Leno pays TV tribute to Mike Douglas

BURBANK, Calif., Aug. 11 (UPI) -- While taping Friday's "Tonight Show," host Jay Leno took time to honor the memory of legendary U.S. talk show host Mike Douglas, who died Friday at 81.

In a press release, NBC said Leno called the longtime host of "The Mike Douglas Show" one of "the all time talk show greats."

"For those young people if you don't remember, before there was Oprah or Dr. Phil or Ellen, or any of these people, there was Mike Douglas," said Leno.

The "Tonight Show" star recalled how he made his first ever TV appearance on Douglas' talk show in the 1970s, and advised would-be entertainers to take a lesson from the famed host.

"So any young people, if you ever think of being a talk show host, you couldn't find a better role model than Mike Douglas," said Leno.