More troubles for Jay Leno continue to abound. It was announced in the Hollywood Reporter that Leno’s longtime bandleader, Kevin Eubanks, would be making an exit from the new, revamped version of the Tonight show when Leno’s incarnation returns on March 1.
Also parting ways with the Tonight show crew is announcer John Melendez, although Eubanks will appear on the debut episode and Melendez is expected to continue on with Jay Leno as a writer.
Back in 1995, Jay’s first band leader Branford Marsalis left the show, saying that he was tired of going along with the host’s lame jokes. “The job of musical director I found out later was just to kiss the ass of the host, and I ain’t no ass kisser,” Marsalis said at the time.
At the time, The Critic (starring Jon Lovitz) hilariously captured their relationship on an episode. Judd Apatow, who was a writer on the show, voiced Leno. Check it out below.
