The veteran singer, who had performed the classic on the show in the past 28 years, has stated that she will not continue the longtime tradition on any other late-night TV shows.
- Dec 22, 2014
AceShowbiz - For nearly three decades, Darlene Love's Christmas present to everyone has been her performance of the classic "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the "Late Show with David Letterman". As the chat show is coming to an end, the singer appeared on the "Late Show" stage for the last time on Friday night, December 19.
Dressing in a red gown, Love was joined by several backing vocalists who also donned red dresses, a band whose members were all clad in white suits and Letterman's longtime house conductor Paul Shaffer. Midway through the song, she climbed atop a grand piano and continued singing as fake snow fell.
This year marked Love's 28th time in a row to have performed the song on the show. When Letterman announced his retirement, fans were left wondering if she would continue the longtime tradition with the new "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert. Love then made it clear that she's not performing the song on any other late-night TV shows.
"People say, '[Letterman] can't demand that,' " she explained in a recent interview with the New York Times. "I say, 'He's not demanding.' I made a point myself, and I want to do it just for David."
However, it doesn't mean Love will stop performing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)". "I called Paul [Shaffer] not too long ago and said, 'Well, what are we gonna do now?' " she told Billboard. "I said, 'I think we should get together once a year and do a huge Christmas show. A Paul Shaffer-Darlene Love Christmas show somewhere in New York.' I'm sure it would sell out."
