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Carson foil Tommy Newsom dies at 78


May 01, 2007 Tommy Newsom, the former backup bandleader on "The Tonight Show" whose "Mr. Excitement" nickname was a running joke for Johnny Carson, has died. Newsom, who played saxophone, joined "The Tonight Show" in 1962 and rose from band member to assistant music director. "The Tonight Show" received five Emmy awards during Newsom's years on the show.

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