Jimmy Fallon's Sweet Song with The Muppets Marked a Late Night Milestone
Ten years ago, Kermit and co. helped Fallon close his Late Night show, setting the stage for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon's premiere.
This month marks the ten year anniversary of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, which premiered on February 17, 2024. To celebrate the special occasion, let's hop aboard the Electric Mayhem Bus for a special trip down memory lane.
Before Fallon took the The Tonight Show reins, he hosted Late Night With Jimmy Fallon from 2009 to 2014. On the final episode of his innovative first late night talk show, Fallon bid farewell by covering classic rock song "The Weight" by The Band. He didn't go out with just any regular performance, though. The future Tonight Show Host got some help from one of the most iconic rock groups of all time: The Muppets' Electric Mayhem.
Jimmy Fallon and the Muppets perform "The Weight" by The Band
With Fallon on the drums and backup vocals, he was joined onstage by Electric Mayhem, including members Dr. Teeth, Janice, and Animal. They were then accompanied by Beaker, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, the Swedish Chef, Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy and Kermit.
The performance is an almost shot-for-shot remake of The Band's performance of "The Weight" from their 1978 concert film, The Last Waltz. At the end of Late Night's homage, The Muppets gather to sing the emotional end of the song, saying goodbye to Fallon, who abruptly leaves the stage as the performance ends.
This Late Night "last waltz" may be bittersweet, but watch until the end to see Fallon's exciting next chapter, as he walks down the hall to his then-new Tonight Show home in Studio 6B.
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It wasn't long before Fallon had a Muppet reunion, though. In March 2014, Kermit returned to The Tonight Show to promote his Muppets Most Wanted movie. The two even sang together again, performing "Bein' Green" in honor of St. Patrick's Day—and proving once again that Muppets are the best way to mark a special occasion.
