Best Musical Moments of The Late Show With David Letterman

J.Cole, Will Smith, Lauryn Hill and more have hit the stage.

Lettermen is Leaving - After more than 30 years of owning latenight television, David Letterman has announced that he will be retiring in 2015 from his Emmy Award-winning show The Late Show with David Letterman. The show will be missed. During it's run, Letterman has had some of the greatest names in music grace his stage. From Lady Gaga's latest surprise concert to James Brown's iconic 1982 performance, keep reading for a look at the best musical performances of the Late Show. —Dominique Zonyeé (@DominiqueZonyee)(Photo: Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS via Getty Images)
James Brown - "Get up and party, get up and party," is what the "Godfather of Soul" shouted to the audience before his brilliant 1982 performance in the first season of the Late Show. His iconic permed bob laid to perfection, blue suit pressed and backed by a band of horns, strings, percussion and more James Brown vibrantly belted out his hits: "Sex Machine," "I Got the Feeling," and "There Was a Time." The 13 minute jam session featured a piano solo from Brown, his one of a kind dance moves and crowd interaction, which would have made you think it was Late Night with James Brown.(Photo: CBS Television)
Whitney Houston - Letterman had a history of providing a platform for up and coming artists, who were on their way to becoming some of the biggest names in music. In 1985, Whitney Houston released her debut album Whitney, which featured her hit single "Saving All My Love." She was already gaining notoriety for her unprecedented vocals, but her career peaked after she performed the song on the Late Show that same year.(Photo: Joel Ryan/AP Photo, file)Will Smith - One of hip hop's most iconic songs, Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff’s "Summertime," may have come out in 1991, but more than 20 years later Smith proved he could still "sit back and unwind" with an impromptu performance of his Grammy Award-winning hit. Paul Shaffer and the band welcomed Smith to the show by playing the '90's classic, inspiring Big Willie to grab a mic and take a blast to the past.(Photo: PacificCoastNews.com)

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Lettermen is Leaving - After more than 30 years of owning latenight television, David Letterman has announced that he will be retiring in 2015 from his Emmy Award-winning show The Late Show with David Letterman. The show will be missed. During it's run, Letterman has had some of the greatest names in music grace his stage. From Lady Gaga's latest surprise concert to James Brown's iconic 1982 performance, keep reading for a look at the best musical performances of the Late Show. —Dominique Zonyeé (@DominiqueZonyee)(Photo: Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS via Getty Images)

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