The Letterman Archives

David Letter did over 6000 television shows. He changed TV in the process.
David Letterman did over 6000 television shows. He changed TV in the process.

Transitions: David Letterman did his last show on Wednesday, 20 May, 2015. In one of the longest runs on television, Letterman did over 6,000 shows (and remember: he taped them live) and had over 20,000 guests. An intensely private person–except for his on-air appearances–there is no reason to believe that Letterman will do stand up in Las Vegas or act as a spokesman in television commercials. He doesn’t need the money (in his final year on CBS hosting “The Late Show”, he was paid $32 Million), the acclaim (his show was nominated for 116 Emmy awards and won 16), or the  pressure of delivering an hour of topical, sharp, entertainment and commentary to a network audience 5 days a week. Take a look at the piece “Letterman by the Numbers” below to get a sense of the scale of what he produced.  He’s done his time, he set a very high standard, and he leaves the stage as one of the most innovative TV personalities and producers (like his hero, Carson, Letterman owned his own show) in media history. Before Dave moves too deep into cultural history, here’s an interesting selection of articles, reviews, tributes, and essays on David Letterman, his last show, and the incredible body of work he created. Not surprisingly, much of the material in the ClickPak below is from the press in New York, the city where Letterman hosted his show. We thank him for his efforts and wish him the very best going forward.
The David Letterman ClickPak: articles and information on the late night legend and the end of an era. 
Start out by watching the final show (if you didn’t see it on Wednesday night): 
Letterman reprise: Replay the last show  (Source: CBS.Com)
And now, the print version of his last show and career:
The Last Letterman Show  (Source: NY Times)
Looking For The Exit  (Source: NY Times)
How To Do A Final Show (Source: NY Times)
Letterman by the Numbers (Source: Variety.com)
The Best of David Letterman (Source: NY Times)
One Last Look  (Source: NY Times)
Top 10 List: How to Leave Late Night Television (Source: NY Times)
Letterman’s Top Quotes (Source: NY Times)
Conan O’Brien on David Letterman  (Source: RollingStone.com)
Sign Off: NPR on Letterman’s Exit (Source: NPR.org)
Letterman’s Long Goodbye (Source: Money.Cnn.Com)
Dave Letterman: Growing Up on TV.  (Source: nymag.com)
How David Letterman Re-Invented TV  .(Source: RollingStone.com)
The Late Night Drama of David Letterman. (Source: VanityFair.Com)
Olbermann on Letterman (Source: Deadline.com)
The Esquire Profile of David Letterman (Source: Esquire.com)
 
The Fine Print. Sources for ClickPak links are listed next to the link. All rights belong to the respective rights holders, including the logo above from Dave’s TV show. We don’t know if it’s TM or (c) or held by Worldwide Pants or Dave himself. Whatever, it’s his. Used for reference purposes only. 
 

The iWay: Apple moving into the Auto industry

According to an interview with Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, Apple is planning “an intervention” in the automobile industry. What will it be? When will it happen? Who will it disrupt? None of that is known now, but what is known is that Apple is hiring a lot of people with expertise in batteries and also with experience at Tesla. Read the story, from Cult of Mac, for more information.

B.B.King ClickPak

Resources and research into the life and music of B.B. King.
B.B. King’s Playlist (Source: Daily Beast.Com)
How I Got My Sound (B.B. King Interview in Rolling Stone) (Source: rollingstone.com)
B.B. King Passing As Reported on BBC (Source: bbc.com)
An Oral History of American Music with B.B. King  (Source: pbs.com)
The B.B. King Museum (source: bbkingmuseum.org)
B.B.King Discography and Streaming Music Index  (Source: allmusic.com)

The Weekend Concert Series: B.B. King Live in Hamburg, 1991

An older performance, Hamburg, 1991, when B.B. King was a mere 65 years old. The video is what you would expect from a concert recorded two and a half generations ago; the music is still stellar. One of the things that jumps out about this concert is that B.B. jumps right into it…..
 
The Fine Print: Embed via YouTube (thank you), originally published in April 2012.

The Weekend Concert Series: B.B. King Live in New York, by Request

A 2006 concert of B.B. King live in New York, recorded in 2003. This is the seventh concert in the Weekend Concert Series tribute to B.B. King.
 
The Fine Print: Embed via YouTube (thanks!), via Mr. SameEverynight (thank you for posting). All rights reserved by respective rights holders.This is a full length concert video (one hour and twenty-two minutes and change). 

The Weekend Concert Series: B.B. King live at The Royal Albert Hall, 2011

A recent vintage B.B. King live concert, performed at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011. He came ready to play and they came ready to listen. This is a high-def 1080P video with very good sound. In 2011, B.B. King was 85 years old. What will you be doing when you are 85? This is the sixth concert in the Weekend Concert Series tribute to B.B. King.
 
The Fine Print: Embed courtesy of YouTube (thanks) from a Jon Brewer Production in association with KingSid Ventures, Ltd. All rights reserved to their respective rights holders. Thanks to everyone involved for making this video available. 

The Weekend Concert Series: B.B. King and James Brown (live)

The One Special Night concert (1985) united B.B. King and James Brown in a special by-invitation-only concert in New York. This concert united the Godfather of Soul with the King of the Blues for a once-in-a-lifetime evening. This is the fifth show in the Weekend Concert Series tribute to B.B. King.
 
The Fine Print: Embed via YouTube( you guys are the best), via One Media Music. All rights reserved for their respective rights holders. Thanks to One Media Music for making this special concert available for all to enjoy. 

The Weekend Concert Series: B.B.King Live in Africa

Gravity Limited provided this concert video, of a young B.B. King playing Live in Africa in 1974.
 
The Fine Print. Embed via YouTube(thanks, guys) from a Gravity Limited Production. All rights owned by their respective rights holders. Special thanks to Gravity Limited for making this concert available. 

The Weekend Concert Series: B.B.King and Band at B.B. Blues Clubs (Nashville & Dallas)

A blended concert video featuring B.B. King and the B.B. King band at B.B.’s blues clubs in Nashville and Dallas, in October 2006. Terrific video and, of course, even better music.
 
 
The Fine Print. Embed made possible via YouTube (thanks, guys). All rights owned by respective artist. This video through Geffen Records, A Jim Dollarhide Production in association with King Road Shows, Inc. (special thanks to David Geffen for making it available).