Carson Daly
Getting his start on MTV’s ‘Total Request Live,’ Carson daily is the host of ‘Last Call With Carson Daly’ and the singing competition ‘The Voice.’
Synopsis
Carson Daly was born in Santa Monica, California, in June 1973. He attended Loyola Marymount University, where he studied theology and played golf. The 1990s saw Daly immerse himself in the radio business, and as a DJ he climbed the ladder of success to LA's hottest station. This caught the attention of MTV, and Daly moved to NY to host the network's Total Request Live. The show was a smash hit and put Daly's face on millions of TVs. That success led to others, and he has since hosted Last Call With Carson Daly, The Voice, the Today show's "Orange Room" and NBC's New Year's Eve show.
Early Years
Carson Daly was born on June 22, 1973, in Santa Monica, California. He attended Loyola Marymount University on a golf scholarship and lettered in the sport all four years. He majored in theology and entertained the idea of joining the priesthood, but the dream of one day elevating his golf game and joining the PGA Tour turned out to be stronger.
After graduation, Daly set out on his PGA dreams and began training in earnest. He also, fatefully, took on an internship at a radio station, and by the early 1990s he was embarking on a DJ career. Success in the radio booth put golf on the back burner, and Daly moved up the radio food chain at five different radio stations in five years.
Daly was working as the early evening voice of LA’s influential and top-rated KROQ, but his path changed when he caught the attention of MTV. Shortly thereafter, Daly was packing his bags and moving to New York City to host Total Request Live.
MTV and NBC
Total Request Live was a huge hit, and Daly, also the show’s executive producer, became something of a tastemaker in the industry. On a network full of attitude, Daly stood out for his genial manner and lack of affect. And with his easy charm, he turned an anomaly of a show, an afternoon music video show, into a serious destination for musicians, movie stars and all forms of celebrities in between.
In 2002, to start the new year, Daly moved from MTV to NBC with his own late-night talk show, Last Call With Carson Daly. The show was Daly’s take on late night, which meant that the guests would be diverse—from entertainment, sports and politics—and it would be a place where new bands could hit the mainstream consciousness for the first time. Musicians such as Maroon 5, The Killers and 30 Seconds to Mars were all early beneficiaries of Daly’s approach.
Along the way, NBC gave Daly the added role of hosting a New Year’s Eve show as well, NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly. Keeping with the musical theme of his career, the show has featured such huge musical acts as Rihanna, Jay-Z, Elton John and Katy Perry.
Today and The Voice
In 2011, Daly became a presence on prime time as well when he took on hosting duties for NBC’s vocal-competition show The Voice. Another smash hit, the show opened up an even wider audience to Daly’s talents. Daly maintains all these shows and is also still on the radio, hosting Mornings With Carson Daily on Top 40 KAMP in LA and the syndicated weekly The Daly Download With Carson Daly.
In 2013 Daly began hosting the Today show's “Orange Room,” serving as a live liaison between the viewers and the show.
Over his years in the TV and radio industry, Daly has been honored several times, having been nominated for three Daytime Emmy awards and winning one (for The Voice). He has also won two Teen Choice awards for Total Request Live.
Personal Life
Carson Daly married his longtime love Siri Pinter on December 23, 2015. The couple has three children: son Jackson (b. 2009), and daughters Etta (b. 2012) and London (b. 2014).
