A Christmas visit from Darlene Love is set to become a cherished annual tradition for fans of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Following in the footsteps of late-night icon David Letterman, Jimmy Fallon has invited Love to perform a holiday classic next week, marking her third appearance on the show.
On Thursday, December 18, Love will take the stage to sing “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” with the accompaniment of Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul, led by her longtime collaborator Steven Van Zandt, as well as the beloved Paul Shaffer, who has been a fixture of late-night music for decades.
Overjoyed by the opportunity, Love took to social media to share her enthusiasm, stating, “I’m soooooo excited to announce that I’ve been invited back to perform my #1 holiday classic.” She expressed her eagerness to bring “the holiday magic back to Fallon” and emphasized the joy she experiences during these performances.
This upcoming appearance will also mark a significant return for Shaffer, who last performed on The Tonight Show during a week-long substitute stint as bandleader back in February. Love’s connection to the performance of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” goes back to 1986, when she first sang it on Letterman’s NBC show. It evolved into an annual event during Letterman’s tenure at CBS, where she would grace the stage nearly every December from 1994 until his retirement.
While the tradition momentarily faded after Letterman’s exit from The Late Show, he revived it on his YouTube channel earlier this year. In early 2024, Love had expressed her desire to continue the tradition on The Tonight Show but felt she was receiving “the runaround” from the NBC program. However, later that year, she received an invitation to perform the song live for the first time in the show’s studio.
In an exciting twist, this year’s performance placement comes as Love will be featured on the last episode of The Tonight Show before Christmas—the same coveted scheduling she enjoyed throughout her tradition with Letterman. Last year, the show celebrated the holiday season with Fallon and The Roots, who performed “Hey Rudy” from his holiday album, Holiday Seasoning.
While Love is confirmed to perform her iconic holiday song, there’s a possibility that she may include another festive tune. Her appearance coincides with the 20th anniversary of the classic Saturday Night Live short “Christmastime for the Jews,” for which Love provided vocals. Earlier this summer, she hinted at the idea of celebrating the occasion with a live performance on either SNL or The Tonight Show.
“I’m 83, tomorrow isn’t promised, but today I’m alive, healthy, and still blessed with the voice and the passion to perform,” she remarked previously, issuing a heartfelt call to make this anniversary unforgettable.
