I just saw a segment on NBC’s good morning show about it and it was very moving. The number of celebrities that love the gap toothed Indiana funny man is long and wide. It is hard to get that many people to love you if you aren’t doing something right. I am usually asleep when Dave is on but back in my college days I loved him for being so damned irreverent about everything. His monologues certainly weren’t as funny as Jay’s but Jay just didn’t feel like someone I could be friends with whereas Dave was always one of the guys. I’ll miss him. He made his mark in this world that is for sure.
I feel like I grew up with David Letterman. He’s always tickled by funny bone. Letterman has given many musical acts tv exposure fairly early in their careers. I’ll miss him, although I do like Colbert. Also, will miss the Daily Show and Jon Stewart.
I was watching a piece about Letterman last night and they were talking about his insecurities and self-loathing. How he would write repeatedly on a notepad how he sucked and hated himself. Despite his successes, he has faced inner demons. A very complex person.
It is rather comical … in a perverse way … that when you summarize his 30+ year carer in comedy in a 5-minute segment that the Joaquin Phoenix interview is prominently featured. That interview kind of epitomizes Dave’s career. He was not nice to his guest, he ripped him a new one, but it was hilarious, and kind of painful to watch, again like Dave’s career in a nut shell, and they ended up respecting each other. Dave’s insecurities is another reason why so many people love him. He was relatable. Most celebrities have armies of publicists to convince us they are not normal like us and I reject and ignore and mock all of that and tune them out.
Dave was one of the guys in the dorm down the hall.
Thanks for the reminder - will fire up the DVR!
I loved when he had his mother on or reporting from the Olympics one year way back. Just a goofy kid from Indiana. 
I grew up with Dave too - I even remember when he had his show during the daytime. I’m very sad - I feel like a friend is moving. I love this, @GoNoles85 “Dave was one of the guys in the dorm down the hall” - exactly!
I’ve always been a Letterman fan and I too feel like I’ve grown up with him. I remember all the Letterman/Leno drama about the Tonight Show after Johnny retired. Haven’t watched consistently in the past few years as I have been trying to get to sleep before midnight and I don’t DVR programs. Have been watching every night this past month and there was a great interview on the CBS Sunday Morning show this past Sunday with Dave and Jane Pauley, old friends and colleagues from network TV in Indianapolis.
I liked him back in college. Then I grew up some and felt he was quite mean spirited. I think he should have stepped down years ago.
My H & I were in the audience and saw him tape his show live in New York ( at the 5pm recording time) many years ago when my kids were at sleep away camp. His guest that night was Sharon Osborne. He was so well oiled, the show became such a routine for him. He was good and I’ve enjoyed many of his skits and shows over the years, but he seems tired now and it’s really a good time to step down…actually a few years ago would have probably been better…but he was enjoyable & entertaining just the same.
It was amazing what you had to do to get tickets (that were free). It was a whole day production: we had to wait in line early and then be interviewed and then give them our cell phone # so they could contact us anywhere in the city if we were selected and then race back to be at the 5pm taping. It was an experience, but I’m glad I did it once!
We even went around the corner to the Hello Deli and met Rupert. Highlight of the day (!) Just kidding…
I’ve never liked him. I’ve always found him mean-spirited.
I used to live very near him in CT: he was at the end of our little country road. We’d see him jogging from time to time. He apparently had a lead foot and was always getting speeding tickets from the New Canaan police.
@chocchipcookie - Just curious, do you remember what kind of questions they asked when they interviewed you? Interesting that they would put so much effort into selecting the audience.
a friend of mine was in the audience Monday night.
She lives in NYC, and she has excellent karma.
But personally, I would have gone last night, if I was to go.
I used to watch Dave at times, a long time ago.
Wasn’t he on after Johnny?
I liked Johnny better, couldn’t really stand Ed though.
Dave could be entertaining, at times he did have a good rapport with his guests, other times it was just awkward, and I didn’t know what to make of it.
Oh, Dave was TOTALLY awkward! That’s part of what made him fun to watch.
I have been a loyal Letterman fan since the beginning. The only time I don’t watch him is when Kimmel tapes in my hometown. I love that he’s so bright and asks real questions about policy and such.
I always tried to tell my sons that Letterman is better than Kimmel and Fallon, but they tended not to agree. And then, in the run-up to the last show CBS started airing some of his older, classic bits, and FINALLY the kids saw what I was talking about and had to agree that without Letterman, the late-night talk shows they love wouldn’t be what they are. I saw an interview in the past couple of days where Anderson Cooper said that Letterman’s bits were every bit as great as Kimmel’s and Fallon’s, but he didn’t have the Internet in his heyday to reinforce his genius.
As you can tell, I am really going to miss him and expect to cry tonight.
Oh, and for those of you recording, I hear that it runs 18 minutes long so record Corden, too.
OMGosh… that kids segment was hilarious!
He’s always been great with kids. I remember all those kids coming on with their science projects and inventions.
Also, loved the years of stupid pet tricks and stupid human tricks.
When I rented my own apartment, one of the first things I purchased was one of the early VCRs. It set me back about $1000, which cost more than the rest of my furniture combined (think cinder block shelves and construction spool end tables). My justification: I wanted to be able to record “Late Night with David Letterman”, which was past my bedtime even then. The early shows were groundbreaking comedy and I watched almost every one. I think after losing to Jay in the “late night wars”, he lost his fire and the shows were never the same. I recorded them only when I was interested in a guest, which was seldom. Still, like one of his final guests, Bob Dylan, his recent output doesn’t detract from his legacy.
I think I’m the only person who has never watched one of his shows…and I’m from his hometown! I go to bed early, so that’s why. I hve heard he can be very mean-spirited and guests can be nervous coming on his show… but, I read an article once where if you are from Indiana, particularly Indianapolis and on his show, he was quite kind and never made you look the fool.
Loved the Kimmel and Fallon tributes to Dave on their shows…the tears!!! Especially Kimmel’s.