Johnny Carson
I only watched Johnny Carson once, his last show. I was too young then to really get it, though I remember finding Bette Midler’s performance odd.
Anyway, Salon.com has some recollections which explain the appeal as well as I expect timing and poise can be expressed in words.
“Fumblin’ With The Blues” by Tom Waits from the album The Heart of Saturday Night (1974, 3:02).