The award-winning host of The Late Show with David Letterman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on April 12, 1947 to Harry Letterman, a florist, and Dorothy, a church secretary, (and who today regularly makes tongue-in-cheek appearances on her son's show). Following high school, the corn-fed Midwest kid would later study radio and television at Ball State University, where he received a B.A. in telecommunications in 1969.

Letterman's professional career began at several Indianapollis area radio stations and as achor and weatherman for WTHR. Soon, Letterman's unique brand of humor - now praised as "cutting edge" and "irreverent" - soon became evident in his next project as host of a late night show called Freeze-Dried Movies, in which he regularly blew up a miniature replica of the television station to close each broadcast.

Moving to Los Angeles to write TV comedy material and sitcoms, Letterman's big break came in 1980 when he was offered the spot of regular guest host on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson which later led to his own daytime David Letterman Show. This subsequently led to a permanent spot in the "late late-night" lineup following Johnny Carson which premiered February 1, 1982 and instantly gained a huge following among young viewers with now-famous stock skits including The Top Ten List, Stupid Pet Tricks, Stupid Human Tricks, and Viewer Mail.

To Letterman's obvious dismay, NBC chose Jay Leno in 1992 as the replacement for the retiring Johnny Carson. A year later, Letterman moved to CBS with a lucrative deal to host The Late Show with David Letterman, spawning a ratings war - opposite The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - that continues to this day. Numerous Emmy Awards later, a decade would pass before a career high for the late-night host came in 2002, when Letterman received the Peabody Award for taking "one of TV's most conventional and least inventive forms - the talk show - and infusing it with freshness and imagination."

Most recently, Letterman won for Favorite Late Night Talk Show Host at the 2005 People's Choice Awards.
David Letterman


Indianapolis-born comedian, talk show host




David Letterman

1967: As a radio/TV major at Ball State University, Letterman runs into trouble with his humor on the campus radio station. University officials are outraged when he introduces the classical number Clair de Lune with, "You remember the de Lune sisters. There was Clair, and there was Mabel."
1969: He graduates from Ball State and takes a full-time job at what later became WTHR (Channel 13) in Indianapolis. At different times he serves as host of a Saturday morning children's show and a late-night movie show, anchors the news and does the weather.
1974: Letterman is host of a radio talk show at WNTS-AM (1590), an early experiment in news/talk.
1975: Loading up his red pickup truck, Letterman moves to Los Angeles to do stand-up comedy and write. He sells material to Good Times, The Paul Lynde Comedy Hour and a Bob Hope special.
1977: Writing for NBC's summer variety series The Starland Vocal Band Show, Letterman begins making on-camera appearances.
1978: As a regular (with future Batman star Michael Keaton) on Mary Tyler Moore's CBS variety show, Mary. The show is canceled after three telecasts.
1978: Letterman's big break comes while doing his stand-up on NBC's The Tonight Show on Nov. 24. An appreciative Johnny Carson invites him back as a guest 22 times and as a guest host 50 times.
1980: NBC signs Letterman for a daytime talk show that premieres in June. Housewives don't know what to make of his smart-alecky camp humor, and the show is canceled after three months. But Letterman wins his first Emmys for best host of and best writing for a daytime variety series.
1982: In February, NBC's Late Night With David Letterman premieres.
1991: NBC bypasses Letterman when picking Jay Leno to replace the retiring Carson as host of The Tonight Show.
1992: Late Night is honored with television's most prestigious award - The George Foster Peabody Award.
1993: Letterman accepts the CBS offer in January.
2002: Letterman decides to stay with CBS, turning down an offer from ABC to takeover the Nightline time slot.






Before he became famous for "stupid pet tricks" and top-ten lists on late-night network television, David Letterman was honing his peculiar sense of humor at radio and TV stations in Indianapolis.

David Michael Letterman was born on April 12, 1947 in Indianapolis to Harry Letterman, a florist, and Dorothy, a church secretary.

He went to School 55 and then to Broad Ripple High School and worked as a stock boy at Atlas Supermarket.

After graduating from high school in 1965 he studied radio and television at Ball State University, where he earned a B.A. in telecommunications in 1969.

He worked at several radio stations in the Indianapolis area and then on television as an anchor and weatherman for WTHR (Channel 13). He also hosted both a children's show called Clover Power which featured 4-H members and a late-night movie show which he called Freeze-Dried Movies where he performed stunts such as blowing up a cardboard replica of the television station at the close of the show.

After four years in local television and radio Letterman realized he needed a larger audience in order to find a place for his brand of comedy. In 1975 Letterman moved to Los Angeles where he worked at The Comedy Store and wrote material for sitcoms including Good Times.

His big break came when he began appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson whom he has since referred to as his mentor. In 1978, he became Carson's regular guest host, and in 1980, he was offered his own show, the daytime David Letterman Show.

The show was a critical smash but lasted only three months due to poor ratings. Still, it led NBC to give Letterman a late night show of his own to follow The Tonight Show.

Late Night with David Letterman premiered on Feb. 1, 1982 and soon became popular with a young audience. His signature features include The Top Ten List, Stupid Pet Tricks, Stupid Human Tricks, Viewer Mail and pencils tossed at the camera and the set behind him, 'breaking' the non-existent glass with a cued crash sound.

NBC chose Jay Leno as the replacement for the retiring Johnny Carson, a position Letterman had wanted. In 1993 Letterman moved to CBS with a lucrative deal to host The Late Show with David Letterman, to air opposite The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The head-to-head competition between Leno and Letterman for Carson's' job spawned a book and cable movie documenting the late-night talk show "wars."

In March 2002, ABC tried to lure Letterman, whose contract was due to expire in August, to take over Ted Koppel's Nightline time slot. Letterman announced on his program March 11 that he would be staying at CBS. He not only turned down ABC, he took the opportunity to chide the network by lavishly praising Koppel.

Letterman was married, to Michelle Cook, from 1969-1977.

Letterman is co-owner and founder of Worldwide Pants (a production company). He has received several Emmys for both for his writing and for his talk show hosting duties.