--- title: In Honor of Letterman's Last Show, Watch a Famous Late-Night Farewell description: Bette Midler sang to Johnny Carson on his penultimate 'Tonight Show' episode canonical: https://time.com/3891091/late-night-farewell-carson-letterman/ author: Esther Zuckerman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-20T18:53:47.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T05:03:23.560Z article:section: History og:title: In Honor of Letterman's Last Show, Watch a Famous Late-Night Farewell og:description: One more for the road og:url: https://time.com/3891091/late-night-farewell-carson-letterman/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltddaccae5cd49c61c/698850f655a85972c3a8c1c7/1408713891.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: In Honor of Letterman's Last Show, Watch a Famous Late-Night Farewell twitter:description: One more for the road twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltddaccae5cd49c61c/698850f655a85972c3a8c1c7/1408713891.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Watch the Most Famous Late-Night TV Goodbye Ever by [Esther Zuckerman](https://time.com/author/esther-zuckerman/) ## Esther Zuckerman Zuckerman is a contributor for TIME. May 20, 2015 6:53 PM UTC  THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON -- Episode -- Pictured: Musical guest Bette Midler performing on May 21, 1992 -- Photo by: Alice S. Hall/NBCU Photo Bank THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON -- Episode -- Pictured: Musical guest Bette Midler performing on May 21, 1992 -- Photo by: Alice S. Hall/NBCU Photo BankNBC—NBC via Getty Images by [Esther Zuckerman](https://time.com/author/esther-zuckerman/) ## Esther Zuckerman Zuckerman is a contributor for TIME. May 20, 2015 6:53 PM UTC While the final installment of _The_ _Late Show with David Letterman_ has yet to take place, Bill Murray was likely Letterman’s Bette Midler. During the second-to-last show of Letterman’s run on CBS, Murray made a [cake-covered appearance](http://time.com/3890421/david-letterman-bill-murray-cake/) for the ages. And when television stalwart Johnny Carson retired 23 years ago, Midler, below, famously appeared on the second-to-last episode of his program, _The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson_, ending that show with a rendition of “One for My Baby (and One More for the Road).” In assessing Carson’s final shows, TIME [wrote](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,975622,00.html): “The sentimental high point came on Thursday night, when Carson’s final guest, Bette Midler, plied him with musical tributes, closing the show with a rendition of One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) as the camera showed Carson looking on, misty-eyed.” Of course, Midler’s appearance wasn’t the end of Carson. For his final episode, he did without the guests, instead choosing to reflect on his past with the show. But he closed with those famous words, which TIME also chose to close out its [review](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,975622,00.html) of the episode: --- > “” --- If Murray was Letterman’s Midler, on Wednesday night we’ll find out what Letterman’s “heartfelt good-night” be. **_Read more:_**[_Stephen Colbert, David Letterman and the History of Late-Night Torch Passing_](http://time.com/3599738/stephen-colbert-report-david-letterman-late-show/) ### Late Night Before Letterman  The Tonight Show starring Steve Allen: (l-r center) Jayne Meadows, Steve Allen (2nd left) Skitch Henderson (4th row right) Patricia Marshall (5th row l-r) Pat Kirby, Eydie Gorme (top row l-r) Andy Williams and Steve Lawrence, in 1955 NBC/NBCU Photo Bank—Getty Images  The Tonight Show starring Steve Allen, on July 1, 1956: Andy Griffith, Steve Allen, and Elvis Presley (l-r) perform a parody of a Country-Western television show NBC/NBCU Photo Bank—Getty Images  'The Steve Allen Show' circa 1957. Archive Photos—Getty Images  The Tonight Show with Jack Parr: Season 1's (l-r) Tedi Thurman, host Jack Paar, Fran Warren, Johnny Johnson, Mary Mayo, Jose Melis NBC/NBCU Photo Bank—Getty Images  The Tonight Show with Jack Parr: John F. Kennedy (r) on the show in 1962 NBC/NBCU Photo Bank—Getty Images  The Tonight Show with Jack Parr, 1962: (l-r) Jack Paar, Hugh Downs, Jose Melis. NBC/NBCU Photo Bank—Getty Images  The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson: (l-r) Ed McMahon, host Johnny Carson during the first show on Oct. 1, 1962 . NBC/NBCU Photo Bank—Getty Images  The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson: Host Johnny Carson in his office in March of 1965. Bob Ganley/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank—Getty Images  The Joey Bishop Show: (l-r) Regis Philbin, Joey Bishop and Jack Benney in 1968. ABC Photo Archives/ABC—Getty Images  The Merv Griffin Show: Merv Griffin (R) interviewing actor Marlon Brando in 1968. Arthur Schatz—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Merv Griffin warming up the audience before the show, 1969. Michael Ochs Archives—Getty Images  The Dick Cavett Show: The host on May 2, 1969. ABC Photo Archives/ABC—Getty Images  The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson: (l-r) Announcer Ed McMahon and host Johnny Carson, as Carnac the Magnificent, on Nov. 17, 1970. NBC/NBCU Photo Bank—Getty Images  The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson: (l-r) Boxers Ken Norton and Muhammad Ali, with host Johnny Carson, in 1973 NBC/NBCU Photo Bank—Getty Images  The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson: (l-r) Comedian Jay Leno during an interview with guest host David Letterman on July 4, 1979. NBC/NBCU Photo Bank—Getty Images  The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson: (l-r) Announcer Ed McMahon, actor Robin Williams and host Johnny Carson on Oct. 14, 1981. Gene Arias/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank—Getty Images  The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson: (l-r) David Letterman is interviewed by Johnny Carson on Jan. 2, 1981. Gene Arias/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank—Getty Images  Comedian and late night television host, David Letterman, warms up his NBC studio audience prior to the taping of his television show at Rockefeller Center in New York City in 1982. 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