The old song goes "It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to." However, in David Letterman's case, CBS is clearly saying, "It's his party, and absolutely everyone who matters in the entertainment business is going to show up."
After 33 years of being both a hilarious comedian as well as a respected interviewer - something hard to come by in late-night television these days - Letterman will turn off his microphone for the last time on May 20th. But if CBS has its way, you won't be missing a single episode leading up to the finale.
Yesterday, Worldwide Pants Incorporated, the company which produces Letterman's Late Show, released the names of many of the guests who will appear with the 68 year old at the Ed Sullivan theater in New York City.
Among the names are a who's who of both past and present celebrities. The list includes Tom Hanks, Will Ferrell, Oprah Winfrey, Julia Roberts, Billy Crystal, Don Rickles, Michael Keaton, Tina Fey, and Bill Murray.
The most surprising announcement, however, came when Worldwide Pants released the names of some of Letterman's final musical acts. Among the stars who will perform are Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, John Mayer, Mumford & Sons, and the elusive Johnny Cash, who has kept a low profile for over a decade.
Cash, 83, has not performed publicly since July 5, 2003 at The Carter Family Fold, but according to Time magazine, he "jumped at the chance to support his long-time friend, Mr. Letterman."
The news sent shockwaves throughout the music industry, and was a trending topic on Twitter yesterday as fans, who presumed the Man In Black was deceased, woke up to the announcement.
The popular singer of hits such as I Walk The Line, Folsom Prison Blues, and Ring of Fire was initially thought to have succumbed to complications from diabetes in September 2003. However, many long-time fans questioned the story as Cash continued to release several new albums in subsequent years. In 2006, three years after his supposed death, the Arkansas native released A Hundred Highways, the fifth in his highly successful American Recordings series, produced by Rick Rubin. Then in 2010, a seventh album, Ain't No Grave, was released. Cash, who came to stardom through Sun Records in the 1950's, rejuvenated his career in 2002 with his popular cover of the Nine Inch Nails song Hurt.
"Johnny continues to write prolifically and still insists on holding weekly recording sessions," said Rubin in an interview with the Sentinel Dispatch. "The man has the energy of someone half his age, and he's excited about performing for his fans again on the Late Show."
From Our New York City Bureau