The Roots left Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show earlier this month, and many wonder where they went and whether they will return.
The Tonight Show house band has worked with Fallon since before he took over the Tonight Show brand in 2014, appearing on his previous late-night talk show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, from 2009 to 2014.
In their more than 15 years working together, The Roots and Fallon have become nearly inseparable on TV. The band is a key part of Fallon's live show, providing backing music to his many musical bits, playing gusts on and off the stage, and soundtracking the show's official theme song.
Where Are The Roots? What Happened That Caused Their Jimmy Fallon Absence
For much of February, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon's house band, The Roots, has been missing.
Many fans watching the series questioned if host Jimmy Fallon and the New York-based hip-hop group had a falling out or if perhaps their contract had not been renewed and their time on the series was over.
Thankfully, neither seems to be the case, and the band's absence from the late-night staple appears temporary.
According to reporting from Billboard, The Roots have taken the week of February 10 off to prepare for their role in the upcoming SNL 50th anniversary concert.
In their stead, the longtime Late Show With David Letterman musical director Paul Shaffer (who led the Letterman's house band from 1982 to 2015) returned to late-night TV, serving as the weekly temporary band leader.
The Roots are set to be one of several big-name performers at SNL50: The Homecoming Concert, airing on NBC and Peacock on Friday, February 14.
Fallon himself will host the live-streamed event. It will include performances from mega music stars like Lady Gaga, Mumford & Sons, The B-52, David Byrne, and many more in a stacked lineup set to honor the musical legacy of Saturday Night Live (via The Hollywood Reporter).
The Roots drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson has already gotten in on the SNL 50th anniversary action, co-directing the made-for-TV documentary Ladies & Gentlemen…50 Years of SNL Music, available on Peacock.
The SNL 50th anniversary festivities continue with a special anniversary episode on Sunday, February 16 (which will feature returning alumni as well as members of the current SNL cast).
Will The Roots Ever Leave The Tonight Show?
After nearly two decades of working together, The Roots and Jimmy Fallon feel like they will never part ways.
While The Roots' contract situation at NBC has not been publicly disclosed, Fallon has signed on to continue hosting The Tonight Show at least through 2028. This likely means The Roots will continue to contribute their musical talents to the late-night staple.
The only things that could potentially hinder The Roots' future on the series are its members getting sick of each other or the show impeding their other creative ventures; however, that does not look like it is bound to happen anytime soon.
The band seems to balance The Tonight Show with their other projects.
Drummer Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, specifically, launched a directing career while working on the late-night show, producing movies like Summer of Soul and the upcoming Sly and the Family Stone documentary Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius).
Questlove was even in line to direct a live-action Aristocats for Disney, but that project has seemingly gone quiet over recent years.
Also, according to Thompson, appearing as The Tonight Show's house band has brought the group closer (via PhillyVoice).
He said that before they took on their long-running TV gig, The Roots started to feel like "just nine strangers that play the same songs every night," but joining Fallon's late-night ventures helped them rekindle their friendship.
After the brief hiatus (which is not much of a hiatus at all), The Roots will be back rocking the Tonight Show stage, just as they were before.
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on NBC before streaming on Peacock the next day.
