Stars Say Goodbye To Letterman

Nathan Lane Salutes David Letterman

(Tipped by JMG reader Colaboy29)

Chaka Khan - It's Raining Men

It doesn't seem like she quite knows all the lyrics.

(Tipped by JMG reader Robbie)

WATCH: Darlene Love's Last Letterman

On Friday night Darlene Love closed out a three-decade run of performing her holiday classic on The Late Show. Via Rolling Stone:

The tradition began in 1986 when Love first performed "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on Letterman's Late Night program on NBC, and while a small four-piece band backed the "He's a Rebel" singer for that rendition, the size of the performances have increased throughout the years, with 2014's version of the 1963 Christmas favorite one of the largest ensembles yet: Nearly a dozen backup singers, strings, a horn section and Love – still sounding as vibrant as she did in 1986 – all recreating the track's Wall of Sound production. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer delivers her penultimate verse atop band leader Paul Shaffer's piano and stays up for the remainder of the segment. The move was triumphant, poignant and strategic: Love would later reveal to the New York Times that she hopped up there to avoid embracing Letterman during the performance, because she was concerned she'd break down in tears; the two just shake hands instead.

Love says that she'll never perform the song on TV again.

Aretha Covers Adele On Letterman

Yesterday some of you had strong opinions about Aretha Franklin's cover of Adele's Rolling In The Deep. Last night Franklin performed the track live on Letterman, after which she talked about her early days and missing out on performing on the Ed Sullivan Show, which was filmed in the studio that is now home to Letterman.

UPDATE: The woeful backup singer who doesn't know the words is Cissy Houston.

NPH On His Italian Wedding

Via the Wrap:

Harris said they chose the destination because it was the first trip the couple took together. It was just one of many connections to firsts for the couple, that has been together for more than a decade. Their song is Kelly Clarkson's “A Moment Like This,” because they obsessed over the first season of “American Idol” together. “A friend of a friend knew a dude who had a castle,” Harris said, explaining how they wound up with their unique wedding venue. Elton John sang a couple of songs and introduced the couple for their first dance, which was of course to Clarkson's first hit single. His favorite captured moment came at a moment that he didn't expect to come off quite so perfectly. He had attempted to time off the launching of fireworks to the crescendo of “A Moment Like This,” but had no faith that the small town Italian “local fireworks “dude” could pull it off.

NPH: I Turned Down The Letterman Slot

Via Mediaite:

It turns out there was some credence to those Neil Patrick Harris Late Show rumors. During an appearance on Howard Stern’s show Wednesday, Harris confirmed that CBS did try to woo him to replace David Letterman, as well as possibly Craig Ferguson, but the actor turned them down. Harris said that CBS President Les Moonves and entertainment head Nina Tassler called him in to talk about the possibility of him taking Letterman’s job. They even served him some sushi to help seal the deal. This was before Letterman announced he was retiring, so presumably the meeting came before CBS offered the gig to Stephen Colbert.

Christie Slams Letterman For Fat Jokes

Rush Limbaugh Attacks CBS For Hiring Stephen Colbert To Replace Letterman

"CBS has just declared war on the heartland of America. No longer is comedy going to be a covert assault on traditional American values [and] conservatives. Now, it's just wide out in the open. What this hire means is a redefinition of what is funny and a redefinition of what is comedy. What this hire means is a redefinition of what is funny and a redefinition of what is comedy, and there’s blowing up the 11:30 format under the guise that the world’s changing. It’s media planting a flag here. Maybe even media’s last stand. It’s a declaration. They've hired a partisan, so-called comedian, to run a comedy show." - Rush Limbaugh, speaking yesterday on his radio show.

Colbert To Replace Letterman

Stephen Colbert will succeed David Letterman when the Late Show host retires some time next year.

When Colbert sits behind the desk of the CBS program, as he is set to do at a currently undetermined date in 2015, he will likely do it in unvarnished fashion, not as the right-wing caricature he plays in his current perch on Comedy Central. CBS said creative elements, producers and even the location of the show will be announced at a later date. And yet, it is that inventiveness CBS is likely banking on to help it gain in the ongoing late-night wars. Indeed, Colbert will be the Eye’s entry into a race that has already started. Both ABC and NBC have already turned their latenight programming over to younger hosts – Jimmmy Kimmel for the Alphabet and Jimmy Fallon at the Peacock. Colbert will have to hit the ground running, mastering a new format while trying to maintain the current fan base that has made his “Colbert Report” a mainstay for the Viacom-owned network.

Colbert has issued a statement: “Simply being a guest on David Letterman’s show has been a highlight of my career. I never dreamed that I would follow in his footsteps, though everyone in late night follows Dave’s lead."

TV's Longest-Running Late Night Host David Letterman To Retire After 33 Years

This afternoon David Letterman told his Times Square studio audience that he will retire in 2015 after 33 years as a late night television host.

Letterman, who survived an emergency five-way bypass surgery in 2000, is the longest-serving late-night host in TV history and last year he surpassed his friend and mentor Carson when he hit 31-years on the air. He got his start in showbiz as a weatherman before hosting a short-lived morning show. His version of NBC’s “Late Night” debuted in 1982 and he left the network for CBS 10 years later following a nasty behind the scenes struggle with Leno to host the "Tonight Show” when Carson retired. He owns the production company, Worldwide Pants, which produces “The Late Late Show,” currently hosted by Craig Ferguson, a potential successor. In Thursday’s announcement, Letterman gave the audience a bit of rare emotion. “I just want to reiterate my thanks for the support from the network, all of the people who have worked here, all of the people in the theater, ... everybody at home, thank you very much.”

Letterman's first guest in 1982 was Bill Murray. Many expect that Murray will be the final guest next year.

There are more than 10 reasons #DavidLetterman will be missed. pic.twitter.com/UoLVRZduF7
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 3, 2014

Maddow & Letterman Talk Sochi

Rachel Maddow appeared on Late Night With David Letterman last night to talk about Chris Christie and the Sochi Olympics. Towleroad quotes Letterman lamenting the lack of a Sochi boycott: "I was hoping that everybody would pull out and everybody would say 'This is not right. This is medieval times. We're not going.' Vladimir Putin said they would not be targeted. Which to me was like, 'Oh, thanks'."

Letterman's Chris Christie Top Ten

Renee Fleming On Letterman

Singing the "top ten opera lyrics." Mandatory viewing.

Bill Murray On Letterman As Liberace

I haven't seen Letterman in a month thanks to the TWC-CBS feud, but this happened last night. Bill Murray was the first guest on Letterman's show when it debuted 20 years ago today.

David Letterman And Dr. Phil Denounce Anti-Gay Detractors Of Jason Collins

Last night David Letterman and Dr. Phil discussed the coming out of Jason Collins, comparing him to Jackie Robinson. Dr. Phil: "We've got some mouth-breathers out there that still respond to this like it's something wrong." Letterman: "God created man in his own image. Why do we single this group (gays) out?" The discussion begins at the 5:45 mark. Worth watching.

Rachel Maddow On David Letterman

This time it's Letterman that scores the point.

(Tipped by JMG reader Nick)

Depeche Mode On Letterman

Chris Christie On Letterman

The guy knows how to take a joke.

President Obama On Letterman

President Obama took the high road during last night's appearance on David Letterman, shrugging off Mitt Romney's latest gaffe by saying, "All of us make mistakes." Obama continued:

"What people want to know, though, is you're not writing off a big chunk of the country," he said during an appearance on the "Late Show with David Letterman," according to a pool report. "This is a big country. And people disagree a lot but, one thing I’ve never tried to do and I think none of us can do in public office is suggest that because someone doesn’t agree with me that they’re victims or they’re unpatriotic." "There are not a lot of people out there who think they’re victims,” he said. “There are not a lot of people who think they’re entitled to something.” But, he said, government does have a role to play. “We’ve got some obligations to each other, and there’s nothing wrong with us giving each other a helping hand so that that single mom’s kid, even after all the work she’s done, can afford to go to college,” Obama said.

Below is an advance video posted by CBS before the show aired. I'll have the complete clip when it becomes available.