# How much does band leader Kevin Eubanks earn from the Tonight Show? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 15, 2005, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-band-leader-kevin-eubanks-earn-from-the-tonight-show/335722 "2005-12-15T15:01:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-band-leader-kevin-eubanks-earn-from-the-tonight-show/335722/21 "2005-12-16T15:29:34Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > I wouldn’t mind being demeaned just a little too if it allowed me to play what I needed elsewhere, financed other projects. TubaDiva > Musician at liberty Are there a lot of gigs for tuba players? ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-band-leader-kevin-eubanks-earn-from-the-tonight-show/335722/22 "2005-12-16T15:53:32Z")
> [@The Scrivener](#): > > Jay’s ribbing is pretty neatly the reverse: that Kevin’s too young and footloose, too single, too alone, too hip, and too stoned and irresponsible for his judgments and criticisms to have much weight. Kevin is almost 50 years old–hardly young! Is Kevin the stoner Leno suggests, or is that more silliness? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-band-leader-kevin-eubanks-earn-from-the-tonight-show/335722/23 "2005-12-16T16:48:40Z")
> [@Carnac the Magnificent!](#): > > Kevin is almost 50 years old–hardly young! > > Is Kevin the stoner Leno suggests, or is that more silliness? I had no idea he was that old! He looks so much younger… he makes a great walking advert for vegetarianism. As for the marijuana, I have no idea. I seriously doubt he’s a regular user (at least on workdays/nights), but then again, there have been some high-use, high-functioning musician potheads, like Louis Armstrong. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-band-leader-kevin-eubanks-earn-from-the-tonight-show/335722/24 "2005-12-16T17:09:14Z")
Per the other guesses in this thread I’m astounded low low they are. I feel pretty confident that Eubanks makes at least 2 million a year. ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-band-leader-kevin-eubanks-earn-from-the-tonight-show/335722/25 "2005-12-16T18:25:12Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Per the other guesses in this thread I’m astounded low low they are. I feel pretty confident that Eubanks makes at least 2 million a year. Yep, I agree. A half million dollars annually–as suggested above–is chump change among the big studio execs. Besides, Kevin gives Leno cred with a younger, urban demographic. If he makes less than $1.5 million a year, I’d be stunned, especially since he does occasional skits with Jay and is frequently in Jay’s monologues. That said, considering how NBC execs have reportedly shortchanged Leno vis-a-vis Letterman, who knows? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-band-leader-kevin-eubanks-earn-from-the-tonight-show/335722/26 "2005-12-16T20:04:15Z")
> [@Carnac the Magnificent!](#): > > Yep, I agree. A half million dollars annually–as suggested above–is chump change among the big studio execs. Besides, Kevin gives Leno cred with a younger, urban demographic. > > If he makes less than $1.5 million a year, I’d be stunned, especially since he does occasional skits with Jay and is frequently in Jay’s monologues. > > That said, considering how NBC execs have reportedly shortchanged Leno vis-a-vis Letterman, who knows? Leno pulls in some, serious, serious change (possibly more than his NBC salary) with his Las Vegas standup routines and other paid appearances. I think (based on the story below) he probably gets more time off than Letterman which may impact his overall salary calculation. I think the fact he doesn’t have an agent or manager is fascinating. Who books his standup routines and arranges his schedule? [Leno Reups with NBC Thru '09](http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,13808,00.html) > [@](#): > > NBC declined to discuss the details of Leno’s salary, but the new deal will leave him plenty of time for stand-up gigs, something he likes to do to on the side to supplement his income. In fact, the funnyman has stated in the past that he usually puts the money he earns from The Tonight Show in the bank and lives off of appearances at casinos and corporate events. He also moonlights as an author and penned a kid’s book last year. > > “I don’t need the money. If you can’t live on what I make there’s something wrong with you,” Leno has said. > > Ironically, getting the leader of late night to sign on the dotted line this time around was relatively easy, perhaps due to the fact that he does not employ an agent or a manager to represent him, an anomaly in Hollywood. > > “It seemed pretty simple,” said Leno. “NBC came to me and said, ‘We’d like to sign you for about five more years,’ and I said fine.” ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-band-leader-kevin-eubanks-earn-from-the-tonight-show/335722/27 "2005-12-17T05:31:18Z")
And in '09 Conan O’Brien takes over, so this is Jay’s last contract. ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-band-leader-kevin-eubanks-earn-from-the-tonight-show/335722/28 "2005-12-17T15:33:54Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > And in '09 Conan O’Brien takes over, so this is Jay’s last contract. Don’t believe it, Sam. We’ve touched on this in other threads–and there’s no conclusive answer, of course–but I (and others) aren’t convinced Conan can fill Leno’s/Carson’s shoes. By 2009, Conan will be nearly 50 and his young-man, cooool-baby, late-late night shtick ain’t gonna play with the younger, increasingly ethnic demographic. Sure, Conan may land the gig, but I wouldn’t be suprised that he’s a transitional character. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Leno stick around till about 2012. He would be an old man then, but that’s just 6 years away. BTW, I’m no Leno groupie, but I just can’t see Conan and Max Weinberg pull in off, not in that time slot. Time will tell. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-band-leader-kevin-eubanks-earn-from-the-tonight-show/335722/29 "2005-12-17T15:52:55Z")
> [@astro](#): > > I think the fact he doesn’t have an agent or manager is fascinating. Who books his standup routines and arranges his schedule? Well, as I mentioned above, he has a standing gig at the Comedy Store every Sunday, so that’s easy. He’s a bright, fairly organized guy- I can’t imagine that he has a problem with, say, answering an email or telephone, looking at his calendar and saying “Yeah, that looks great” or “No, I’m booked that night, how about Wednesday?” It ain’t rocket science. You don’t need hangers-on just because you can afford them. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-band-leader-kevin-eubanks-earn-from-the-tonight-show/335722/30 "2005-12-17T17:22:35Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Leno pulls in some, serious, serious change (possibly more than his NBC salary) with his Las Vegas standup routines and other paid appearances. I think (based on the story below) he probably gets more time off than Letterman which may impact his overall salary calculation. Just the opposite. Leno hates vacations and taking time off, and only does so out of regard for his staff. He probably takes off fewer weeks than any of the other talk-show hosts. He flies off immediately after his Friday show and returns Sunday night. Always makes me wonder about his legendarily long-lived marriage. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-band-leader-kevin-eubanks-earn-from-the-tonight-show/335722/31 "2005-12-17T17:24:33Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > Always makes me wonder about his legendarily long-lived marriage. Not to mention all the time he spends on his car collection. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-does-band-leader-kevin-eubanks-earn-from-the-tonight-show/335722.md?page=1)