Leading With My Chin

by Jay Leno, Bill Zehme

The The Tonight Show host describes his comedy career, his stint as a nighttime television host, and his relationships with friends, family, and professional associates

Genres: Biography, Humor, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Memoir, Comedy, Biography Memoir

323 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an Emmy Award-winning American stand-up comedian and television host who succeeded Johnny Carson as host of "The Tonight Show" on May 25, 1992. He hosted the show until May 29, 2009 when, despite his high ratings, he was replaced by Conan O'Brien. The poor ratings which Conan O'Brien received as host of "The Tonight Show" resulted in NBC bringing Leno back as host on March 1, 2010. He continued to host the show to critical and popular acclaim. In 2013, despite still having the highest late night television ratings, NBC decided to replace Leno with Jimmy Fallon as host. Leno's final show aired on February 6, 2014.

Reviews

[Beth Brekke · Rating 4 out of 5]

An autobiography of Jay Leno's early years up to when he takes over The Tonight Show.
The book details some fun stories of his childhood and gives insight to his upbringing in a way that honors his family even while poking fun of them. Learning a little about his early years authenticates his down-to-Earth personality. I always liked watching him on The Tonight Show as he could make fun of everyone equally without showing a political bias, unlike most of the current late-night hosts. The book includes a number of anecdotes on how things went so wrong so many times on his journey, a good reminder that most people that rise to the top of their profession don't get there easily.
The style of the writing is such that you can easily imagine him telling it in his voice. My only criticisms would be that at times it bounced around a bit instead of following a strict timeline. I also thought he kind of glossed over how he really became The Tonight Show host, which I thought should be a bigger part of his memoir. I suspect that for all of his fame, he is still a humble man and way too classy to divulge anything that might shame someone else. I'd love to see him pick up where this leaves off and do a second book.

[J.S. Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally laughed out loud on nearly every page!

[Bookshop · Rating 5 out of 5]

We've been watching Jay Leno's the Tonight Show at CNBC for while. He comes across as a nice guy. Sure he tells jokes and he makes fun of people but there is a shred of kindness in him which shows when he talks about the minority, his wife, his parents, or other unfortunate people (Michael Jackson not included). Thus his jokes are funny, never mean-spirited.

When we get here, the Tonight Show is a staple and I fall in love with the show even more and I begin to search for his books, if any. What a coincidence. When I was reserving my copy of the latest Harry Potter book, I found and bought it.

I thought it was a collection of his jokes but it is his biography, written in his monologue style. It is so 'him' that, while reading, I almost felt that he was reading the book to the audience on television.

The book describes his childhood and his struggle to reach the top. It also gives a glimpse of his wife whom he mentions a lot in his jokes but keeps in private otherwise. He has a loving family, an experience he applies in his own marriage (his parents were married for 57 years and he's been with his wife for 25 years).

The book is honest and is written in a Leno stand-up comedy style which I personally like. Maybe that's why I find this book so agreeable and so funny. Just like any comedian, he is able to find humour in every life situation: sad, ordinary, infuriating, etc.

At the end of the book, when the jokes are done, he explains why he loves his parents so much by giving an example of their love to him. I finished the laughs with a good cry.

If you are a Leno fan, this book is highly recommended.

[Kate Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading this more than 25 years later was a delight. It still makes me laugh out loud.

[Cody Wenitsky]

Jay Leno and I would get along GREAT! We're just so much alike that it's scary! We both don't/weren't exactly sure what we want/wanted to do for a career path, but we know people think we're really funny. The only difference Jay and I have is that he is an accomplished comedian and i'm not. Jay worked a minimum wage job at McDonalds as a teen, and i work a minimum wage job at Wegmans as a teen! My next move should be like Jay: try my hand at stand up comedy acts, fly to California, and look for comedy jobs and rolls that might be avaliable!

If i were friends with Jay Leno our relationship would probably be built upon laughs and great times! Jay and i also both enjoy meats of all kinds and sorts and we both think it's wierd to everyone except us! He also calls himself "Carnivorous," as do I. Jay recalls a story when he was a child where he accidenly knocked over a roast at a family party and ruined the whole event. I similarlly recall doing something such as this at one of my family parties when i was a small child. I turned the dial on the oven to full blast because i thought i was helping! However, i burned the roast and sort of ruined the food for the party.

As one may assume, I thoroughly enjoy this book and reading it (as of right now). Many of the experiences Jay had are very similar to my own, as well as his thought processes and points of view. The book is a hilarious and an enjoyable read that keeps me intrigued, laughing, reading!

[Terrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Jay Leno's humorous autobiography in audio form. I grew up in Andover, MA not very far from Jay's parents house. So his story has a special meaning to me since he's the guy from Ballardvale who became the King of Late Night TV. I even bumped into him once while shopping for a razor at the Andover CVS. He was friendly and down to earth, just as he is in this audiobook.
Leno's appeal for me is that his style of humor isn't degrading (David Letterman has that covered), and is observational. His stories about his parents had me laughing aloud while driving to my own performance (I am a puppeteer).
My only regret, is that I rarely watched him on The Tonight Show. Keep leading the way Jay, chin and all!

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cool collection of memories of a comedian before his meteoric rise to the top as the host of "The Tonight Show". The focus of this memoir are his parents and how they affected him both as a comedian and a human being. What's even better about this novel are the stories of all the fellow comedians that were on the rise at the same time that he was including David Letterman, Jerry Seinfeld, Robin Williams, and many others. I feel the only downpoint to this book is that it is very "stream of consciousness" and jumps back and forth from time period to time period instead of being chronological. It tends to lose you here and there.

[Peter Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This provides excellent insight into the life experiences which formed the Jay we know today. His upbringing seems to have been quite supportive, but his challenges after deciding to be in show business were many and arduous. The book is, of course, full of good laughs. It was published 23 years ago, so I think it's time for him to bring us up to date with Volume II.

[Joy Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very heartwarming and the last 2 pages had me in tears. Jay recounts stories from childhood, high school, starting in the business. He really pursued his career, slept places and did things I wouldn't even imagine doing for a job.

Great book and highly recommended!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audio of this - read by Jay himself - is a must! Hilarious!

[Kathy]

Travel book. Only listened to is while traveling.

[Sheila Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable autobiography.

[Chris Ginther · Rating 3 out of 5]

C

[Jesse Flood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jay Leno writes this book on his life in comedy. Shady managers and funny corporate gigs, all lead to his winning the role as the host of The Tonight Show. Great book.

[Hugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jay Leno shares a series of stories about his life and career leading up to getting the Tonight Show.

[Dusty Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and interesting life of Jay Leno

[Ivan Benedict · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and often quite funny. There are sad times as well. It is not easy to be a comedian.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious.

[Jonathan Manley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this when I was younger and thought that Jay Leno was the funniest person on the planet.

[Dave Tramontozzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like a collection of talk show-style anecdotes (punched up stories based, to clearly varying degrees, in truth) peppered with lots of exclamation points!

[Adam Kovynia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend Jay Leno's book Leading with my Chin because he writes a lot about all the steps he had to take in order to become successful in showbusiness. The book is funny throughout and not every book by a comedian is that funny I've noticed. He writes about his parents ethnic backgrounds, Scottish and Italian, and he writes some funny things related to that topic. This book which is from the mid 90s I was surprised didn't deal much at all with his experiences on the tonight show after he became the full time host in 92--it's more of a book that deals with his life from the start up until that point. it's interesting that he writes about how he struggled with school and how he worked hard to be successful with comedy. it reminds me of the book I just listened to on CD last week by Malcom Gladwell when he talked about the man who grew up dyslexic but learned to listen more instead of reading and compensate with other skills and ended up becoming a famous lawyer. I prefer Jay Leno to the current late night hosts because they are so liberal. Jay knew how to stay more neutral in my opinion.

[Isman · Rating 3 out of 5]

With this book, Jay Leno confirms that you don't have to be born in a dysfunctional family to be a successful comic. True comedic materials can flow naturally from one's own experiences, be it filled with happiness or tragedy.

Not that his life is entirely downhill. On the contrary, he shared many stories when life threw him down in the gutter. And how he stood up, with help from people you'd probably meet everyday. The key is to recognize them.

I was particularly enlightened by his explanation that there are basically two kinds of comic: those who base their humor on character and on materials. The key, as always, is moderation.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

This autobiography is a quick, easy read. It is sectioned off into paragraph-length remembrances, vignettes that read like on-stage jokes. Many evoke a chuckle, some a hilarious. These are mostly about life on the road in the clubs and among the rising stars and tragic ones. There is a lot about Jay's nonplussed Old World parents and life with his wife. The book goes up to him taking over The Tonight Show.

[Meredith Hamlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book where I laughed out loud. I laughed so hard I cried. I did my snort laugh. His childhood was idyllic but with so more cultural diversity than you would think. A Scottish mom and Italian father- 2 cultures that couldn't be more opposite but they seemed to meld together so well in this book. So many hilarious situations that a young comic would find himself in- and Jay tells them with hilarious detail.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jay Leno, host of the Tonight Show, writes a witty and honest story about his desire to work as a comedian from his early days growing up in Massachusetts to the time he was named host of the popular program. His ability to persevere even in the most disheartening situations, is a testament to his dedication to his profession.

[Gabe Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this in audio form and it was fun because Jay was the reader. It was fun to hear stories from his life and it actually caused me to become thoughtful about my own life a time or two. Overall, it was amusing and interesting to hear a bit of his back-story. I remember laughing pretty hard at the story of him driving John Wayne to an event in Boston.

[Hannah Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly found this book to be hilarious, informative, and just a tiny bit touching. I loved learning about the man behind the chin, and have had a new respect for him since I received this book as a birthday present long ago (and I've reread it several times). I'm positive a majority of people wouldn't be as pleased with it as I am, but something about it just hit the spot for me.

[Nathan Forester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jay Leno is my favorite entertainer and his book has never failed to make me laugh with how many funny stories there are in them. Jay's career started off kind of rough but he managed to work on up from it and oh yes...the stories just crack me up, if you love Jay and you love good humor, give this fic a read.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

T'was filled with stories aboot being on the road as a stand-up comedian. One of my favorite bits is him talking about going to the White House with a ten thousand dollars on him.

[Andrea Fife · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood to read an autobiography, and I'm glad I did. Jay Leno's life was really fairly ordinary, and that's what I loved about the book. There was occasionally a little vulgarity, but only when necessary. All in all, this book was great.