2015
05.17

It was the summer of 1980 before my 9th grade year. My mother was having the house painted and we wandered in and out of the house in the morning watching the painters and going back to the TV. Right after Family Feud there was a new talk show with a new personality who immediately caught my attention. His show had a great feel to it and the theme song (written by Michael McDonald of Doobie Bros fame) was the perfect feel for a summer morning.
This smart alecky David Letterman juxtaposed with the no cares morning show feel was a great treat to tune into. I’ve long thought I had an eye for talent and I knew this guy was something the moment I saw him. It was short lived but he quickly got his own late night show not long after.

I was there for the first episode of his new late show and kept watching almost religiously for many years after wards. Thus starting a long standing practice of not getting enough sleep for real life. Much like watching Johnny Carson this was also part of my schooling. I studied the craft and art of show business and put as much stock in this learning as I did my real studies in high school and later in college. Maybe more.

I’ll admit I haven’t really watched Letterman in 10 years or more but I’ll miss Dave. Not a lot of quality or talent left in entertainment or the world these days. And that’s not old man, sour grapes talking.

It’s true.

I’ll also miss the great Paul Shaffer and his encyclopedic knowledge of songs – – ready to go at a moments notice. I’ll miss Tom “Bones” Malone and the only other original member of that band,…bassist, the great Will Lee.

A clip from Dave’s first morning show.

Paul would play this song occasionally on the new show going to a commercial and I’d put money on the fact that I’m one of the only ones who caught it. I remember Michael McDonald coming on the show once and Paul played it with him. I remember thinking that was cool.

Here’s to the beginning of it all,….and to it coming to an end.

Here’s to David Letterman.

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