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Joan Embery | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joan Marie Embery San Diego, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Eastern Illinois University |
| Awards | List |
Joan Marie Embery is an American animal and environmental advocate, notable for her appearances on television programs such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno .
Embery was a Trustee of the Morris Animal Foundation, a professional Fellow of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a member of the Advisory Board of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine's Wildlife Health Center, and a founding member the American Association of Zoo Keepers. The goodwill ambassador to the Zoological Society of San Diego (which oversees both the San Diego Zoo and San Diego Zoo Safari Park) [1] for 32 years, she has also hosted educational series such as Animal Express, Animals of Africa, Baby Panda, and Challenges to Wildlife on public broadcasting. She has raised awareness of animals and wildlife conservation through her books, tours, projects, and appearances on television shows.
Over the course of her decades-long career, she and her many animal ambassadors appeared nearly 70 times on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. According to Joan herself, however, that number is closer to 100 times, with additional appearances while Jay Leno was hosting. She was especially enjoyed by Johnny Carson and his audiences, where various animal guests included a baby elephant who could “paint”, a tarantula, a baby rhinoceros, a lion cub, and a pygmy marmoset who jumped from Joan’s arm to Johnny’s arm, up to his shoulder, then to the top of his head, before sitting quietly and urinating there, on live television. Joan said that the marmoset was “content” and “marking its territory,” given that apparently, it had its tail wrapped around Johnny Carson’s ear as well. [2] [3]
Joan Embery and Duane Pillsbury (1929 - 2020) were married almost 42 years, until his death at age 91. Embery and Pillsbury, met when she was thirty and he was fifty. The couple met through the matchmaking efforts of one of Pillsbury's two daughters, who shared with Embery a mutual interest as competitive female equestrians. During their marriage, Pillsbury always accompanied Embery on her world travels and TV appearances. [4]
Embery and Pillsbury made their home at Pillsbury Ranch, a 50-acre (20 ha) ranch in east county San Diego, home to show horses, wildlife ambassadors, the native wildlife, and personal pets. Two of her most well-known animals were a zebra, who would graze on her front lawn, and a toco toucan. The Pillsbury Land & Livestock Co. property hosted many fundraisers for civic, environmental and animal conservation groups over the years. [4]
In addition to being an environmental advocate, Embery is a skilled horsewoman who has won many trophies, including the areas of dressage, cutting, jumping and driving. [5]
The San Diego Zoo Safari Park, originally named the San Diego Wild Animal Park until 2010, is an 1,800 acre zoo in the San Pasqual Valley area of San Diego, California, near Escondido. It is one of the largest tourist attractions in San Diego County. The park houses a large array of wild and endangered animals including species from the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Australia. This includes the largest collection of hoofed mammals in the world. The park is in a semi-arid environment, and one of its most notable features is the Africa Tram, which explores the expansive African exhibits. These free-range enclosures house such animals as antelopes, giraffes, buffalo, cranes, and rhinoceros. The park is also noted for its California condor breeding program.
John William Carson was an American television host, comedian, writer, and producer. He is best known as the host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962–1992). Carson received six Primetime Emmy Awards, the Television Academy's 1980 Governor's Award, and a 1985 Peabody Award. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987. Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1993.
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien (2009–2010), and Jimmy Fallon (2014–present). Besides the main hosts, a number of regular "guest hosts" have been used, notably Ernie Kovacs, who hosted two nights per week during 1956–1957, and a number of guests used by Carson, who curtailed his own hosting duties back to three nights per week by the 1980s. Among Carson's regular guest hosts were Joey Bishop, David Letterman, Joan Rivers, David Brenner, and Jay Leno, although the practice has been mostly abandoned since hosts currently prefer reruns to showcasing potential rivals. Fallon has used guest hosts rarely, co-hosting the May 24, 2021 broadcast with Dave Grohl, Jimmy Kimmel hosting the April 1, 2022 broadcast, Shawn Mendes co-hosting the April 29, 2022 broadcast, Megan Thee Stallion co-hosting the August 11, 2022 broadcast, Demi Lovato co-hosting the August 17, 2022 broadcast and Jack Harlow co-hosting the October 6, 2022 broadcast.
Joan Alexandra Molinsky, known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedian, actress, producer, writer, and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona that was heavily self-deprecating and acerbic, especially towards celebrities and politicians, delivered in her signature New York accent. She is considered a pioneer of women in comedy. She received an Emmy Award and a Grammy Award, as well as nomination for a Tony Award.
Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen is an American retired jazz trumpeter who led the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014.
The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in Balboa Park, San Diego, California, housing 4,000 animals of more than 650 species and subspecies on 100 acres (40 ha) of Balboa Park leased from the City of San Diego. Its parent organization, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, is a private nonprofit conservation organization, and has one of the largest zoological membership associations in the world, with more than 250,000 member households and 130,000 child memberships, representing more than a half million people.
The Comedy Store is an American comedy club opened in April 1972. It is located in West Hollywood, California, at 8433 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip. An associated club is located in La Jolla, San Diego, California.
Julie Scardina is Animal Ambassador and Corporate Curator for SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and Discovery Cove zoological parks. She was formerly curator of animal training for SeaWorld San Diego.
Rain Pryor is an American actress and comedian. Her television credits include sitcoms Head of the Class and Rude Awakening. She is the daughter of comedian Richard Pryor.
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is an American late-night talk show hosted by Johnny Carson on NBC, the third iteration of the Tonight Show franchise. The show debuted on October 1, 1962, and aired its final episode on May 22, 1992. Ed McMahon served as Carson's sidekick and the show's announcer.
Elayne Boosler is an American comedian, writer, and actress.
The Late Shift: Letterman, Leno, and the Network Battle for the Night is a 1994 non-fiction book written by The New York Times media reporter Bill Carter. It chronicles the early 1990s conflict surrounding the American late-night talk show The Tonight Show. The book was later made into a film of the same name by HBO.
Carson's Comedy Classics is a stripped half-hour syndicated television show that was first released to U.S. television stations in 1985.
Edd Hall is an American television personality and announcer. He was Jay Leno's announcer on The Tonight Show from 1992 to 2004, replacing Tonight Show announcer Ed McMahon after Johnny Carson's retirement. Hall introduced himself by saying, "...And me, I'm Edd Hall." He left the show in October 2004.
Stephen Robert Irwin, known as "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian zookeeper, conservationist, television personality, wildlife educator, and environmentalist.
Kira Soltanovich is an American comedian, writer, and actress.
Belle Jennings Benchley, known as “The Zoo Lady,” was the director of the San Diego Zoo from 1927 to 1953, guiding its expansion from a small collection of animals to an innovative, world-class zoo.
The Burbank Studios is a television production facility located in Burbank, California. The studio is home to Days of Our Lives, Extra, the IHeartRadio Theater, and was formerly home to the Blizzard Arena.
Robert Clarence Irwin is an Australian television personality, actor, conservationist, zookeeper, and wildlife photographer. He is the son of Steve Irwin, and is often noted by fans to share similarities with his late father.
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