Tommy Newsom facts for kids

Tommy Newsom (born February 25, 1929 – died April 28, 2007) was a talented musician. He played the saxophone in the famous NBC Orchestra. This band was part of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Tommy later became the assistant director for the band. He often stepped in as the main director when Doc Severinsen was away. Johnny Carson playfully called him "Mr. Excitement." This was a joke because Tommy was usually very calm and quiet. His simple suits were a big contrast to Doc Severinsen's flashy outfits.

About Tommy Newsom

Tommy Newsom was born in Portsmouth, Virginia. He studied music at several universities. These included the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary (now Old Dominion University), the Peabody Conservatory of Music, and Columbia University.

During the Korean War, Tommy served in the United States Air Force. He played in the Air Force band. After the war, he toured with the Benny Goodman Orchestra. He also performed with Vincent Lopez in New York.

Tommy joined The Tonight Show Band in 1962. He stayed with the show until Johnny Carson retired in 1992. Besides Carson's show, Tommy also played with the orchestra for The Merv Griffin Show.

Tommy Newsom was also well-known for arranging music. An arranger takes a song and decides which instruments play which parts. He arranged music for many different groups. These included The Tonight Show band and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. He also worked with famous musicians like Kenny Rogers and John Denver.

Tommy won two Emmy Awards for his work as a music director. He won in 1982 for Night of 100 Stars. He won again in 1986 for the 40th Annual Tony Awards broadcast. He also released several music albums as a bandleader.

Tommy Newsom passed away on April 28, 2007, at his home in Portsmouth. He was 78 years old. Tommy was married to his wife Patricia for 49 years. They had a daughter named Candy and a son named Mark. Mark passed away in 2003.

Funny Moments with Johnny Carson

Johnny Carson often joked with Tommy Newsom on The Tonight Show. They used Tommy's quiet personality to make people laugh. Here are some of their funny moments:

• One night, Johnny asked Tommy why he always kept his hands clasped behind his back. Tommy replied, "vapor lock!" This made the audience laugh a lot. Johnny joked, "I'm working so hard to get a laugh, and you just say 'vapor lock' and everyone cracks up!"
• Another time, Tommy wore a sport coat that looked like Johnny's. Johnny asked where he got it. Tommy simply said, "It was in my closet at home, John."
• After Johnny returned from vacation, he said, "I really missed you guys." Tommy replied, "Why didn't you write?"
• One night, Tommy wore a bright yellow suit. Johnny joked, "Look at that big, dumb canary." Tommy quickly responded, "You’ll know what kind of bird I am when I fly over you."
• In March 1991, Johnny asked Tommy where the bandleader Doc Severinsen was. Tommy said Doc went to Florida with his wife. Then Tommy added, "He was going to Tampa (tamper) with her." Later, Johnny asked the drummer Ed Shaughnessy if he would do a music clinic. Ed said he was just doing a concert. When Johnny asked Tommy if he ever did clinics, Tommy said, "I go to clinics." This made everyone laugh again, and Johnny pretended to walk off stage.
• Johnny once asked Tommy if he wore designer underwear. Tommy replied, "I make my own designs."

Tommy Newsom's Music

Tommy Newsom released several albums as a bandleader:

• Live from Beautiful Downtown Burbank (1978)
• Tommy Newsom & His TV Jazz Stars (1990)
• I Remember You, Johnny (1996)
• The Feeling of Jazz with Ken Peplowski (1999)
• Tommy Newsom is Afraid of Bees (2000)
• Friendly Fire (2001)

Playing with Other Musicians

Tommy also played on albums with other artists:

• With Buck Clayton and Tommy Gwaltney's Kansas City 9: Goin' to Kansas City (1960)
• With Rosemary Clooney: Dedicated to Nelson (1996)
• With J. J. Johnson: The Total J.J. Johnson (1967)

As a Music Arranger

Tommy arranged music for other artists, including:

• For Maurice Hines: To Nat "King" Cole With Love