Rest in Peace, Ed.  I loved you on the Johnnie Carson Show!!!

RIP, Ed. I can just see him and Johnny yukking it up in Heaven!

The passing of Ed McMahon brought back a number of memories to me, but none as vivid as the day the late talk show host and Middlesex Community College Adjunct Professor Paul Sullivan brought Ed to Lowell. The details of how and why McMahon came to Lowell is a story for another day. At the time of McMahon's visit Paul was hosting the local radio show Morning Magazine on WLLH...and I was his producer/sidekick. The show was a ball, both on and off the air, that's all I'll say. Fast forward this story...With the help of Middlesex Community College and Dr. Carole Cowan, McMahon's visit was a great success. Middlesex made all the arrangements and dedicated a bench to Ed. Today the bench still sits outside the college overlooking the canal. Paul, being Paul made arrangements for McMahon to be brought to and from Lowell by Limo (of course, this was a radio trade). The morning before Ed arrived Paul Sullivan proudly announced to me, " Tony...you and I are going to ride in the limo with Ed on the trip back to Logan". I loved it. After the bench dedication Ed went up to the WLLH studio which was located in the hotel and recorded several WLLH promo's one of which was "heeerrrreeee's Sully" (guess whose idea that was?). The ride back to Logan with Ed McMahon was great. He and his wife were extremely friendly, although McMahon spent a lot of time on his cell phone. At the time Ed McMahon was hosting the popular TV show Star Search with the legendary *** Clark. During the ride Ed even received a call from *** Clark's "people" asking to change the date of a Star Search recording because of a conflict. Anyway, when we arrived at the airport both of Paul and I got out of the car with McMahon and his wife. As the limo driver unloaded their luggage other people began to recognize the star. Some pointed at us and some just stared for a while. Before leaving Ed shock both my hand and Paul's and put his hand on our shoulders. His friendly wife embraced us both with two arms, in front of a large crowd of "spectators" that had assembled. As they walked toward the departure terminal Ed and his wife were swamped with admirers...and Paul and I re-entered the limo sitting in the back seat. As Ed stopped to sign a few autographs, our limo began to slowly pull away. Paul rolled down the passengers window, stuck out his head and arm, began waving enthusiastically, then yelled out to Ed McMahon..."bye Dad, see you soon". With Sullivan's shout the entire crowd turned their heads to future WBZ radio star and "gazed" at him. It was a day I'll never forget...RIP my friend.    

Tony Accardi

I missed McMahon in 1986 when he was here because I had a baby two days before, but I regretted it since he was, briefly, my mother's boyfriend when they were teenagers. They graduated Lowell High together and went out during their senior year. My mother often would wisfully?bitterly? mention this to my father when we were low on money...! He was always 'the one who made it' in our household.