O’Brien salutes longtime ‘Tonight Show’ sidekick Ed McMahon as a part of broadcasting history

Conan O’Brien, ‘Tonight’ pay tribute to Ed McMahon

LOS ANGELES — “Tonight” host Conan O’Brien paid tribute to Ed McMahon as a “truly funny man” whose partnership with Johnny Carson on the late-night show is an indelible part of TV history.

“It is impossible, I think, for anyone to imagine ‘The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson’ without Ed McMahon,” O’Brien said during Tuesday’s show.

“Ed’s laugh was really the soundtrack to that show. For 30 years Ed played his part perfectly, he played it with effortless joy,” said O’Brien, who became host of “Tonight” this month.

Sitting alongside Carson, McMahon was part of “the most iconic two-shot in broadcasting history. There will never be anything like that again,” O’Brien said.

McMahon, who played second banana on “Tonight” until Carson retired in 1992, died early Tuesday at age 86 after prolonged illness.

“Tonight” paid tribute to McMahon with clip highlights of his years with Carson.