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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 23 october 2017
No joke: TV host Letterman honored with Mark Twain Prize

By ASHRAF KHALIL five-story building; at one
Associated Press point, he wore a suit made
WASHINGTON (AP) — No of Velcro and jumped onto
joke: David Letterman a Velcro-covered wall,
yukked it up on late-night sticking in place. He turned
TV longer than anyone bizarre characters like Larry
else. Now his career of “Bud” Melman into cult ce-
comedy has earned him lebrities.
a prestigious award and a Letterman started his ca-
celebrity roasting. reer as a radio talk show
Letterman was to receive host and TV weatherman in
the Mark Twain Prize for Indiana. In the mid-1970s he
American Humor during a moved to Los Angeles, per-
star-studded celebration forming stand-up comedy
Sunday night at Washing- and writing jokes for (at the
ton’s Kennedy Center. time more famous) stand-
Expected to attend were up comic Jimmy Walker of
previous recipients Steve “Good Times” fame.
Martin and Bill Murray, late- Eventually he caught the
night host Jimmy Kimmel, eye of “The Tonight Show”
musician Eddie Vedder of and Carson, performing
Pearl Jam and Al Franken, several times on the show
the comedian-turned-sen- and becoming a regular
ator. guest host starting in 1978.
The 70-year-old Letterman In this Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017, file photo, David Letterman speaks during the unveiling of a Peyton NBC gave Letterman his
spent 33 years on late-night Manning statue outside of Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis. own show following Car-
TV, hosting long-running Associated Press son; “Late Night with David
shows on NBC and then on cord of his mentor, Johnny received an opportunity on neered segments called Letterman” debuted on
CBS. His final broadcast on Carson. “The Tonight Show.” Stupid Pet Tricks and Stupid Feb. 1, 1982.
May 20, 2015, was episode Letterman introduced the His humor was undeniably Human Tricks. Letterman’s first guest that
No. 6028 that Letterman country to fringe musical intelligent, but also at times He tossed watermelons night? Murray, the Twain
hosted. It shattered the re- acts that might never have surrealistic and silly. He pio- and other objects off a award recipient in 2016.q