Biff Henderson’s son James is not just a junior, but the third! Also a really great guy who is damn proud of his dad.

you're watching The Lettermen podcast with Mike Chisholm endorsed by the hello Deli yeah welcome once again to the Lettermen podcast as always I am Mike Chisholm as always I'm excited to be here uh hosting this retrospective uh I don't know what did you want to call it anecdotal Archive of the things that went on uh with David Letterman and Company and the ripples you know as the stone hits the water uh ripples move out and apparently they go all the way across the ocean I didn't know that but apparently that is true and that is the type of uh analogy we use to describe uh what the Letterman podcast is trying to do I got a really cool guest today I'm very very excited about this guest um for one specific reason uh I love when a son tributes a dad I really like that I've been able to do that to my father my father's gone on a pretty crazy uh mental health journey in his life and and he transformed from one type of man into another one the the one he transformed into is um significantly improved in in so many ways that I couldn't be more proud of my father I actually had a chance to tell him that on camera on our pot on my other mental health podcast and and made the man cry a couple of times and and I just I I would submit that in the right set of circumstances um all things being equal which they're not but let's just pretend for a moment they were that whenever a son contributed dad and the dad can hear that and understand that and know that um you know good work has been done that's what today's episode is so today's episode the person that is going to be on this episode is a guy by the name of James Henderson Henderson you say hmm when I think about Letterman uh there was a pretty famous Henderson yeah Biff oh my gosh the stage manager who went from the early show uh or the morning show I should say right into our hearts and lasted the entire run with Letterman obviously uh experiences and appearance appearances on the show so many moments created with Biff Henderson um the thought originally was maybe we might have Biff and uh James on his son James um you know Biff's pushing 80 right now and I don't know uh you know he's enjoying retirement he's got a couple of granddaughters he's excited about these things um and and who knows I'm not going to say that we're never gonna have Biff on but what I am going to say is uh when it was very clear that the timing wasn't right I said to James hey man please come on and he responded like he left it a couple of days and he's like okay I just want to see if you're serious uh if you're still serious okay I'll consider it very much so um I want to know what it was like being Biff's kid growing up uh he and I born around the same time I mean I want to know what it was like being in that household around that time when when when you know the big move happened um and and he really shed some light on that from a very interesting perspective a unique perspective and I love that and then here's the other part um his dad's kind of his hero and and his grandfather as well here's another thing that I love there's three lines of James uh um you know two of them don't even aren't even called that you know his grandfather and then of course Biff um known as is Biff Henderson uh and then of course James III Jamie um a lot of reverence his grandfather a great man in the in the town that that that they grew up in his father obviously renowned as well just went into his high school hall of fame how cool is that uh but uh yeah I mean we gotta we gotta we got a young man here who um his Heroes is one of his Heroes is his father and here's a chance for him to say that give us some very interesting insights as to what it was like to be Biff Henderson's son uh I'm gonna say one thing here just because it just tickles me to say it happy newish Junior uh that was uh for those who who are big big enthusiasts of the show you know exactly what I'm talking about we talk about that a little bit on the on this episode but yeah it just felt really cool to give James the um the opportunity to talk about how proud he is of his dad and I love that um I feel that way and I just feel that uh if there's any sort of love letter that the Letterman podcast can send to Biff I don't know a better one but uh on behalf of the Letterman podcast Biff we appreciate you so very very much thank you for all of the memories uh you matter very much and your contributions to the show just created the tapestry of that show I don't know if there's anybody on the crew who uh did it better than you Biff and it was just you being you and James and I talk about that as well so without uh further Ado I gotta change without further Ado right it's got to be something else I'm not sure um but I don't know I'm not smart enough to know um you know maybe I need a thesaurus to look into and to find out uh you know a phrase that is like without further Ado but but better maybe we can do a contest I don't know what's something that I can say other than without further Ado until then without further Ado James Henderson good it's not ridiculous absurd baby I mean one of these words um okay hold on okay so so you go by James um you're a junior but you're not just a junior you're James the third right I am the third uh actually my dad is Junior um and yeah I'm also my nickname is Jamie I've I've actually been everything I've been James and JJ uh I've done different iterations of my my name over the years actually when uh when Mr Letterman wrote uh an autograph to me as a child uh I was Jim so that was the first person who named Jim and uh it uh it stuck actually during my my years with my first job out of college uh I went with Jim so on printed materials so yeah uh a little bit of everything but uh James is fine um I love the idea that nobody called you Jim and Dave wrote the autograph to you to Jim like that makes a lot of sense that's right on brand um but but the idea that your dad is named James have you ever heard your dad called James does anybody call him James no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no I'm not sure that uh yeah no no no no he's always been bit like oh my God Mike oh my God this is so crazy I'm going to be excommunicated off of this this is so crazy um but no no no no no James um I don't know that he would answer to that he's always been that I guess it's been written um you know his mother's uh friend had a dream about a boy named Biff at the time that she was pregnant and you know literally since birth and it's ironic you ask about that lineage my grandfather his name um was babe so both of them got their their B first letter nicknames but uh I got Jamie so no wonder you doing this this is fantastic okay so at the time of this recording uh where sometime in 2023 how old are you at the time of this recording what am I uh they tell me I'm 45 I'm 40 45.

okay so you're uh 77.78 baby 77 yeah 77 okay I'm a 77.

got the last little bit of the summer of 77 so uh yep yep very cool yes yes sir um I I I can't wait to start talking about uh because it must have been a very interesting uh unique experience being Biff's kid in in a lot of ways um because at the end of the day he showed up his his relationship again with David Letterman in 1980 you were four years old when Biff started working on the morning show so I mean you know I want to talk a little bit about because a lot of people don't realize that that your dad had a life before he started working for 30 Rock what did your dad do uh you know in the in the in the late 60s and 70s man his his life is really um uh something I'm uh Amazed by when I hear the stories and I try to piece it together even at this stage in my life being an adult um out of uh high school or right after college he was a soldier in the Vietnam War um he spent uh you know over a year and a half or or you know a tour uh which had to be you know as a Young Man life altering um and then uh yeah he worked the American Airlines in Nashville and I believe he he came up to New York uh for some you know job opportunities and interviews and um got settled here he actually owned a uh it was a part owner of uh of a restaurant Up In Harlem called Soul stop um so I can only imagine you know the stories then and in those late 60s early 70s um but yeah somewhere along the line so he ended up like you said at 30 Rockefeller Plaza and um uh I believe a a interview maybe with with hearts or or with uh you know Corporation to chair office station not complex and uh you know the rest is history right I mean he he went to the restroom you know his legendary story some things are just divine right yeah um you know and uh you know these stories are out there that's the you know main reason why it's cool um but you know he met a gentleman by by the name of Gene Sanders uh who was a janitor uh and and uh in the bathroom and and you know kind of let him know where he was he didn't realize he was you know at NBC and uh you know made a connection or somehow and and the rest was kind of history and uh uh yeah so it does you're right though I mean as far as just you know the timeline of it over it was amazing even you know reflecting on it when the show uh production ended in night and excuse me 2015 yeah um just thinking about you know how it really reflected you know my life you know just uh you know the years of my life just watching the progression of both uh you know my father's uh collaboration and work on that show and Mr Letterman's career and you know iconic status and that sort of thing so I can't wait to talk to you more about that I love the way that you framed that uh you use the word collaboration I love collabs man I love uh one of my favorite sneakers collab with one of my favorite Brands things like that I love that I got a pair of Letterman Jordans what your dad did with uh Dave and Company was much more than just manage the stage it was a collaboration I want to get into that a little bit from your Vantage Point I'm fascinated uh what your Vantage Point is to this whole thing but before we get going here before before any of that I just want to make sure that we're not uh putting out a false narrative let's ask how's Dad right now how's Dad doing thank you for asking yeah he's really good I get you know he's enjoying uh retirement and you know he's he's he's he's he's he's he's he's repent you know and uh uh um you know I I um you know again I'm so proud of him he's um knocking on the door of uh of the big eight-o and and uh you know it's just fun to uh you know um watch you know you know the stage of of of life and time you know does he have grandkids Jamie yeah yeah yeah thank you for asking uh I am an uh an uncle uh two beautiful nieces and uh yeah you know we have a new addition so we're all very excited and that makes them so very happy which is great so yeah yeah all good oh that's fantastic I can imagine him uh I'm I'm a very young grandfather young very young very good looking grandfather there's my uh yes my granddaughters you're the most beautiful wow congratulations he's my everything she's my best friend I love it um it's and there's there's there's a unique kind of joy and love about having a granddaughter I can imagine uh the person that I saw on screen and this is where it's going to lead to a question I always assumed that uh the person that we saw on screen business Henderson your father um what you see is what you get and and and I imagine that dude being a grandfather to granddaughters and he must just be in love with that oh man yeah it's a it's a whole new Vibe and energy and pride and I think you know you know just reason for you know everything you know um so yeah it's fun to watch uh and you know I have a lot of catching up to do so oh man it's all good fantastic okay so uh springboarding into that as as kind of a question um on screen what we saw was what you get with Biff right you I mean he was just himself he wasn't a character he wasn't that that was kind of the charm about him right was that he's this kind of steadfast kind of guy what you see is what you get is that an accurate portrayal yeah and I think so much of what worked on just from my personal opinion and what does that matter but um you know that worked on that program it was what what you just described um and think about the justification again for me as a kid growing up whose father is just as normal you know as the American Dad that you can have Stern and you know just being fatherly right and uh you know um yet and still he's appearing on this program every now and again and it's just the crazy mind you know what I mean like what um but yeah I mean you know that worked and I mean it's it's literally I mean I think he described it like you know hitting the lottery but I mean you know I think that yeah him being true to himself I think him being um maybe never were not I shouldn't say never but not the butt of the joke but you know he used to say you know as long as you're not laughing at me you're laughing with me but you know the thing is the thing of it was was you know the Southern drawl and the way that you know sometimes with him and Mr Letterman interacting um you know he couldn't hear or you know these things were funny you know what I mean and and it was I don't want to say it was what it was so um I think it worked uh you know definitely no question that it worked um I mean because they they went back to the Well from the morning show all the way to 2015 they never stopped going to the well uh that was the uh the entertainment water that was Biff Henderson um always such good things now I want to ask you growing up again it's a weird perspective because you know he is you know Stern father vet um you know I mean you know and then on TV seeing this how old were you the first time somebody came up to to you and recognize the fact that your dad was on TV do you remember the first time or one of the first times you know this is all hard to put into perspective sometimes because um I mean the answer to the short answer for something like this right off the top is no I don't remember the first time or anything like that but um I remember a lot of first I remember the first time I ever saw him on television okay and and so uh you know we were in you know uh you know the place that I you know as the youngest memories that I have and I think I went with my mother to work and you know she was a New York City uh school teacher and uh you know I was always trying to perform I was a huge Michael Jackson fan just trying to dance or something and and and got into some trouble and so when Dad came it was always when Dad came home and you know the hours that they tape and anyway his schedule was through in those early years also was very it wasn't just Letterman right he did yeah space shuttles and Today's Show big sporting events so um but um yeah so he he he was down in I think Miami for the Orange Bowl and he came back and and I was getting in trouble for what I did and uh he gave it to me whatever but then afterwards he popped in this tape and it was him on the parade Trail singing like I love a parade and I thought this was like real tape like this thing aired like he was showing me something that was broadcast and it was years later that I realized that this was literally a rehearsal he was standing in like Ben Vereen or something like that but I mean he was like you know I love a parade and I was just so amazed and proud you know um and and yeah I mean uh I think the reason that I'm um that we're here talking and everything I I I'm I'm like you I mean I'm I'm just a fan man I mean really you know I grew up around it not in it by no means it's nothing to do with me uh but I'm I'm a huge I'm I'm I'm a huge fan of it you know and uh uh and a lot of it had to do with the the level of of real Pride I felt uh for for what you know my father was doing you took the words out of my mouth I was gonna ask if you were a fan because I mean um when kids who have a parent with notoriety uh whatever that notoriety may be you know it could be on a local level or all the way up to a national or International level like like like your dad um but sometimes kids will either embrace it or they'll rebel against it so I was going to ask about that so you were a fan and you are a fan of of David Letterman and Company yeah absolutely I mean to me you know uh he's The Godfather you know he's um he's this mythical uh being uh in my life person that I don't really know but I've had very very limited interactions with uh but the things that he's done in my life and for me and for my family and for my father uh is you know the the appreciation and reverence you know it can't be really stated in words so um yeah I mean you know there's this you know degree of loyalty I mean you know I was the kid going to school and you know when it was the late night Wars I mean I always would be you know a whole new flag of Dave right I mean you know just like you know this is this is the guy look at all the guys he's talked to and it was so great too about a career like that and again I was a huge Michael Jackson fan right so I love folks that have such a long body of work so I mean you know there's so much Discovery even to this day um you know with the benefit of Technology of course but you know Finding old clips from the 70s and you know the the you know TV celebrity Channel challenges or you know Dave appearing on the Jackson uh family variety hour or something I mean this is the guy you know what I mean like he goes back you know and and think of all the people through the anals of broadcast and television history that he's had the chance to sit down and talk to Desi Arnez or you know just uh Betty Davis or you know having Sammy Davis on the show uh I mean it's just it goes on and on and I mean you know he did this from you know this building this this Art Deco facility this literally the Cradle of of Television you know in in the history of humanity uh the place where radio and Marconi and uh you know where television really came to be so I mean you know within those Halls I mean the history and the folks that uh that that he followed in those footsteps and really brought it to uh you know such just you know big you know major Heights it's it's incredible so and yeah how much man Jamie I think I have to give you I think I'm required now after that eloquence to give you this show I think this show is yours that was very well put that was like right from the heart and poetic and emotional and all of these things uh I love how much you're a fan how where okay where is this communication skills come from what do you do for a living um I I'm fascinated by this I love that you love it the way that we all love it uh you know again with the benefit of growing up in the you know backyard of New York City um and with the influence probably of this and having to uh wonderful experiences uh that I could probably count on my hands but it felt like so much more you know just telling along and going to work with my father as a child um which was so cool by the way I mean talk about that man we want to hear dude dude it was like such a uh like uh you know the way that they you know always kind of described late night as you know haves like almost you know everybody's gone from the building and you know here you know turn on the lights let these guys go broadcast nobody's really paying attention it felt like that in the building all the way around it was just no security it was like you know go wherever you want I remember just you know um you know going to work and it was like you go on the eighth floor and just sit on the dining you set and Park this is crazy he was just like are you kidding me like this is great but anyway um you know I know a lot of right here that a lot has changed in that building I've actually had colleagues that you know worked for NBC and they say you know you can't go on the eighth floor you know you know around SNL tapings and stuff and I mean it used to be like literally like I'd go to work uh say on the weekend with my father and and you know he'd say Hey you know get out of hours so go up the eighth floor and you know watch uh watch him rehearse you know Anita Baker's up there or something you know what I mean it was just like crazy so yeah what a playground you use 30 Rock as a playground like for it's for like one or two three times you know whatever and and here we are some 30 years later whatever it is talking about it like yeah the impact that gets made I mean you're you're like you said the Cradle of creativity you're put into this place um and of course it's going to leave an impression and I mean I I feel it right now that's that's that that's amazing um you go I want to go back to you you mentioned um when The Late Shift happened and I mean um we had Jason zinnamon who wrote uh Letterman the last giant of late night on fairly recently and he he kind of threw out an idea I asked him about okay so Dave's kind of got this cult following that's there you know um just certain bands get this uh uh you know kind of a cult following certain certain Productions get this and Letterman and Company certainly have it for a variety of reasons one of the things that he suggested was because the late shift when it happened it was such everybody was talking about it when it came to entertainment and I mean you and I again very very close in age um the people who are in their formative years when that was happening it imprinted and for for some people like it was a one of those things where it's it became kind of part of our DNA um when Dave was it must have been very interesting dinner time conversation um when because it was so public that Dave was not getting the Tonight Show Dave not happy Dave being corded by all these other suitors maybe we're going to Burbank maybe we're staying here um you know did any of that come home to the dinner table did you know about any of that or was that a lot of that stuff uh the stuff you learned after the fact um most none of this ever came to the dinner table you know what I mean like none of it and um that's that's all been very interesting but I you know it came into to to my being in life just because of again you know the effect that it you know these things would have I knew that when the shift was happening where my father's loyalty you know lied absolutely um and with that I'd say I feel like there was um was it the summer of 92 or whatever it was right so so or was it 93 or whatever well I mean yeah like Carson leaving all of that was happening all around this time yeah 92-93 so I remember one morning getting ready to go to school and The Today Show was my morning appetite at that time and Ann Curry or whoever was did the news came on and and I don't know if it was it wasn't her then because it was too early I don't know anyway whoever came on and was basically like you know Letterman is moving to California he's taking the show to L.A yes you know and I was like oh like that was the first time it was like okay this affects me like wait what you know like yeah obviously turned out to be a false reporters before the Ed Sullivan Theater and all that happened but wow that was like okay this does you know kind of affect me but um but yeah what a what a time huh I mean the craziness it's still yeah I mean but you know I've asked questions over the years and he's that absolutely I don't want to make it sound like there's some you know you know Iron Curtain on this conversation but I mean you know it certainly is certain that uh you know um uh uh you know in that regard had an effect and and um you know it was again like I said just a crazy crazy uh moment um but it was exciting you know and um you know I remember uh in those even early days of of the new program like I was running around the city a lot and you know at that time I would you know maybe go and have lunch with my father or I remember working at that time and doing some work with the wnet which was a PBS um affiliate New York and um yeah um you know going with this girl you know after the show and or being at the show uh in the Green Room when Kelsey Grammer and Will Smith was there this is like mid early 90s stuff and anyway it was you know that was those were the type of stuff was like you know wow I could see you know this is you know incredible like just that block and all of you know the influence that uh the injection of uh of life that you know kind of that that program Gates that to that neighborhood there was an electricity uh and people talk about it to this day where you know they'd hang out uh you know the stage door Rupert's is and and and and and people just hang out there you know just to see what might happen are they going to shoot a remote is somebody going to show up is is all that now you're a guy that also you know very quickly in life got a chance to see the behind the scenes stuff and many of these people the sage hands and and some of these other people that we've we've talked to it was just another day at work um and every once in a while some of those electric moments would show up but then people would be outside who were outside of the business and they would feel this electricity when you were running around the city at that time and you would go to The Green Room was it this is just my life and this is just the things that I'm used to seeing or did you feel that electricity too Jamie oh absolutely no that's let me describe again and this is like all lifestyle but it's just these little injections and moments of of being able to uh literally be around it I mean I like to think that I live vicariously through my father so when I would see what he was doing um you know it felt like I was you know a part of it but the truth of the matter is a lot of that stuff most of it a big percentage of it was stuff I never even saw um you know where I'm still seeing just now for him it was literally going to work and and that was that was it you know it was no like oh come on let's turn on the TV and watch what we did today at work you know just his job happened to be a television show on this broadcast for the world um but yeah I mean to answer your question to be around that um it wasn't my life you know it also I mean you know again with my fandom of it and you know um paying attention to that world in in with with the desires um that I that I that I had um you know to be around it at different times was was super cool you know I was actually on the show um as a little boy um um in 1985 uh there was a I guess what would that be a bumper or opener yeah cold open um it was done uh with Tom Selleck and it was a kind of gag on the popularity in the moment I guess the the competed time slot uh uh with uh Magnum PI and The Cosby Show so uh the whole idea was you know you know just like you know in the makeup room or something and Felix with his you know cigar like Cosby and you know he's basically like you know we're going to do a new kind of version of Magna pi and like four or five black kids you know come up so I was a part of that troop um and and yeah I mean that uh you know it was again a great exposure getting that a check um yeah and uh you know a lot of hurry up and wait for something that was literally like six seconds but you know I mean it was funny being fun because you know talking about people that come up to my father and would recognize them with stuff in the show you know as a way to deflect for many years you know as a kid you know it was me and him together he would say well he's been on the show you know like anything um you know so anyway yeah and it was actually one time that he got a chance I think one of those Court you know those etiquette segments uh back in the day um where he got to show his pictures of his family which is cute um but yeah but uh good stuff man all the way around it really is I mean you know it's just just literally it's so cool because it's like literal little bites it's just so it was the perfect you know way to live a normal life but just dip your toe into this world I think I mean I almost wonder how it would be to walk in those shoes you know where there is you know a degree of of even to this day you know recognition and or because I mean you know when whenever you have that kind of a long run you know there's there's there's there's there's some degree of Consciousness in the in the public oh there are echoes everywhere absolutely right Echoes of it everywhere right and I mean for me there was stuff that was just there were moments different moments throughout my life and throughout their run uh where it was like wow this is super cool like I used to travel a lot for work overseas and I'm going to turn around the TV in Brazil and it was like you know there's the late show and it's like my father was on it's like oh my God we're being on like American Airlines again his first job I think out of college was something like that was American Airlines you know doing you know like probably Bell hop work or something I don't know but I mean you're gonna have to ask him um um by the way no I'm sorry anyway um see that's what I was trying I mean I'm I can't even Wrangle this guy like come on anyway but no seriously um but yeah I mean you know the AAA thing and and forth to come full circle he was um you know they used to do this in-flight thing CBS used to do the content for the in-flight entertainment for American Airlines and it would be like Clips to The Late Show there's you know the I could do have my father it was awesome but I mean um yeah you know this is uh this is surreal talking about this like I I I love it so so much um let's talk a little bit about uh favorite moments like were there any moments that as I say that you know what comes to mind right away yeah I mean for for his stuff on air you mean or whatever I mean your favorite moment because I mean you're a fan of the show so I mean you can stretch out wherever you want or yeah favorite moments of your dad was there a moment that uh well not yet yet I mean a favorite moments for the show were clear I mean you know there was um geez uh I think it was one of the anniversary shows at Radio City I used to watch this thing on tape all the time back and forth like the music the music of it you know it was like uh uh Benny King and Carol King and like it was just crazy what they did on stage was like do you like good music and again Sweet Soul Music and I was just like oh my God this is the coolest shaper in the crew it was just like oh man so anyway um that was something that was super cool to James Brown performance freaking legendary I mean hands down crazy um I mean and this is where we're two stuff like this as a kid because I used to watch a lot of tape and stuff on tape and you know I was still trying to come to be but they would mess with the audience or you know especially as a young kid not having my my bearings I mean he would show stuff like you know talk about how they were on since 1950 something or shows something black and white and be like you know a young Richard Pryor and he's sitting here cursing and it's just like the funniest stuff but um it was it was it was hard to make sense of it still you know that's that's where you know again it's hard to sometimes put things into perspective as far as just timing and whatever you know but yeah so many great moments man um gee uh you know the Rosie Perez piece uh when when she when she you know uh name drops Punk masterflex see the thing for me is I'm A hip-hop kid too so I mean you know the age of me in in Dave's career you know is interesting but also the timeline of the evolution of hip-hop so yes watching uh hip-hop and I say this on its 50th Anniversary as I sit here as a 45 going on a 46 year old again that's you know you're watching this culture develop and it being kind of welcomed or uh um you know invited by the mainstream right so yes those early episodes LL Cool J Around the Way Girl on Late Night Queen Latifah Fly Girl on Late Night A Tribe Called Quest uh check the rhyme on late night I mean you gotta give me goosebumps right now I'm a big hip-hop fan you're crazy the Fuji's on on uh the early Late Show when like the whole crew came out like oh man doing the uh I think it was the ali uh When We Were King soundtrack so I mean a lot of things like that were just like wow this is this is cool um can we can we do it aside here really quick because I haven't had somebody on here where we could talk about how Dave uh you know you talk about Rosie you know talking about how that sound bite the David Letterman saying something about dollar dollars or is it saying something about counting the dollars it got put into the intro to that like Dave for whatever reason seems to have a free pass in the land of hip-hop he seems to have been invited in yeah you're cool well yeah come on in and and the respect level like like seeing him even up to the current day you know talking to Jay-Z talking to talking to Kanye talk you know like he has this lizzo he has this free pass in the world of hip-hop do you think it's because early on he and and Paul and the musical crew and all that they they embraced it is that is that why because he kind of helped them at the beginning or is it just because he's so damn cool I think it's all of those things and it's the timing of it and it's New York like the new york-based show who probably had people scouting folks in them clubs I mean the fact that they had who was it like uh tip from the uh Rock Steady not rock study but you know the dancing crew take care of not you know I can't think of the kid's name but you know early oh crazy crazy legs crazy they're okay like you know like it's stuff like you know they probably you know I can only imagine I don't know who's booking the music acts in the early days but I mean like you know you're you're grabbing onto something that's hot and it's emerging and burgeoning and and yeah I mean Jay-Z is a great name drop right there I mean his first national performance TV performance was on Rachel with David Letterman right um you know and uh so I think for them I can imagine I have no idea but there's a degree of loyalty there um you know puff had an office across the street from the ground it's relevant data so I mean you know think about the night that you know Eminem and Jay performed on the uh on the roof on the roof and puffs sitting there you know bobbing along and then and uh in the audience I mean you know it's cool things like the access and and um you know I think even puff got a like early in the game like late 90s or early 2000s like Dave I don't know if somebody got bumped but you know Dave gave up the whole show you know the whole episode and it was like you know this is this that's like hip-hop is coming through and um anyway you know it's all good there's so many iconic moments um but Dave is the icon so and I love the way he he the thing that I think that is contributing to his iconic status um I don't know why I keep mentioning Michael Jackson something about that Indiana I love them too man but Midwest yep yep but there's something about like withholding you know like being a bit of a mystery and adding to the legend right you know you have these iconic things that happen to you whether it's you know you know the woman breaking in the house or the you know just just the cigar I mean just everything about you the Gap too you're right but then it's like you just see them for that hour or Michael you just see him on that video or you just see him in that concert like this this mystery like At first it's like exposed exposure they'll do anything but now it's like I'm pulling back right and you just get to see me when I do my art and I think that really just just adds to the Intrigue into the iconic status and the Mystery because they're in control of you know what they put out and what it is and and yeah it's just it's fun to watch man I mean really you know it really is uh and I mean every every time a new episode a new uh batch of my next guest uh is is is is is um is offered and previewed I'm always like oh I wonder if there's going to be a hip-hop artist or something like that Jay-Z episode where they're talking to you know it's Jay-Z but then they're also going to talk to Rick Rubin and and some of these other I just absolutely am immersed into it I'm glad that um you know he doesn't just talk to old Showbiz folk I'm glad he he actually still is is got his finger on the pulse I mean he did an episode with Billy eilish like so good and and and and you know lizzo and then lizzo talking about Prince and these are amazing moments to hear Dave pulling these out of these people I I love it I love that we're talking about this today we don't talk about hip-hop enough on this show so this is thanks for bringing that to the table today Jamie um I I want to ask when you would go out with with your dad did people ever reference certain moments or was it just that they saw him and they were like do I no like like what was it like when he would get recognized I guess is my question yeah I mean there was certain things I mean I would I think also you know what it was was it would be cool to be with him on a day after something cool happened right I mean you know whether it was like new to Hillary Clinton episode in like 2000 I think she's running for New York state senate or something and it was just all eyes on that that was probably a big bump of ratings whatever um but I mean he sat you know for 10 to 15 seconds of air time and like chomped on the egg salad sandwich yeah so you be with them and it'd be like you know how's that Excel and said you know something like that like somebody could reference something like that um but yeah I think a lot of times you know recently I actually um we were down at uh at an event um honoring uh my grandfather and a Gentleman who was a developer came up to my father and student call out specific things that he remembered from the show which I thought was pretty amazing and uh you know different bits from like the stuff on the street and stuff so even with the bullhorn so you know really really funny and funny stuff there were some moments where it was yeah yeah I could see where you know it is funny you know because you're taking a normal person and you know what I think also that they did so great and which was better than all the other shows is the folks who cut the stuff like the editors are apps on the pieces and the patterns on the remotes it's just like I mean it's hilarious I mean it was just so perfect man so it just like I mean it shows you that you can literally make anything I mean we all know that now because we're you know we're all living in The Truman Show with cameras and able to you know so but you know the the fact that you can make something entertaining and funny you know it was I think they were certainly Pioneers in that regard without a doubt um I've talked to a lot of the writers who would travel with your dad uh you know when they would they they would yeah and and talking about some of the trips uh that they would take I mean it just so the the adventures um so magical because I mean you can't recreate those moments but it would just the spirit of those of those trips and how uh you know would be shown um in these clips expertly edited expertly directed um you know whether it was Hal uh on the floor um you know uh just absolutely in studio doing a phenomenal job or the editors after the fact um just yeah fantastic stuff your dad would go traveling a lot to these major events like did that become routine oh yeah Dad's going to the dad's going to the Super Bowl or Dad's going to the you know some award show or whatever is that is that just become routine in the house um yeah I think it uh you know um you know again again you got to think again about timelines of this stuff right so a lot of that stuff might have been while I was in college or right you know when I got back I mean I basically wasn't really around that much with them but I mean you know the fact is that um yes it became somewhat routine and and because you know he did so many of those things like Super Bowls became like you know every year and um you know the spring training or you know even the World Series um you know cool stuff but I mean you know the fact is if you think of you know if you look at I don't know if there's a pie chart there isn't a pie chart that would be something that there was but um if there was some sort of way to look at you know his you know contributions to the shows over the years I mean the real kind of like it seemed like there was a moment in the I think maybe late 90s you know where it's like wow this is like three or four times a week you know like there's something whether he's giving out some gifts or he's uh you know you know he was the guy was like Hey can you take this over here or do you know and and so it was just like you know a lot of camera time and and that's when even friends of mine would come to me like you know hey you know James do you think your dad is really starting to you know this is interesting don't you know so anyway yeah what was the question no no no this is this is we're we're in it dude we're doing it right now this is fantastic um oh and by the way I mentioned I mentioned Hal early I should also mention Jerry Foley as well Jerry Foley expert director um and would capture these amazing moments um yeah and sometimes the screw-ups were the best ones there was actually just a recent one that was put up where it was where it was your dad and he was supposed to say jackass and he didn't say jackass he said instead and it was and it was a mistake I mean come on so good and then that moment became the show and Jerry did such a good job because then Biff was like oh I'm sorry he goes over the stairs and he sits down he's like no I'm sorry I'm sorry and everyone's laughing about it and it was just captured so perfectly and that's the thing about that show that I think that we all as viewers loved was when we were kind of invited to be part of the behind the scenes stuff with the camaraderie that kind of stuff um I love that it's clear that you loved it too and you got again such a unique uh Viewpoint um I've always I'm a weird I'm a weird guy I call myself I was a weird kid now I'm a weird man um I always just think about what I would do is if I if I if I ran into people that I admired uh on the street what would I what would I call back and I had one for your dad so I did this for everybody but but your dad was actually one of the people that I had had one in there for um and I don't know if this is gonna land or not but uh happy newish Jew year um was my that's to me like I want a t-shirt with that with with your dad's face and Happy New Edition here dude oh my god let's do that are you kidding right now oh right um that's a great idea though take my money I'm in I buy that shirt 15 years ago um but yeah listen that was that that's what this is my daily life when I get a chance to speak with them um you know that that's the fun of it man and and uh I can only imagine the perspective of some of his colleagues over the years uh with stuff like that because yeah that's uh I get it Jesus you kind of have his laugh you kind of have his laugh Jamie like I just heard it there that's weird um that's that's that's that's that's cool man I uh um okay I mean you know some of these things we go two and a half hours some of these things we we we're we're sure 45 to an hour uh there's a couple things I want to ask but uh before before I you know we do that one of the things that you and I kind of you know little schemers that we are wanted to concoct was maybe having you and him on at the same time um and we're not there yet but at the same time I really and and we never may never get Biff on this show but there's a lot of love and here's what we need to talk about here before we kind of finish up at some point um this is something that needs to be said there is an outpouring of love for your dad um you know beloved person for for because part of it probably because he is exactly who he is um you know it's not a put on he just is and and there's a part of that that just resonates with so many people and he's so loved and I think that's probably the reason why he was on the show from the morning all the way to the end um does he know that does he know about this outpouring does he know that we all love him that's very kind of you to say first of all and um I feel it too uh trust me and I've tried my best to facilitate the message if you will um he's not you know somebody who is I mean he has the iPhone but he he it's still so much comedy there like like there's so much typical stuff like you would never believe like you know honestly he has the iPhone but I mean he literally he's the guy who literally just makes a call you know what I mean and so anyway you know there's stuff that um he's just not privy to but anyway not to say that there's a you know an Evidence of what you're describing out there to for him to be enlightened by but you know the fact is that um I think that he isn't somebody who reflects too much on the past right um and uh which makes a thing like this um Harry sometimes and and um uh and that goes for everything you know what I mean like believe me I'm I'm going you know there's there's different things that we you know that I've tried to um but anyway so yeah it's crazy I I appreciate the fact that you are dancing over little landmines okay I'm not gonna say that I'm not gonna say that like I appreciate the fact that that uh that you're respecting everybody's privacy and and things uh but at the same time I do think that there could be Biff Henderson t-shirts I do think that there could be you know limited runs of things because of that level very a very limited Mike well they're limited we're talking about family reunion you might get like you know the NBA how they have like the sponsored logo maybe get a picture um the fact that he doesn't know is part of the Charming but I I if if there is a way and I don't know if he'll ever watch this particular episode or not um Mike I'm going for this to be the lowest rated episode that you ever have I better I hope that's what we're shooting for here okay like this is something that we're clear you're preaching at the choir Jamie I uh you know people are like oh the Letterman podcast I'm gonna watch I'm like okay just lower your expectations and you'll be justified bro honestly and congratulations because again here you can hear the the love and the and the passion and um you know again in this day and age why not you know if you have something that you could really lock in on and you know there's certainly the space I mean there's just the beauty of it you really hit you know uh uh you know hit hit it on the head with this because there's just so much to talk about there is um there's years and years and years and years of stuff and um yeah so you know um you're setting the table perfectly um because this is how I want to finish and and if if he only watches you know this clip from this point on uh this is what exactly what I want so I want him to know first and foremost how much love that there is for him and and how much he contributed to this is our tagline we celebrate the greatest body of broadcasting work in history that of David Letterman and Company your father made up a tremendous amount of the company of this and the collaboration again to go back to your words um incredible we love it uh one day would love to have you and Dad on at the same time something like that that would be phenomenal but if we can't at least he needs to know know that the love is there here's the big finish right here tell us a little bit about how much you love or how proud you are I don't want to put words into your mouth the impact your father like like let's let's let's show your dad a clip of how much you respect love that kind of thing because I I in the emails going back and forth I feel it I feel it today uh this is a huge part how proud of your dad are you um yeah I mean you can't really be put into words there's there's all sorts of um love and respect and admiration and and you know um he he is he his his life is really uh remarkable um and he comes from a really special place Durham North Carolina and a community and uh from a family uh that is just uh you know I'm I I Revere and I'm proud to hold this name and there's a lot there um but you know the fact of the matter is he is then um studying consistent and uh powerful and strong force and a proud person and insightful who uh again is experienced a lot and has those core values from the old school where even if you talk with him and it's like ah he's a little out of touch with there's something in there there's a gem there's always a gym and people come up to me all the time and and tell me that to this day the folks that you know still run into them at the grocery store or whatever but um you know it's an interesting career there's people who are trained actors and Stage people and theater people who don't get a run on Broadway uh like uh defendersenburg um and you know thank you to worldwide parents and to the Letterman show to that team um because you know there isn't always uh reflection or time to say thank you to that specific you know contribution um he is about to be honored at his high school uh to be inducted into their Hall of Fame so that's certainly cool um that's awesome yeah yeah it's so awesome I mean any any Hall of Fame you know what I mean it's like Hall of Fame induct me so I'm trying to you know you know put that in perspective but I mean through it all you know uh again you know he's so into retirement I I think he's happy and content and I think that he's aware of of of you know both uh you know his fortune and good fortune and and luck and uh you know being able to show up on time and you know have that smile and be likable and um you know there's a lot to learn uh there so you know I appreciate it and I appreciate you you know giving me the opportunity um to put it from I guess from my perspective which means again nothing but it is it is it is what it is kind of thing you know I I I I you know don't diminish and it's funny you're on brand it's so funny your second generation you're a pants kid and you're on brand everybody from worldwide pants they ah Shucks they diminish themselves a little bit they diminish things I uh you have no idea how much I appreciate what you just did and again as Sons we're both sons um our dads like it when we say nice things about them there's a there's there's kind of there's a special magic to when a son says something nice about Dad the Hall of Fame thing I love I think that with Letterman one of the things that uh there's a spirit that that permeates uh the the idea of the local boy doing good and and and and and being recognized in the local community the small town you know you think about Dave Dave went to Allstate uh you know he is the pride of that University and and and has gone back and given to it and that kind of a thing as well and I love the idea that other members of the show um have that same kind of thing going on him getting inducted in his high school hall of fame that is absolutely delightful that's perfectly lettermanesque I think yeah listen I appreciate you saying that I agree with you um I'm actually wearing a shirt of Hampton which is Hampton University in Hampton Virginia which we also share in common my father and I he attended Hampton graduated Hampton and his father uh did as well actually both my grandfathers went there so that's unique in the in the 1930s or 20s and 30s um so they actually knew each other on campus so that's crazy and actually my mother's grandfather went so my great grandfather went to the school so anyway so so there's that yeah what's the sport team of Hampton what are they called they're the Pirates the Hampton Pirates fighting Pirates fantastic to the to the to the Pirates go pirates and all of that so we share that in common and uh yeah yeah yeah cool stuff this has been a lot of fun James I I I I I I love the fact that at the beginning of this thing you're like because you know it was so funny to get the email back from me you know what dad's really not into it and I'm just like okay good let's just you and I do it then your response was so good waited a couple days okay I wanted you to sleep on this to make sure that you really wanted to absolutely I wanted to do this I think we see why this is I mean I've had so much fun today you've had fun this is fun right oh yeah absolutely thank you thank you I I um again I'm hoping for the worst yeah I know right right but uh you know um hopefully I didn't say anything to offend anybody or be out of turn again it's a unique perspective so I I appreciate and I would again to Don Gillard that's actually why I got a chance to meet you and um again uh uh he he's been so helpful uh for questions that I've asked him and requests so um you know uh yeah appreciate this and so yeah you know I I'm sorry uh you know and I'll continue to let you know if I hear anything different but I uh uh you know certainly didn't want to you know you'd be like damn he's just like his dad this guy all of a sudden one oh what happened what happened go away you know but what I mean is you know like if you take this part out I love I I love these moments um these are these are the fun moments this is the you know the part where our audience gets to enjoy you know we're just messing around we're just talking we're just I love this um please give love to your dad if we can ever make it happen we can make it happen but I'm glad that if we can't make it happen at least we have a conduit where he could hear these beautiful words that you said and he can hear that how we all feel about him we are grateful like I appreciate you're all grateful that Biff is grateful for for for what's happened to him but it's reciprocal we the audience are grateful too so please let him know that um that's all I got are you is there anything else you wanted to talk about today uh on this first time that you're here on the Lettermen podcast Jamie oh let me refer to my note no no that's it that's all I got this is great though but thank you and congratulations on the great work and the growth and and uh I look forward to watching uh you know all the episodes in the future oh well thanks buddy I appreciate that very very much um that's it okay so you know what I'll do I'll do the uh I'll do the outright here um this is why we do the show this is exactly why we do the show uh you know having these stories from these interesting unique perspectives there there is no more unique I don't think it's possible to be more unique I think if it's Unique it's just unique I think it's like pregnant hard to be more pregnant um but there's a unique perspective here um from from James Henderson III in fact uh talking about his dad Biff Henderson uh who we all know and love those of us who um are are enthusiasts of David Letterman and Company again Don Giller on his channel has so many Biff moments and as the official Letterman Channel starts to populate more I mean they've only been around just over a year and already the videos that they have the library that's up is really really uh special um you know there's a lot of Biff moments and it's really cool to hear the other side of the story from Jamie Jamie thank you so much for taking time to be here today uh this has been another episode of The Lettermen podcast with Mike Chisholm coincidentally I am Mike Chisholm thank you and good night