Bruce Springsteen surprised viewers when he teamed up with Jimmy to deliver a folksy cover of “Whip My Hair.” (Photo property of NBC’s Lloyd Bishop.)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
After five years of hosting Late Night, Jimmy Fallon will say “adieu” to Late Night and will make his way over to the Tonight Show!
One of my favorite segments from this incarnation of Late Night was the musical collaborations that Jimmy (and at time…the Roots) did with a diverse group of guests. Here are some of my all-time favorite moments:
“Whip My Hair” with Bruce Springsteen
Two years ago, Jimmy performed an acoustic version of Willow Smith’s signature song as Neil Young. However, the real fun started when the Boss showed up and dueted with Fallon as himself circa the 1970s.
“Call Me Maybe” with Carly Rae Jepsen
Canadian superstar Carly Rae Jepsen teamed up with Jimmy and the Roots for a special cover of “Call Me Maybe.” The Late Night crew accompanied Ms. Jepsen with elementary school instruments. This theme would carry over in a couple of other collaborations.
Mariah Carey dropped by “Late Night” for some holiday merriment! (Photo property of NBC’s Lloyd Bishop)
“All I Want For Christmas Is You” with Mariah Carey
The R&B Diva belted out her Christmas classic with Jimmy and the Roots for a special holiday edition of classroom instruments.
“Blurred Lines” with Robin Thicke
Not all of the classroom instruments segments had squeaky-clean songs. When Robin Thicke stopped by the show this past summer, Jimmy and the Roots infused their fan-favorite segment with Thicke’s naughty jam.
“Sesame Street” with the Sesame Street Muppets
One of the most sentimental classroom instruments segments was when Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Elmo and the gang visited Rockefeller Center in September. With over 3,500,000 views, it remains one of the more popular cover performances in Late Night history.
Christina Aguilera teamed up with Jimmy and the Roots for an intriguing take of “Your Body.” (Photo property of NBC’s Lloyd Bishop)
“Your Body” with Christina Aguilera
Jimmy and the Roots proved that they could turn office supplies into music when Voice coach Christina Aguilera stopped by the show! Xtina’s brilliant vocals and Fallon’s surprising dance moves made everyone smile.
“We Can’t Stop” with Miley Cyrus
While the former Hannah Montana star made controversial decisions in 2013, she proved to her haters that she has amazing voice. It was also awesome to see the Roots and Jimmy perform a cappella.
“SexyBack” with Justin Timberlake & The Ragtime Gals
Another memorable a cappella performance was when Jimmy collaborated with the Ragtime Gals and longtime friend Justin Timberlake last March. They put a barbershop quartet twist on JT’s hit that made the audience roar in approval.
President Obama became the first US President to “Slow Jam the News” with Jimmy Fallon. (Photo property of NBC’s Lloyd Bishop)
“Slow Jam the News” with President Barack Obama
President Obama surprised the University of North Carolina audience when Jimmy took Late Night at Chapel Hill. This performance was our generation’s version of former President Bill Clinton playing his saxophone on the Arsenio Hall Show.
“Cecilia” with Paul Simon & the Cast of “STOMP”
The cast of STOMP infused their street rhythm with Paul Simon and Jimmy Fallon’s impeccable guitar playing. From the superb choreography to the brilliant vocals, this performance gave viewers chills.
Sir Paul McCartney and Jimmy Fallon delivered a delightful parody of “Yesterday.” (Photo property of NBC’s Lloyd Bishop)
“Scrambled Eggs” with Sir Paul McCartney
I think hands down the best moment from Jimmy Fallon’s run on Late Night was his collaboration with Sir Paul McCartney! This was a touching moment and I think this was one of Jimmy’s most vulnerable performances because he was performing one of his favorite music legends.
I do not own any of the clips that are featured in the article! They belong to NBC.
