Emily Marshall: How did Doc Severinsen’s wife die?

Who was Doc Severinsen’s wife Marshall?

Emily Marshall was a Television writer and the third wife of Doc Severinsen. Emily Marshall’s husband is an American retired jazz trumpeter. He was the leader of the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The Grammy award winner has made more than 30 albums–from big band to jazz-fusion to classical. Two critically acclaimed Telarc CDs with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra showcase his multifaceted talents from Bach to ballads. Who is Doc Severinsen’s wife, Marshall?

Emily Marshall: Bio Summary

Emily Marshall was a ‘Tonight Show’ Secretary Turned Sitcom Writer

Emily Marshall was born on March 24, 1943, in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America, the daughter of a railway executive. She came to New York and was an NBC guide and sold tickets for the studio tour in the early ’60s, when Carson joined The Tonight Show. Before moving to Los Angeles in 1969 with her friend Patricia Nardo, Emily Marshall worked for writer-director Cy Howard (Lovers and Other Strangers) and producer David Susskind and for the game show Supermarket Sweep. Her friend also became James L. Brooks and Allan Burns‘ secretary on CBS’ The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

ALSO, READ; Who is Nancy Severinsen, Doc Severinsen’s daughter?

After a stint as a secretary for a McMillan & Wife producer at Universal, Marshall was hired as de Cordova’s secretary/assistant on The Tonight Show in May 1972, just after the late-night program had moved to Burbank. After years, Doc Severinsen’s wife left The Tonight Show in 1978 and became a staff writer for the first time on Rhoda (during its last season). Per IMDB, Emily also wrote for Mary, Mr. Sunshine, Designing Women — after which she landed a production deal at Disney — and It’s Garry Shandling’s Show.

Emily Marshall also served as a staff writer for 13 episodes of Newhart, which he created, from 1982-84. Doc Severinsen’s wife also created the 1988-89 CBS sitcom Coming of Age, which starred popular names such as Paul Dooley, Phyllis Newman, Alan Young, Glynis Johns, Kevin Pollak, and Ruta Lee. The comedy, set in an Arizona retirement community, opened with her husband Severinsen performing the boisterous big band number “Sing, Sing, Sing.”

ALSO, READ; Allen Severinsen: Where is Doc Severinsen’s son now?

Marshall wrote for CBS’ Rhoda in 1978, CBS’ WKRP in Cincinnati in 1979, and ABC’s Angie in 1979-80. She co-wrote an episode of HBO’s The Larry Sanders Show in 1993 about Hank Kingsley (Jeffrey Tambor), a sidekick who feels threatened by a new bandleader.

Doc Severinsen and Emily Marshall met when she was working on The Tonight Show

The jazz trumpeter, Severinsen has been quoted as saying that he has been married four times. His third wife Marshall was divorced and had been working as a secretary for The Tonight Show producer Fred de Cordova for about a year when they met and started dating. Severinsen’s wife at the time, Evonne Nyman, had stayed behind in New Jersey after the show came west. Per Yahoo, Emily revealed to Malkoff that, she thought the jazz trumpeter was separated and “available” when they began their relationship.

ALSO, READ; Evonne Nyman: Where is Doc Severinsen’s ex-wife now?

They tied the knot in a beautiful wedding ceremony in 1980 in Toluca Lake and she was with him for nearly 40 years through 2013 per Hollywood reporter. It is unclear if the couple had any children, but Severinsen on the other hand is a father of five children- Nancy Severinsen, Allen Severinsen, Cindy Severinsen, Robin Severinsen, and Judy Severinsen.

Emily Marshall said her husband Severinsen was the inspiration behind her having her own career. “That was the beginning of my ‘moving on up’ from secretary to sitcom writer,” she told Mark Malkoff on an October 2020 episode of The Carson Podcast “I wanted to have my own life, my own identity. I credit Doc, in a sort of back-door way, with giving me the inspiration, the view of what life is like when you have something that is yours.”Emily even made an appearance in the 2021 PBS documentary Never Too Late: The Doc Severinsen Story. She talked about him and their time together.

ALSO, READ; Doc Severinsen Children: Nancy, Allen, Cindy, Robin, Judy Severinsen

What happened to Emily Marshall, Doc Severinsen’s wife?

Marshall attained permanent residence in Mexico in 2006 per Hollywood Reporter. Doc Severinsen’s wife, Emily Marshall died on March 17 of lung cancer at her home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She is 79 years old at the time of her death. Per reports, Emily told a friend that she was “grateful for my long and healthy life” and chose not to seek treatment for her illness.