THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

THANKS SO MUCH.

>> STEPHEN!

STEPHEN!

STEPHEN!

STEPHEN!

STEPHEN!

STEPHEN!

STEPHEN!

STEPHEN.

>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) THANK YOU SO MUCH.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'VE GOT TO-- FOLKS, I GOTTA TELL YOU,

ONE QUICK THING, ONE QUICK THING.

I KNOW WE'VE GOT A BIG SHOW TO DO TONIGHT, BUT ONE THING BEFORE

WE GET STARTED, THERE WAS SOME BIG NEWS LAST WEEK THAT SLIPPED

THROUGH MY NEWS CRACK, AND IT CONCERNS SOMEONE I'VE ADMIRED

FOR YEARS, AND YET SURPRISINGLY IS NOT ME.

I'M TALKING ABOUT DAVID LETTERMAN, WHO LAST THURSDAY

NIGHT ANNOUNCED HIS RETIREMENT.

AND I AM GOING TO MISS THIS GOOD MAN.

DAVE HAS BEEN ON THE AIR MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE, "LATE NIGHT"

DEBUTED MY FIRST YEAR IN COLLEGE.

I LEARNED MORE FROM WATCHING DAVE THAN I DID FROM GOING TO MY

CLASSES.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ).

ESPECIALLY-- ESPECIALLY THE ONES I DID NOT GO TO BECAUSE I HAD

STAYED UP UNTIL 1:30 WATCHING DAVE.

( APPLAUSE ) THIS MAN HAS INFLUENCED EVERY

HOST WHO CAME AFTER HIM, AND EVEN A FEW WHO CAME BEFORE HIM.

HE'S THAT GOOD.

( LAUGHTER ) AND I GOTTA TELL YOU, I DO NOT

ENVY WHOEVER THEY TRY TO PUT IN THAT CHAIR.

( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> STEPHEN!

STEPHEN!

STEPHEN!

STEPHEN!

STEPHEN!

STEPHEN!

STEPHEN!

STEPHEN!>> Stephen: FOLKS, FOLKS,

THOSE ARE SOME HUGE SHOES TO FILL, AND SOME REALLY BIG PANTS.