1996, Leno appeared on NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street as himself trying to get a drink in a Baltimore bar. Homicide Life on the Street is an American Television Police procedural series chronicling the work of a fictional Baltimore

Jay Leno's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a Sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood Los Angeles California, USA, that

In 1998, Leno made a series of appearances in conjunction with World Championship Wrestling as part of the nWo storyline. The New World Order (commonly known as the nWo, the official typeset in the Logo) was a Professional wrestling stable that originally wrestled WCW executive (and nWo-executive in storylines) Eric Bischoff began a version of The Tonight Show on WCW Monday Nitro that he called "Nightcap", which featured much-maligned segments often including jokes at Leno's expense. Eric Aaron Bischoff (born May 27 1957) is an American Entrepreneur and former Professional wrestling booker, producer WCW Monday Nitro was a weekly Professional wrestling program produced by World Championship Wrestling. Leno would respond with segments at the end of his monologue involving a short, old midget version of Hogan, whom he would make fun of. The storyline came to a head on The Tonight Show, where Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Bischoff appeared and attempted to "take over" the show after the last of the "old midget Hogan" segments, kicking Leno and Eubanks offstage prior to a commercial break. Terrance "Terry" Gene Bollea (born August 11 1953 better known by his Ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Actor, and retired professional Diamond Dallas Page came to Leno's aid following the commercial break, and recruited Leno for a tag team match. For the 1930s cricketer see Dallas Page (cricketer Page Joseph Falkinburg Jr The stipulations of the match were that if Leno wins, Bischoff ends Nightcap, but if Leno loses, he hands over The Tonight Show to Bischoff. At WCW Road Wild 1998, Leno and Page defeated Hogan and Bischoff with the help of Kevin Eubanks. Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania) is a Jazz Guitarist who has been the leader of the

Also in 1998, he made a voice appearance as himself on an episode of The Simpsons titled The Last Temptation of Krust. " The Last Temptation of Krust " is the 15th episode of The Simpsons ' ninth season. On The Simpsons Season 9 Boxset, he also is on the commentary for that episode. Leno also had a cameo in Family Guy in the episode Patriot Games, trying to kill Tom Brady of the New England Patriots for some unknown reason. Family Guy is an animated American television sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane that airs on Fox and regularly on other "Patriot Games" is the twentieth episode from season four of FOX Animated television series Family Guy. Thomas Edward Brady Jr (born August 3 1977 is an American football Quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League The New England Patriots, commonly called the " Pats " by sports writers and fans are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston Leno has made several cameos in the animated series South Park, once as a cat and twice as himself, the last two making fun of his chin. South Park is an animated American television comedy series created and written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for Comedy Central He also made appearances on the sitcoms The Drew Carey Show, Friends, The Nanny, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Titus, and Joey. The Drew Carey Show is an American Sitcom (set in Cleveland Ohio) that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004 Friends was an The Nanny is an American Situation comedy co-produced by Sternin & Fraser Ink Inc The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an award winning American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10 1990 to May 20 1996 Titus is an Emmy -nominated American dark-comedy Sitcom that debuted on FOX in 2000. Joey was an American sitcom, which starred Matt LeBlanc reprising his role as Joey Tribbiani from the sitcom Friends Making fun of his own facial features, he plays the "Crimson Chin" on The Fairly OddParents. This is a list of characters in the Nickelodeon animated series The Fairly OddParents. In 2005, he lent his voice to a talking fire hydrant in the computer animated movie, Robots. A fire hydrant (also known colloquially as a fire plug in the United States or as a johnny pump in New York City, because the firemen of the Robots is a 2005 American computer-animated Comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios for 20th Century Fox (the

He also made a cameo appearance for FOX NFL Sunday in a fictitious interview with prognosticator Frank Caliendo's impression of Terry Bradshaw. Ford Drive One FOX NFL Sunday is the pregame show for the TV show The NFL on FOX. Franklin "Frank" Caliendo (born January 19, 1974) is an American Comedian known for his impersonations on the FOX Network Terry Paxton Bradshaw (born September 2 1948 is a former American football Quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League Coincidentally, Caliendo parodied Leno on MadTV. MADtv, is an American Sketch comedy television series based on the humor magazine Mad. In 2006, he provided the voice of an armadillo named "Fast Tony" in Ice Age 2: The Meltdown, and in the Pixar/Disney film Cars he voiced "Jay Limo". Armadillos are small Placental Mammals known for having a leathery armor shell Ice Age The Meltdown, also known as Ice Age 2 The Meltdown or simply as Ice Age 2, is the 2006 film sequel to the Cars is a 2006 animated Feature film produced by Pixar and directed by both John Lasseter and Joe Ranft. He made a cameo appearance in an episode of TV sitcom Just Shoot Me!, in a fictitious interview with David Spade's character, Dennis Finch. Just Shoot Me! is an Emmy and Golden Globe -nominated American Television sitcom that aired for seven seasons on David Wayne Spade (born July 22, 1964) is an Emmy nominated American Actor, Comedian, Television personality He made at least one appearance on NBC's The West Wing playing himself at a California fundraiser for the president, Jed Bartlet. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. He has also appeared on Home Improvement as a mechanic in a wealthy car collector's garage (in reality his own collection). Home Improvement is a American television Sitcom starring actor/comedian Tim Allen, which aired 1991 to 1999

He has also appeared as himself doing Tonight Show monologues regarding the main characters in the films Mr. 3000, Ed TV, Contact, Juwanna Mann, First Daughter, Dave, John Q, In & Out, Mad City, The Birdcage, The Astronaut Farmer and Underdog. Mr 3000 is a 2004 Touchstone Pictures / Dimension Films / Spyglass Entertainment / The Kennedy/Marshall Company Film EDtv is a Comedy film directed by Ron Howard released in 1999. Contact is a 1997 Science fiction film adapted from the novel by Carl Sagan. Juwanna Mann is a 2002 Comedy movie directed by Jesse Vaughan. First Daughter is a Romantic comedy film released by 20th Century Fox in 2004. Dave is a 1993 Comedy-drama movie written by Gary Ross, directed by Ivan Reitman, and starring Kevin Kline (in John Q is a 2002 Film starring Denzel Washington as John Quincy Archibald a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged In & Out is a 1997 Romantic comedy film directed by Frank Oz and starring Kevin Kline, Joan Cusack, Matt Dillon Mad City is a 1997 drama and thriller film written by Tom Matthews and Eric Williams directed by Costa Gavras, and starring The Birdcage is a 1996 Comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, and stars Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman The Astronaut Farmer is a 2007 drama film directed by Michael Polish and starring Billy Bob Thornton. Underdog is a 2007 Film released on August 3, 2007 featuring In the movie Space Cowboys, he hosted a fictional Tonight Show segment featuring the four astronaut protagonists (played by Clint Eastwood, James Garner, Tommy Lee Jones, and Donald Sutherland) just before their space mission. Space Cowboys is a 2000 comedy / science fiction / adventure by Clint Eastwood and starring Eastwood Tommy Lee Jones An astronaut or cosmonaut (космона́вт) is a person trained Clinton "Clint" Eastwood Jr (born May 31 1930 is a four-time Academy Award winning American Actor and Filmmaker. James Garner (born April 7 1928 is an American Film and Emmy -award winning Television Actor. Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an Academy Award - Golden Globe - Screen Actors Guild - and Emmy Award -winning Donald McNicol Sutherland OC (born July 17, 1935) is a Canadian Actor with a film career spanning over 50 years Later, in a case of life imitating art, the four actors appeared together on The Tonight Show to promote their film. He also appears in Wayne's World 2 interviewing Cassandra Wong (Tia Carrere) after she makes an appearance as a musical guest. Wayne's World 2 is a 1993 Comedy film starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as hosts of a cable access television show Tia Carrere (born January 2 1967) is an American actress, model, and Singer, perhaps most widely known for her role He also did several car commercials in the 1980s.

Recently, he has appeared in the hit comedy Scrubs as himself in one of main character J. Scrubs is an Emmy and Peabody Award -winning American Comedy-drama that premiered on October 2 2001 on NBC. D. 's daydreams. He appears when J. D. imagines his happy place being on the set of The Tonight Show replacing regular guitarist Kevin Eubanks. Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania) is a Jazz Guitarist who has been the leader of the

Leno will appear as the voice of titular Hare in The Jim Henson Company's Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. Hare planned for release in "fall 2008". The Jim Henson Company is an American company founded in 1958 by puppeteer Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets. Unstable Fables is a series of Computer animated Films produced by The Jim Henson Company in association with Flame Ventures, Prana Studios ^[5]

Comedic/broadcasting style

Leno's comedic style is chiefly observational, with storytelling and topical humor often mixed into his routine. Observational comedy is a style of Humor based on making remarks about various facets of Everyday life. Unlike rival David Letterman, who uses liberal amounts of sarcasm and absurdism in his act, Leno's comedic delivery -- both on and off The Tonight Show -- is usually more straightforward and that of a folksy, "everyman" personality.

Since he began hosting The Tonight Show in 1992, Leno has developed a distinct broadcasting style. Although the format of Leno's Tonight Show is essentially the same as its predecessor, there is more emphasis on the opening monologue than on similar programs. Combining elements of a late-night comedy club and a laid-back talk show, Leno's incarnation of Tonight has proven highly successful in the ratings.

Michael Jackson trial

In the 2005 trial of Michael Jackson over allegations of child molestation, Leno appeared as a defense witness (many celebrity defense witnesses had been expected, but Leno was one of the few who actually testified). People v Jackson ( The People of the State of California v Michael Joseph Jackson) was a 2005 child molestation trial involving pop icon Michael Jackson. Thus Leno was initially not allowed to continue telling jokes about Jackson or the case, which had been a fixture of The Tonight Show's opening monologue in particular. But he and his show's writers used a legal loophole by having Leno briefly step aside while stand-in comedians took the stage and told jokes about the trial. Stand-ins included Roseanne Barr, Drew Carey, Brad Garrett, and Dennis Miller, among others. Roseanne Cherrie Barr, aka Roseanne Barr, aka Roseanne Arnold, aka Roseanne Thomas, aka Roseanne (born November 3 1952 is an Emmy Drew Allison Carey (born May 23 1958 is an American Comedian, Actor and Game show host. Brad Garrett (born April 14, 1960) is an Emmy Award winning American television/ voice Actor and Stand-up comedian. Dennis Miller (born November 3, 1953) is an American Stand-up comedian, political/sports commentator, and television/radio personality ^[6]

After NBC challenged the gag order, the judge permitted Leno to make jokes, as long as they were not related to his testimony. A gag order (or suppression order) is an order sometimes a legal order by a court or government other times a private order by an employer or other institution restricting After the gag order was lifted, the next show featured a monologue entirely of Michael Jackson jokes.

In his testimony, he was expected to say he called police to say the accuser was coached by his mother to ask for money. Instead, Leno testified he never called the police, no money was asked for, and there was no coaching but that the calls seemed unusual and scripted. ^[7]

Vehicle collection

Jay Leno in one of his cars (Hispano-Suiza 8 aero engine powered) coming at the 45th Emmy Awards, September 19, 1993, photo by Alan Light

In automobile collecting circles, Jay Leno is known as an avid student, collector and restorer of cars and motorcycles. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Events 335 - Dalmatius is raised to the rank of Caesar by his uncle Constantine I. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Alan Light may refer to Alan Light co-founder and publisher of the Comics Buyer's Guide Alan Light (journalist MotorCycle is the title of a 1993 album by Rock band Daniel Amos, released on BAI Records. He has a large antique car and motorcycle collection of various international marques. In the United States an antique car is generally defined as a car over 25 years of age this being the definition used by the Antique Automobile Club of America The collection spans from the early 1900s to the late 1960s. He constantly works on his collection in his spare time. The collection includes an original 1912 Stanley Steamer and a very rare 1964 Studebaker Avanti, as well as classic sports cars like Bugatti's. The Stanley (nicknamed Stanley Steamer) was a steam-powered Automobile produced by the Stanley Motor Carriage Company The Studebaker Avanti was a sports Coupe originally built by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend Indiana, USA between June Bugatti was founded in Molsheim, France, as a manufacturer of high performance automobiles by Ettore Bugatti, an Italian He is also a promoter of the mechanical crafts through a column in Popular Mechanics and his educational activities. Popular Mechanics is an American magazine devoted to Science and Technology.

Along with his collection of classic cars he has several high performance cars. These include a 1994 McLaren F1, Porsche Carrera GT, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, Ariel Atom, and a custom Corvette C6RS (a modified Z06 built by Pratt & Miller). The McLaren F1 was formerly the fastest street legal production car in the world holding this record from 1994 to 2005 the longest period the record has been held The Porsche Carrera GT is a mid-engined Sports car that was manufactured by Porsche in Leipzig Design The Carrera GT is powered The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is an Anglo - German Sports car jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive, built in The Ariel Atom is a high performance sports car made by the Ariel Motor Company based in Somerset, England. Pratt & Miller Engineering and Fabrication is a company formed by Gary Pratt and Jim Miller in 1989. This Corvette can run on either E-85 Ethanol or gasoline.

Leno also rides motorcycles in his spare time, including an MTT Turbine SUPERBIKE powered by a helicopter turbine. MTT Turbine SUPERBIKE, also known as Y2K Turbine SUPERBIKE, is the world's second wheel driven Motorcycle powered by a Turbine engine created by Ted McIntyre

In 2001, he auctioned off a Harley-Davidson motorcycle signed by his celebrity guests in an effort to help victims of the September 11 attacks. Harley-Davidson Motor Company ( formerly HDI is an American manufacturer of Motorcycles based in Milwaukee Wisconsin. The bike sold for about $360,000. In 2005, he repeated the gesture twice: early in the year to aid victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake — the bike sold for $810,000; and later to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea Earthquake that occurred at 005853 UTC on December 26 2004 with an Epicentre off the west coast of Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States That bike sold for $1,550,100.

The Blastolene Special is a 21-foot-long aluminum-bodied roadster powered by a V12 engine from an M47 Patton tank Leno bought from Blastolene Brothers. The Blastolene Special is a unique specially-built car currently owned by the entertainer Jay Leno. V12 redirects here For the V12 Training program see V-12 Navy College Training Program. The M47 Patton I was the second tank of the Patton series, and one of the U ^[8] It was featured in the 2005 racing game Gran Turismo 4, and Monster Garage. Gran Turismo 4 (also known as GT4) is a racing Video game for Sony PlayStation 2 which is published by Monster Garage was a popular television show for the Discovery Channel hosted by Jesse G

Leno's column in the American magazine Popular Mechanics showcases his extensive car collection. Additionally, Leno uses his column as a platform to give advice about various automotive topics, including restoration and unique models, such as his jet powered motorcycle and solar powered hybrid.

Leno also writes occasional articles for The Sunday Times^[9] (London), reviewing high end sports cars. The Sunday Times is a Sunday Broadsheet Newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.

Leno's passion for classic cars led him to an affiliation with the Automobile Restoration Department at McPherson College. Chartered in 1887 by leaders of the Church of the Brethren, McPherson College, Kansas, has a 120-year history of providing traditional Liberal arts and Today he serves on the National Advisory Board for the college's automotive restoration program and helps fund the Fred Duesenberg Memorial Scholarship. Frederick Samuel Duesenberg ( December 6, 1876 &ndash July 26, 1932) was an Automobile pioneer Designer, Manufacturer

Leno sometimes takes pieces from his collection on joyrides through parts of the San Fernando Valley surrounding the NBC studios. One stop includes the Burbank Bob's Big Boy restaurant which holds a small gathering of classic/exotic car owners every Friday evening.

Controversy

Although The Tonight Show has maintained its #1 position in American late-night television under Leno's tenure, his position as host of the long-running TV franchise has not been without controversy. Partly due to the scandal that ensued after Carson's announced retirement, there remains bitterness over NBC's decision to hire Leno over then-Late Night host David Letterman. Consequently, Leno's reputation as Carson's successor and a broadcaster in general remains mixed.

In an interview on radio station WOMX-FM in Orlando on January 24, 2007, George Lopez, who once considered Leno a "close friend", said "He's the biggest two-faced dude in TV. Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. George Lopez (born April 23, 1961) is a Mexican American Comedian and Actor. " He called him a back-stabber and said he cannot interview guests well.

Later comedian Paul Rodriguez claimed Leno approached him at a comedy club mistakenly believing he was comedian George Lopez. Paul Rodriguez (born January 19, 1955) is a Mexican - American Stand-up comedian and Actor. According to Rodriguez, Leno said; "Listen, maybe you and I should sit down and work this out. We shouldn't be airing this stuff in public. " Rodriguez was reportedly hurt by Leno's mistake; "I've worked with him for going on 30 years. Our families know each other. I thought I was on the inside of Jay's circle. When Letterman was kicking his buns, I told my Latino viewers to support Jay. I don't know what makes people so forgetful. Maybe it's time for Conan O'Brien to come on [as Leno's replacement]. Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an Emmy Award -winning American Television host and Comedian, best known "^[10]

Howard Stern accused Leno of stealing material from him, and for being such a "safe" interviewer. Howard Allan Stern (born January 12 1954 is an American radio host and Television personality. ^[11] Most notably, Stern says Leno stole the idea of the 'Jaywalking' segment, where Leno asks people on the street basic intelligence/current event questions. Stern has been upset with Leno since hiring announcer "Stuttering" John Melendez from his staff without clearing it with him first; though he gave Melendez his blessing before leaving. John Edward Melendez (born October 4, 1965) commonly known as " Stuttering John " is an American television/radio personality

Talk show host David Letterman has called Leno a "hump" and a "pinhead" on the Late Show. David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American late-night Talk show host and Comedian and the host since 1993 ^[12]

Late comedian Bill Hicks criticized Leno heavily in his own stand up shows. William Melvin Hicks ( December 16, 1961 – February 26, 1994) was an American stand-up comedian. ^[13] Hicks often impersonated Leno, opening his skit with the words, "Hey folks, I'm Jay Leno. Remember when I used to be funny?" He was also intensely critical of Leno's endorsement and promotion of various consumer products, and would often mimic Leno eating Doritos tortilla chips on a television advertisement by saying "Mmmm-mmm, these are so good, I feel fulfilled, fulfilled spiritually as a human being. In Marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a Market that might satisfy a want or need Doritos-iljpg|thumb|Mexican Nacho Flavored Doritos Israel (old style]] Doritos (dəˈriːɾoʊz is a brand of flavored Tortilla chips produced since 1966 by the American A tortilla chip is a Snack food made from corn Tortillas which are cut into wedges and then fried (alternately they may be discs pressed out of corn Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand " However, the posthumously released book Love All The People (a compilation of articles, routines and letters written about and by Hicks) includes a letter written to Leno, who was instrumental in his being booked on David Letterman's show, stating that he still considered Leno a friend and that he should not take the criticisms too seriously. According to the biography American Scream, Leno also offered Hicks the opportunity to perform his routine that was axed by the Letterman show, though Hicks declined when Leno asked him to run it by their censors first.

During the 2007-2008 WGA Writers strike, Leno was accused of violating WGA guidelines by writing his own monologue for The Tonight Show. The 2007&ndash2008 Writers Guild of America strike, or more commonly known as the Writers' Strike was a strike by the Writers Guild of America East While NBC and Leno claim there were private meetings with the WGA where there was a secret agreement allowing this, the WGA denies such a meeting. ^[14]

References

External links

• Official Tonight Show Web Site
• Jay Leno's Car Collection
• New York Times on Leno's affiliation with McPherson College
• Live Performance Videos from the Tonight Show
• Jay Leno at the Internet Movie Database