Editing The Tonight Show (section)

==Music and announcers==
[[File:Ernie kovacs 1956.JPG|right|thumb|[[Ernie Kovacs]], regular substitute host during the Steve Allen era.]]
[[File:Jack Paar Hugh Downs Jose Melis Jack Paar Tonight Show 1960.JPG|right|thumb|Host Jack Paar, announcer/sidekick [[Hugh Downs]], and bandleader [[Jose Melis]] during the Paar era.]]
[[File:Paar and cavett 1973.JPG|right|thumb|[[Dick Cavett]] and [[Jack Paar]], 1973]]
Music during the show's introduction and commercial [[segue]]s is supplied by [[The Tonight Show Band]]. This ensemble was a jazz [[big band]] until the end of Johnny Carson's tenure. [[Skitch Henderson]] was the [[bandleader]] during the Steve Allen and early Carson years, followed briefly by [[Milton DeLugg]] (who had previously led the band on ''[[Broadway Open House]]'' and later became the musical director of ''[[The Gong Show]]''). [[Gene Rayburn]] served as Allen's announcer and sidekick and also guest-hosted some episodes all the way through the early part of Carson's run. The [[Lou Stein]] Trio originally provided musical accompaniment during the short run of ''Tonight! America After Dark'', which ran for six months between the Steve Allen/Ernie Kovacs and Jack Paar eras of ''The Tonight Show'', and was later replaced by the [[Mort Lindsey]] Quartet, which in turn, was replaced by the [[Johnny Guarnieri]] Quartet. [[José Melis]] led the band for Jack Paar, and, after a short while of using comic actor [[Franklin Pangborn]], [[Hugh Downs]] was Paar's announcer. For most of Johnny Carson's run on the show, the show's band, then called "[[The Tonight Show Band|The NBC Orchestra]]" was led by [[Doc Severinsen]], former trumpet soloist in Henderson's band for Steve Allen.

When McMahon was away from the show, Severinsen was the substitute announcer and [[Tommy Newsom]] would lead the band. (Newsom also took over when Severinsen was absent from the show.) On the rare occasions that both McMahon ''and'' Severinsen were away, Newsom would take the announcer's chair and the band would be led by assistant musical director Shelly Cohen.

Severinsen's big band featured several accomplished sidemen in addition to saxophonist Newsom, including trumpeter [[Snooky Young]], pianist [[Ross Tompkins]], drummer [[Ed Shaughnessy]], trumpeter John Audino, trumpeter [[Conte Candoli]], saxophonist [[Pete Christlieb]], and jazz trumpet legend [[Clark Terry]]. The band frequently appeared on camera in the "Stump the Band" segments, where an audience member would dare the band to play some obscure song title, and the band would comically improvise something appropriate. The routine was played for full comedy value and the band was not really expected to know the songs; on two occasions the band did answer correctly, much to the maestro's surprise. Severinsen was heard to ask incredulously, "You mean we ''actually''...?"

When Carson's tenure ended in 1992, the orchestra was axed and replaced by a smaller ensemble. The first bandleader during Leno's tenure was [[Branford Marsalis]]. In 1992, The Tonight Show Band also welcomed its first female member, [[Vicki Randle]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Who's that lady? |date=March 16, 2008 |url=https://www.tulsaworld.com/archive/who-s-that-lady/article_db74b65b-df05-534f-a40e-74c5cbc9b1a4.html |newspaper=[[Tulsa World]] |last=Heldenfels |first=R.D. |agency=McClatchy-Tribune Information Services}}</ref> In 1995, [[Kevin Eubanks]] replaced Marsalis, though the Marsalis-written theme was used throughout Leno's first tenure. On March 29, 2004, [[John Melendez]] from ''[[The Howard Stern Show]]'' replaced Leno's long-time announcer [[Edd Hall]].

Conan O'Brien announced on the February 18, 2009, episode of ''[[Late Night (franchise)|Late Night]]'' that [[The Max Weinberg 7]] (rechristened as The Tonight Show Band, and adding a second percussionist), the house band on that program, would be accompanying him to ''The Tonight Show'' as his version's house band. It was announced February 23, 2009, that former ''Late Night'' sidekick [[Andy Richter]] would be O'Brien's announcer. Richter replaced O'Brien's former long-time announcer [[Joel Godard]] (who stayed behind in New York) when his rendition of ''The Tonight Show'' began.

For the second incarnation of ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', a new bandleader was selected, though original bandleader Kevin Eubanks returned for a few weeks in the transition. He officially announced his departure after 18 years on April 12, 2010, with his final episode airing May 28. [[Rickey Minor]] was announced as his replacement, and took over on June 7. The show also inaugurated a new theme tune composed by Minor.

With the return of Leno's ''Tonight Show'' in March 2010, Melendez continued in the writing role, which he was assigned to on the prime-time ''The Jay Leno Show'', although the announcing duty went to [[Wally Wingert]].

Jimmy Fallon began hosting ''The Tonight Show'' on February 17, 2014; his house band on ''Late Night'', [[The Roots]], joined him, as did announcer [[Steve Higgins]].  Fallon has used guest hosts rarely, co-hosting the April 9th, 2018, broadcast with [[Cardi B]], [[Kevin Hart]] co-hosting the September 19, 2018, broadcast, [[Dave Grohl]] co-hosting the May 24, 2021, broadcast, [[Jimmy Kimmel]] hosting the April 1, 2022, broadcast (with Fallon swapping duties to guest host ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live!]]''), [[Shawn Mendes]] co-hosting the April 29, 2022, broadcast, [[Megan Thee Stallion]] co-hosting the August 11, 2022, broadcast, [[Demi Lovato]] co-hosting the August 17, 2022, broadcast, [[Jack Harlow]] co-hosting the October 6, 2022, broadcast and [[Bad Bunny]] co-hosting the January 13, 2025, broadcast.