Flashback: Comedy maestro Jay Leno delivers emotionally charged goodbye as ‘Tonight Show’ host
A top rated, decidedly less depressing late night era drew to a close on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014, when Jay Leno gracefully handed the keys of The Tonight Show over to Jimmy Fallon. Watched by a staggering 14.6 million viewers, the evening included announced guests Billy Crystal and Garth Brooks book-ended by numerous surprise appearances from the likes of President Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Carol Burnett, and Sheryl Crow.
Leno waited until Brooks delivered his signature piano ballad “The Dance” before addressing his attentive audience in an emotionally charged three-minute speech. After a commercial break, a framed photo of the comedian’s trademark blue denim shirt with the number “22” emblazoned in bold signaled his closing remarks.
Clarifying why Kevin Eubanks was not present — the former Tonight Show musical director and lead guitarist of 18 years was touring in France — the lone host took a deep breath and warned viewers, “Boy, this is a hard part.”
Notably, the comedy maestro uncharacteristically lost his composure repeatedly in front of the camera, all the more remarkable considering his largely cool disposition when he prematurely vacated his post five years earlier. Not acclimated to speaking seriously without bursting into a…
