In Defense of Jay Leno; or Why I Like Jay Leno

Roy Rogers on his faithful horse Trigger.

With the country being showered with rumors that Jay Leno’s Tonight Show contract won’t be renewed, and with he and Jimmy Fallon now launching their own production of West Side Story, I’ve thought several times in the last few weeks of why I like Jay Leno.

It all goes back to Philadelphia about 30 years ago. At the time, I worked for a company that owned the regional fast food chain named for television and movie singing cowboy Roy Rogers. (The chain, by the way, had great product, specifically an outstanding roast beef sandwich. I believe there still are a few restaurants around, but I don’t know if they have the roast beef sandwiches.)

During the early ’80s, the kids who had grown up watching reruns of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans’ television show on Saturday mornings were reaching their prime in the media, and Roy had strong media (and customer) appeal. (Another aside: Roy Rogers was a very kind, humble man. In my limited exposure to him, I was always amazed at how down to earth he was.) We took Roy “on tour” visiting media and restaurants in markets from Virginia to Connecticut. As part of several of those tours, we visited Philadelphia, and at least on one occasion, we booked him on a popular morning television news and interview show called AM Philadelphia.

Roy finished what I’m sure was (although I can’t remember it) a pleasant interview, and we were walking out of the studio when someone directed our attention to a monitor for the interview of the next guest. It was a young comedian named Jay Leno. I don’t think I’d heard of him before. But he was dressed in an employee uniform from a Roy Rogers Restaurant.

Leno, when he’d heard Roy would be on the show, had gone to a local restaurant and convinced the local manager to give him a uniform to wear for his appearance. I don’t remember what Leno said in the interview, and I don’t think we had time to stay to hear much of it. But I still remember his foresight, initiative, creativity and ability to listen to and then to tap into what was going on around him. It’s no wonder he’s done so well for so long, and no matter what happens with his contract, I wish him well and, of course, “Happy Trails.”

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