The Roots Remain ‘The Tonight Show’s’ Main Band Despite Multiple Absences

Legendary band The Roots has been in the hip-hop scene since the late '80s and early '90s. The band formed by Malik B., Ahmir "Black Thought" Trotter, and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson is known for its hit songs "You Got Me," "Don't Say Nuthin," and "Shine," all of which they have Grammy Awards for.

While The Roots's loyal fanbase knows the band well, they received mainstream success when Jimmy Fallon tapped them to be his house band after becoming the host of The Tonight Show in 2014. Fans of the late-night show have grown accustomed to seeing the band alongside Jimmy during his monologues and frequent guest appearances. However, viewers were confused when The Roots went missing from several February 2025 Tonight Show episodes.

Tonight Show fans shouldn't worry too much over The Roots missing a few episodes. While the band wasn't featured in several episodes, they are still the official house band for the foreseeable future. Late Nighter reported the band's absence was simply due to a scheduling conflict.

The Roots was selected as the band for Jimmy's alma mater, Saturday Night Live's 50th anniversary special, SNL50: The Homecoming Concert.

The time off from the show gave them extra time to practice for the three-hour event, which will be held at Radio City Music Hall. According to the show's lineup, the band will be providing the sounds for artists such as Arcade Fire, Backstreet Boys, Bad Bunny, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Chris Martin, David Byrne, Dave Grohl, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Jelly Roll, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and Post Malone.

While The Roots's position on The Tonight Show remains intact, fans were given a visit from one of the legendary show's former staples. Ahead of the band's absence, musician Paul Shaffer announced to Billboard that he and his band, The World’s Most Dangerous Band, were returning to the Tonight Show stage.

"I’ll be reuniting The World’s Most Dangerous Band for four super-fun shows with Jimmy," Paul shared with the outlet in February 2025. "We hope to finally get right all the mistakes we made with Dave."

Paul served as the musical director and bandleader for The Tonight Show during David Letterman's 33-year reign. He worked on the show from 1982 until 1993. Paul and David also worked together on the comedian's other show, Late Show With David Letterman from 1993 to 2015. Before connecting with Dave, the musician was also a member of Saturday Night Live's first live band, appearing on the show for its first five years.

Paul's willingness to help The Tonight Show with his talents marked his second time returning to the stage in recent years. In February 2023, he filled in for The Roots while attending the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Calif. Paul accompanied singer Darlene Love on The Tonight Show when she performed “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” in her first late-night appearance in over a decade.