David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947, in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.) is an award-winning American comedian, late night talk show host, television producer, philanthropist, and IRL IndyCar Series car owner. His first major success occurred on the long-running NBC television program, Late Night with David Letterman, before moving to CBS in 1993 to his current place on the Late Show.

In 1969, Letterman married Michelle Cook; the marriage ended in 1977. He also had a long-term relationship with former head writer and producer on Late Night, Merrill Markoe. Letterman has one son together with his longtime girlfriend Regina Lasko, Harry Joseph, born November 3, 2003. Harry is named for Letterman's father, Harry Joseph Letterman. They currently reside in North Salem, New York.

Letterman's ironic, often absurd comedy is heavily influenced by former Tonight Show hosts Steve Allen, Johnny Carson and Jack Paar.

David Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His father, Harry Joe Letterman, was a florist who died in 1973; his mother Dorothy Letterman (née Hofert, now Dorothy Mengering) (born August 12, 1921), a Presbyterian church secretary of German descent, is an occasional figure on the show, usually at holidays and birthdays. He has an older sister, Janice, and a younger sister, Gretchen. One of his early comic influences was the Cincinnati talk show host Paul Dixon, but the person who influenced his career most was Tonight Show host Johnny Carson.

Letterman attended Broad Ripple High School in Indianapolis and later graduated from Ball State University, where he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He received a B.A. in telecommunications in 1969. He began his broadcasting career at Ball State's student-run radio station, WAGO-AM 570 (now known as WCRD, 91.3). A rare aircheck of Letterman on WAGO can be heard here (paid registration required). (The voice of Letterman's first wife Michelle Cook can be heard on the clip, playing a character in a sketch).

Letterman began his career as a radio talk show host and on Indianapolis television station WLWI (now called WTHR) as a local anchor and weatherman. He received recognition for his unpredictable on-air behavior, which included erasing state borders from the weather map and predicting hail stones "the size of canned hams" (because this upset his bosses, to this day he occasionally gives out canned hams on his show). One night he reportedly upset his bosses when he congratulated a tropical storm for being upgraded to a hurricane. He also hosted a talk show which aired early on Saturday mornings called "Clover Power" in which he interviewed 4-H members about their projects.

In 1975, Letterman moved to Los Angeles, California with hopes of becoming a comedy writer and started writing material for sitcoms such as Good Times. He also began performing stand-up comedy at The Comedy Store, a famed Los Angeles comedy club and proving ground for young comics.

Letterman appeared in the summer of 1977 on the short-lived Starland Vocal Band Show. He has since joked about how fortunate he was that nobody would ever see his performance on the program (because of its low ratings).

Letterman had a stint as a cast member on Mary Tyler Moore's variety show Mary, a guest appearance on Mork & Mindy (as a parody of est leader Werner Erhard), and appearances on game shows such as The $20,000 Pyramid and The Gong Show. He also hosted a 1977 pilot for a game show entitled The Riddlers that was never picked up. His dry, sarcastic humor caught the attention of scouts for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and Letterman was soon a regular guest on the show. Letterman became a favorite of Carson's and was a regular guest host for the show beginning in 1978.

Soon afterward, Letterman was given his own morning comedy show on NBC, The David Letterman Show. The show was a critical success, winning two Emmy Awards, but was a ratings disappointment and was canceled after a brief run during the summer of 1980.

NBC kept Letterman under contract to try him in a different time slot, after which Late Night with David Letterman debuted in 1982. Letterman's show, which ran weeknights at 12:30 a.m. eastern time, immediately following The Tonight Show, quickly established a reputation as being edgy and unpredictable, and soon developed a cult following (particularly among college students). The show was markedly different from the soft-sell talk-show competition (as well as his own lead-in); as an interviewer, Letterman could be sarcastic and antagonistic to the point that a number of celebrities claimed to be afraid of appearing on the show. Letterman's reputation as an acerbic interviewer was borne out of moments such as his verbal sparring matches with Cher and Shirley MacLaine. The show also featured inventive comedy segments and running characters, in a style heavily influenced by the 1960's programs of Steve Allen.

The show often included quirky, genre-mocking regular features, including "Stupid Pet Tricks", dropping various objects off the roof of a five story building, a recurring Top 10 list, and a facetious letter-answering segment.

Other memorable moments included Letterman once using a bullhorn to interrupt a live interview on The Today Show, announcing that he was the NBC president and not wearing any pants; interrupting Al Roker on the Live at Five local news by walking into their studio which occupied the same building as Letterman's studio, and staging elevator races with commentary by NBC Sports' Bob Costas, as well as outrageous appearances by comedian Andy Kaufman, Late Night writer Chris Elliott, and comic book writer Harvey Pekar. In one highly publicized appearance, Kaufman appeared to be slapped and knocked to the ground by professional wrestler Jerry Lawler. (Lawler and Kaufman's friend Bob Zmuda later revealed that the event was staged).

Letterman remained with NBC for eleven years. Upon Johnny Carson’s unexpected announcement that he would retire, which he did on May 22, 1992, a protracted, multilateral battle erupted over who would replace the long-time Tonight host. Eventually, executives at NBC announced Carson's frequent guest-host Jay Leno as Carson's replacement, despite Carson's professed desire to see the torch passed to Dave. Letterman had ironically become a victim of his own success — NBC’s confirming Letterman's high ratings in the 12:30 (EST) time-slot signaled that the network preferred to hold on to Letterman in the 'Late Night' gig. Letterman, a long-time protégé of Carson's who had frequently credited Johnny with boosting his career, was reportedly bitterly disappointed and angry at not having been given the job on the Tonight Show.

In 1993, reportedly on Carson’s advice, Letterman departed NBC to host his own show opposite Tonight on CBS at eleven-thirty, The Late Show with David Letterman. Three years later, HBO produced a made-for-television movie called The Late Shift, based on a book by New York Times reporter Bill Carter, chronicling the battle between Letterman and Leno for the coveted Tonight Show hosting spot. Letterman would mock the film for months afterwards, specifically on how the actor playing him, John Michael Higgins, did not resemble him in the least. ("They took a guy who looked nothing like me and with make-up and special camera angles, turned him into a guy who looked nothing like me, with red hair.") Carson later made a few cameo appearances as a guest on Dave's show. Carson's final television appearance came on a Late Show episode taped in Los Angeles, when he made a surprise appearance during a 'Top 10 list' segment. The audience went wild as Letterman stood up and proudly invited Carson to sit at his desk. The overwhelming applause was so protracted that Carson was unable to say anything, and he finally returned backstage as the applause continued. (It was later explained that Carson had laryngitis).

The Late Show competes in the same time slot as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. For its first 18 months, The Late Show consistently gained higher ratings than Tonight. But in 1995, ratings dipped slightly and Leno's show has consistently beat Letterman's in the ratings ever since. At one point Leno's lead was as large as two million viewers, but narrowed, as of February 2005, to fewer than a million viewers (5.8 vs. 4.9 million). On September 22,2006, Variety reported that The Tonight Show with Jay Leno won its 11th consecutive season and Leno stretched his lead over Letterman to 31% in total viewers with 5.7 million on average compared with 4.1 million for Letterman, 3.4 million for "Nightline" and 1.6 million for Jimmy Kimmel.

Letterman has nonetheless ranked consistently higher than Leno in the annual Harris Poll of Nation's Favorite TV Personality; as of 2004 Letterman ranked second in that poll, behind Oprah Winfrey. Letterman's shows have garnered both critical and industry praise, receiving 67 Emmy Award nominations, winning twelve times in his first twenty years in late night television.

On January 14, 2000, a routine check-up revealed that an artery in Letterman's heart was severely constricted. He was rushed to emergency surgery to receive a quintuple bypass.

During the initial weeks of his recovery, friends of Letterman introduced reruns of the Late Show, including Drew Barrymore, Ray Romano, Robin Williams, Megan Mullally, Bill Murray, Regis Philbin, Charles Grodin, Nathan Lane, Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, Jerry Seinfeld, Martin Short, Danny DeVito, Steve Martin and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Subsequently, while still recovering from surgery, Letterman revived the late night tradition that had virtually disappeared on network television during the 1990s of 'guest hosts' by allowing Bill Cosby, Kathie Lee Gifford (recommended by Regis, who was asked first but had no time in his schedule), Dana Carvey, Janeane Garofalo, and others to host new episodes of The Late Show. Cosby, the show's first guest host, refused to sit at Letterman's desk out of respect, using the couch instead; Garofalo followed suit, utilizing a set of grade-school desks instead.

Upon his return to the show on February 21, 2000, a visibly thinner and weakened Letterman brought all of the doctors and nurses on stage who had participated in his surgery and recovery (with extra teasing of a nurse who had given him bed baths -- "This woman has seen me naked!"), including Dr. O. Wayne Isom and physician Louis J. Aronne, who frequently appears on the show. In an unusual show of emotion, Letterman was nearly in tears as he thanked the health care team with the words "These are the people who saved my life!" The episode earned an Emmy nomination. For a number of episodes, Letterman continued to crack jokes about his bypass, including saying " 'Bypass surgery - it's when doctors create new blood flow to your heart. A bypass is what happened to me when I didn't get The Tonight Show! It's a whole different thing.'." In a later running gag he lobbied his home state of Indiana to rename the freeway circling Indianapolis (I-465) "The David Letterman Bypass." Additionally, Letterman invited the band Foo Fighters to play "Everlong", introducing them as "my favorite band, playing my favorite song". During a later Foo Fighters appearance, Letterman said that the Foo Fighters had been in the middle of a South American tour which they cancelled to come play on his comeback episode.

Letterman again handed over the reins of the show to several guest hosts (including Bill Cosby, Brad Garrett, Elvis Costello, John McEnroe, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Bonnie Hunt, Luke Wilson and bandleader Paul Shaffer) in February 2003, when he was diagnosed with a severe case of shingles. Later that year, Letterman made regular use of guest hosts, including Tom Arnold and Kelsey Grammer, for new shows broadcast on Fridays. In March 2007, Adam Sandler served as a guest host while Letterman was ill with a stomach virus.

In March 2002, as Letterman's contract with CBS neared expiration, ABC expressed the intention to offer Letterman the time slot for long-running news program Nightline with Ted Koppel, citing more desirable viewer demographics. This caused a minor flap that ended when Letterman re-signed with CBS. Letterman addressed his decision to re-sign on the air, stating that he was content at CBS and that he had great respect for Koppel.

On December 4, 2006, CBS revealed that David Letterman signed a new contract to host The Late Show with David Letterman through the fall of 2010.

"I'm thrilled to be continuing on at CBS," said Letterman. "At my age you really don't want to have to learn a new commute." Letterman further joked about the subject by pulling up his right pants leg, revealing a tattoo, presumably temporary, of the ABC logo.

Letterman, who marked his 14th anniversary as host of the Late Show on August 30, 2007, celebrated 25 years in late-night comedy on February 1, 2007. Since its debut on CBS, the Late Show has been honored with nine Emmy Awards (including six for "Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Program") and 54 Emmy nominations. Previously, Letterman won five Emmys and received 35 Emmy nominations for "Late Night with David Letterman" during its eleven and a half years on the air.

"Thirteen years ago, David Letterman put CBS late night on the map and in the process became one of the defining icons of our network," said Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Corporation. "His presence on our air is an ongoing source of pride, and the creativity and imagination that the Late Show puts forth every night is an ongoing display of the highest quality entertainment. We are truly honored that one of the most revered and talented entertainers of our time will continue to call CBS 'home.' "

According to Forbes Magazine, Letterman earns $40 million dollars a year.

In early 1995, it was announced Letterman would host that year's 67th Academy Awards ceremony. Critics blasted Letterman for what they deemed a poor hosting of the Oscars, noting that his irreverent style undermined the importance and glamour of the event. In a joke about their unusual names, he started off by introducing Uma Thurman to Oprah Winfrey, and then the both of them to Keanu Reeves: "Uma...Oprah! Oprah...Uma! Oprah, Uma...Keanu!" This and many of his other jokes fell flat. Although Letterman attracted the highest ratings to the annual telecast since 1983, many felt that the bad publicity garnered by Letterman's hosting caused a decline in the Late Show's ratings.

Letterman recycled the apparent debacle into a long-running gag. On his first show after the Oscars, he joked, "Looking back, I had no idea that thing was being televised." For years afterwards, Letterman recounted his horrible hosting at the Oscars.

In early 2005, it was revealed that retired King of Late Night Johnny Carson still kept up with current events and late-night TV right up to his death that year, and that he occasionally sent jokes to Letterman, who used these jokes in his monologue, which, according to CBS senior vice president Peter Lassally (a onetime producer for both men), "[Johnny] gets a big kick out of it." Letterman would do a characteristic Johnny Carson golf swing after delivering one of Carson's jokes. In a tribute to Carson, all of the opening monologue jokes during the first show following Carson's passing were written by Carson.

Lassally also claimed that Carson had always believed Letterman, not Leno, to be his "rightful successor." Letterman also frequently employs some of Carson's trademark bits on his show, including "Carnac the Magnificent" (with Paul Shaffer as Carnac), "Stump the Band" and the "Week in Review".

After Letterman left Late Night on NBC, his hosting duties were passed to Conan O'Brien. During O'Brien's first rocky year as host of Late Night Letterman was very supportive, making an amicable appearance as one of O'Brien's first guests and later filling O'Brien's audience with the stand-by audience from his own show. Letterman also invited O'Brien as a guest on the Late Show with David Letterman. In 1996, when O'Brien celebrated his 3rd year on the air, Letterman showed up again in a bit involving a "Stray" hairpiece that once belonged to him. Years later, when NBC announced that O'Brien would take over The Tonight Show, Letterman congratulated O'Brien.

On September 10, 2007, Letterman made his first appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show at Madison Square Garden in New York. He shared pictures of his son and live-in girlfriend. The so called "feud" between Letterman and Winfrey ended in 2005 when Winfrey appeared on CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman."

Letterman started his own production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated, which produces his show and several others, including Everybody Loves Raymond, The Late Late Show, and several critically acclaimed, but short-lived television series for Bonnie Hunt. Worldwide Pants also produced the dramedy program Ed, starring Tom Cavanagh, which aired on NBC from 2000-2004. It was Letterman's first association with NBC since he left the network in 1993. During Ed's run, Cavanagh appeared as a guest on The Late Show several times.

In 2005, Worldwide Pants produced its first feature film, Strangers with Candy, which was a prequel to the Comedy Central TV series Strangers with Candy. In 2007, Worldwide Pants produced the ABC comedy series The Knights Of Prosperity.

On September 7, 2007, Letterman visited his alma mater, Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, for the dedication of a communications facility named in his honor.http://www.theindychannel.com/education/14063961/detail.html The $21 million, 75,000-square-foot David Letterman Communication and Media Building opened for the 2007 Fall semester. It features state-of-the-art recording equipment and facilities. Thousands of Ball State students, faculty, and local residents welcomed Letterman back to Indiana. http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070907/LOCAL/709070486 Letterman's emotional speech talked about on his struggles as a college student and his late father, and also included the "top ten good things about having your name on a building."

Letterman got the largest applause when he remarked on Ball State University President JoAnn Gora's "tremendous legs." Letterman received the honor for his dedication to the university throughout his career as a comedian. Letterman finished with, "If reasonable people can put my name on a $21 Million building, anything is possible."

Letterman also received a Sagamore of the Wabash from Governor Mitch Daniels. Letterman joked that it would mean so much more had the governor actually been there to present it.

Letterman appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show the following Monday (September 10, 2007) and spoke highly of his visit, saying: “It was one of the great days of my life. It started out being a tour with Ball State President Jo Ann Gora. When I saw the building with my name on it, my knees buckled. Well, I was sitting down, but my knees buckled and it was altogether different.” Letterman praised the university and its communications program and spoke highly of Gora. http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070910/NEWS01/70910027

<div class="references-small">

</div>

* David Letterman performs Christmas Eve in Iraq * "Late Show with David Letterman" at Yahoo! TV * Late Show UK - fansite * Official Late Show biography * * * Letterman biography from his hometown newspaper (The Indianapolis Star) * 1999 article on Letterman from salon.com * Letterman Family Photos

Letterman, David