LETTERMAN MEMORIES!

SOME MEMORIES ABOUT DAVID LETTERMAN AND THE LATE SHOW STAFF!

It seems appropriate that when David Letterman takes the stage for the final show tonight that I will be sitting next to the man who introduced me to everyone on the show and who has become a life long friend. Corky Ramirez was Dave's stage manager along with Biff Henderson for years, before that he was Dan Rather's stage manager on the CBS evening news, when David came over to CBS from NBC, Corky moved to The Late Show With David Letterman​. We met decades ago at Zuni Cafe when The Late Show came to do a week of shows in San Francisco at Palace of Fine Arts​! It was the hottest ticket in town and Corky, Biff, Gretchen and I went to dinner and they invited us to the show, I met everyone, hung out back stage and had a ball. Then we all went drinking to Owl Bar near Union Square!

Before moving to NYC 4 years ago part time, I would go to the show and sit either in the Green Room with huge celebrities and their handlers or in the audience, and it was an interesting perspective to get on a show I enjoyed watching often. I would go to rehearsals and pre-show production and I would sit in the audience just like thousands of others and all of you at home and enjoy. I was even on camera twice LOL.

On one segment shot in Dave's office I noticed there was no real art on the walls. So two weeks later I mailed Dave 6 posters I had designed for various clients at Reflectur​, with a note reading, "Really? No art of the walls? This should help!" two weeks later my assistant said David Letterman's office was on the phone calling me with a personal thank you. Six months after that I was in Kansas City and knowing I was going to the show in NYC the following week I went around town and bought my 8-10 favorite BBQ Sauces and took them to Dave, Paul, Alan the announcer, Corky, Biff, Franky and one of the producers. Dave ended up making that part of his first segment monologue saying something like. "Paul you know what time it is? It's Summertime and that means Grilling and BBQ's. And you know what makes great BBQ? It's all about the Sauce!" I was laughing so hard as I sat in the audience still holding 4 more bottles for other crew members.

I'm grateful for my friendships on the show, I am grateful to have had the good fortune to experience The Late Show with David Letterman and his team so many times. I am grateful for the times they got tickets for my family and friends who were in town and trust me that was no easy ticket to get.

As a producer/director, I have always been so impressed with how tight that show is, how powerfully talented the CBS Orchestra​ is, and how Paul Shaffer​ and Dave have had such an amazing on screen chemistry for over 30 years. David Letterman will be missed, his staff and crew will be missed, and we are all a little richer for having his voice, wit, charm and intelligence on our airways for so many years, and for having this amazing band and crew assembled for our entertainment night after night.

Tonight we'll be toasting in New York as we watch their final show! Cheers to a record run and a show so well written, produced, directed and executed!

KUDO'S TO ALL!