David Letterman says farewell after 3 decades of late-night entertainment

Accompanied by prominent television personalities and a plethora of memories from his illustrious threedecadelong career, David Letterman bid farewell in his final episode on Wednesday night, leaving his desk as on one of the most iconic latenight talk show hosts in U.S. television history.

Letterman, 68, began “The Late Show” on NBC network on Feb. 1, 1982, which then moved in 1993 to CBS and ran for 6,028 episodes.

Irreverent, with a sense of humor which he used even when undergoing openheart surgery in January 2000, Letterman ended his career as one of the leading figures of television amidst fierce competition.

In his last episode, which carried on until after midnight, Letterman dropped no hints about what he might do next, but instead jested, “By God, I hope to become the new face of Scientology.”

Dressed in a dark suit and a blue tie, Letterman opened the program with a prerecorded sketch in which he appears with U.S. President Barack Obama who said: “Our long national nightmare is over: Letterman is retiring.”

Former U.S. presidents including Gerald Ford, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton also took part in the sendoff clip.

Supported by band leader and music director Paul Shaffer, a trusty sidekick for many years, David Letterman brought on old friends and prominent television celebrities as guests for the final show.

They were called on stage to divulge the “things I’ve always wanted to say to Dave,” with responses ranging from ribcracking to tearjerking.

“Thanks for finally proving men can be funny,” famous actress and comedian Tina Fey blasted.

“Dave, I’ll never have the money I owe you,” actor Bill Murray said, one of the program’s loyalists.

The show was attended by actors such as Alec Baldwin, Steve Martin, Jim Carey, Jerry Seinfeld and Julia LouisDreyfus, while was also graved with the presence of famous personalities like journalist Barbara Walters and football star Peyton Manning.

The last show included clips from old episodes, and a segment on the normal work day in the life of Letterman.

In his long television career, David Letterman has interviewed a total of 19,932 personalities, CBS said.

The closing musical act was entrusted to the Foo Fighters, who played for him the same song they played 15 years ago upon his return to the show after lifethreatening heart surgery.

Letterman leaves an indelible mark on U.S. television, according to critics, similar to the stature of his mentor Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, all pillars of U.S. latenight television.

In September, Letterman will be replaced by political satirist Stephen Colbert, who will take over for the show’s new season.

Letterman wished his successor good luck, and thanked the crew who had supported him for so many years.

David Letterman said goodbye with his famous closing words: “Thank you, and good night.”