SOMETHING I REALLY WANT TO SAY. AS HARD AS WE HAVE WORKED TO

MAKE IT TO THIS DAY, THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD BE HERE RIGHT NOW IF

NOT FOR THE MAN WHO GRACED THIS STAGE FOR 22 YEARS.

I'M TALKING, OF COURSE, ABOUT, I'M TALKING, OF COURSE, ABOUT,

BIFF HENDERSON, A LEGEND OF STAGE MANAGING.

BUT IN LARGER SENSE, PERHAPS I SHOULD BE THANKING HIS BOSS,

DAVID LETTERMAN. ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )

I... I AM A FIRST GENERATION

LETTERMAN FAN. I STARTED COLLEGE THE SAME YEAR

DAVE STARTED IN LATE NIGHT, AND, NOT HAVING THE FULLEST SOCIAL

CALENDAR, I WAS FREQUENTLY AVAILABLE FOR DAVE AT 12:30.

I JUST WANT TO SAY IT IS POSSIBLE TO LOSE SIGHT OF HOW

MUCH DAVE CHANGED COMEDY. THE COMEDY LANDSCAPE IS SO

THICKLY PLANTED WITH THE FOREST OF DAVE'S IDEAS THAT WE

SOMETIMES NEED TO REMIND OURSELVES JUST HOW TALL HE

STANDS. SO JUST FOR THE RECORD, I'M NOT

REPLACING DAVID LETTERMAN. HIS CREATIVE LEGACY IS A HIGH

PENCIL MARK ON A DOOR FRAME THAT WE ALL HAVE TO MEASURE OURSELVES

AGAINST. BUT WE WILL TRY TO HONOR HIS

ACHIEVEMENT BY DOING THE BEST SHOW WE CAN AND OCCASIONALLY,

MAKING THE NETWORK VERY MAD AT US.

>> LET'S GO. >> ONE SECOND.

( APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THANK YOU THANK

YOU. I UNDERSTAND.

I UNDERSTAND. I REMEMBER.