David Letterman is in his final weeks as the host of The Late Show. Now the final guest list for the show's final 28 episodes have been revealed, Entertainment Weekly reports. On the music side of things, guests include Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Iron & Wine, Tracy Chapman and Mumford & Sons, among others.
Other notable entertainers stopping by the Late Show's final stretch include Oprah Winfrey, Tom Hanks, Steve Martin, Scarlett Johansson, Tina Fey, Howard Stern, Billy Crystal, George Clooney, Alec Baldwin, Robert Downey Jr., Will Ferrell, Michael J. Fox, Amy Sedaris, Kevin James, Tom Dreesen, Michael Keaton, Julia Roberts, Ray Romano, Paul Rudd, Jerry Seinfeld, Martin Short, John Travolta, Bruce Willis, and more.
Letterman, the longest-running host in late night, announced last year that he would be retiring from his post.
"I just want to reiterate my thanks for the support from the network, all of the people who have worked here, all of the people in the theater, all the people on the staff, everybody at home, thank you very much," he said upon announcing his retirement. "What this means now, is that Paul and I can be married. We don't have the timetable for this precisely down - I think it will be at least a year or so, but sometime in the not too distant future, 2015 for the love of God, in fact, Paul and I will be wrapping things up."
Letterman's final broadcast will air Wednesday, May 20 at 11:35 p.m. EST on CBS. Stephen Colbert will then be taking over as host.
Meanwhile labels are beginning to shy away from putting their artists on late night talk shows, claiming that the payoff isn't worth the expense. According a Billboard report, it costs at least $25,000 for an entry-level band to appear, and often more. A major event such as Van Halen's epic seven-song set on Kimmel, which took place right on Hollywood Boulevard, cost $400,000 to stage.
It will be interesting to see how the late night format changes in the coming year.
What do you think of Letterman's final guest list? Who else do you wish would appear on the show before he leaves? Sound off in the comments section below!
