Marilyn Maye A Tribute to Johnny Carson

Members who give $500+ annually receive 10% off concert tickets.

2026 Concert Series sponsored by

Still enterprising and still twinkling . . . Marilyn Maye is the last of a great generation of American Songbook singers.

—New York Times

She can belt, and she can sing ballads with the kind of warmth that makes your heart smile. . . . She’s the real deal.

—New York Observer

Marilyn Maye is a Grammy-nominated singer, actress, and arranger. The 97-year-old musical treasure has dedicated her entire life to the art of song and performance.

Maye began her professional singing career by winning a 13-week appearance on the radio station WIBW in Topeka, Kansas, at nine years old. During her 11-year engagement at the Colony in Kansas City, she was discovered by Steve Allen, who was the first to present her various times to a national television audience.

Now, Maye has been taking her tribute to Johnny Carson across the country, literally singing his praises in a show of gratitude for his effect on her career and on the entertainment industry in general. Maye appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 76 times, the most of any singer. Carson praised her show-stopping appearances to his audience of millions. The Arts Council of the Smithsonian selected her recording of “Too Late Now” for its album of the 110 best American compositions of the 20^th century.