Tommy Newsom Biography

Thomas Penn "Tommy" Newsom (February 25, 1929 – April 28, 2007) was a saxophone player in the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, for which he later became assistant director. Newsom was frequently the band's substitute director, whenever Doc Severinsen was away from the show or filling in for announcer Ed McMahon. Nicknamed "Mr. Excitement" as an ironic take on his low-keyed, often austere persona, he was often a foil for Johnny Carson's humor. His brown or blue suits were a marked contrast to Severinsen's flashy stage clothing.