Whether you know him from his stand-up comedy, his car collection, or his late-night talk show, Jay Leno is a household name. 

Lucky for you, Leno will be performing in Van Wert on Saturday, March 23, at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.

Hosting ‘The Tonight Show‘

Following a successful stand-up career, Leno was thrown into the upper echelon of fame when he replaced the retiring Johnny Carson as host of The Tonight Show on NBC, where he had filled in for Carson on numerous occasions. 

Leno hosted the show from 1992-2009, and then things got a little weird. 

After stepping down, Conan O’Brien was named his successor. Less than a year after the transition, Leno was back on NBC with The Jay Leno Show at 10 p.m. However, he would eventually return to The Tonight Show in March 2010, where he stayed until handing the reins to Jimmy Fallon in 2014.

In the driver’s seat

Following his highly successful late-night run, Leno turned his eyes toward retirement. 

He had always been a huge car guy, stemming from the time he would spend time with his father and play with his cars. 

Leno’s famed car collection began when he was 14 when his father found a 1934 Ford truck abandoned at an old gas station. Leno purchased the truck and has not stopped purchasing collector cars since. 

His love for cars turned into a passion project called Jay Leno’s Garage, which aired on CNBC from 2014-2023 before transitioning online. 

His YouTube channel, Jay Leno’s Garage, is actively uploading and sits at 3.61 million subscribers. Leno is nearing 1,000 YouTube videos showcasing his cars from new to old and all in between. 

Close to home

Over his years of being a comedian, Leno won many accolades, ranging from Emmys to People’s Choice awards. 

In total, he has been nominated for 31 awards and won eight. 

Leno has continued to live out his comedy career by touring across the globe doing anywhere from a couple live shows to 200 annually. 

This year, he is hitting only select cities and one of those just happens to be near Fort Wayne. 

His comedy performances have been highly rated and are sure to make you laugh the night away. 

If you are in the mood for a laugh, be sure to get tickets right away as the show is quickly approaching.