Before Letterman signs off for a final time tonight on CBS, the late night hosts Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart, Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers all paid tribute to a man who without him, these comedians would not have the jobs they do.
Read on to see how each host took time to share a little memory of how Letterman affected their lives and what legacy he leaves behind in the late night arena.
Conan O'Brien
O'Brien has shared a similar path in the late night television as Letterman. He first succeeded Letterman as the host of NBC's "Late Night" in 1993 and then had his opportunity of hosting "The Tonight Show" taken away by Jay Leno.
The host of "Conan" penned a touching column to his "Late Night" predecessor for Entertainment Weekly, reflecting on how Letterman and his writers "completely re-invented the format."
"Dave's show was that rare phenomenon: a big, fat show business hit that seemingly despised show business. Dave didn't belong, and he had no interest in belonging. He amused himself, skewered clueless celebrity guests, and did strange, ironic comedic bits that no one had seen on television before. Everything about that show was surreal and off-kilter. Where late night television had once provided comfort, this man reveled in awkwardness."
Click here to read the full article by O'Brien.
Jon Stewart
Stewart paid his respects to Letterman a week early because "The Daily Show" was going on a short hiatus this week. He referred to Letterman and his late night programs as an "incredible epiphany" for talks show, television and entertainment. "For God's sake, the man put a camera on a monkey. It seems so simple now but back then it was mind-blowing," Stewart enthused.
After sharing a few words about Letterman's innovation, he featured his interview with Letterman on his short-lived MTV talk show as his Moment of Zen on May 14.
Jimmy Fallon
Fallon's wife reminded him before taking the hosting gig on "Late Night" that even if he failed, he would forever belong on a short list that only included Conan O'Brien and Letterman. Not a bad list to be on.
It obviously worked out for Fallon, who is now the host of "The Tonight Show." On Monday night's episode, he shared an eerie premonition by his eighth grade teacher and talked about his last guest appearance on the "Late Show."
Jimmy Kimmel
Kimmel struggled mightily to keep his composure as he talked about Letterman on Tuesday night. The ABC late night host grew up watching Letterman every night, staying up late and hosting viewing parties with his friends. He shared old photos of his "Late Night" birthday party at age 16 and the license plate for his first car which read, "L8 NITE," as well as giving his best friend and band leader Cleto Escobedo a moment to thank his "Late Show" counterpart, Paul Shaffer.
Seth Meyers
The current host of "Late Night," Meyers changed the opening titles of his show to reflect the titles used during Letterman's era. He noticed a few things have changed in New York City since Letterman hosted the show in the '80s, most notably the lack of porn shops in Times Square.
