Watch Warren Zevon’s Last Appearance At The “Late Show”

On October 30, 2002, only days after learning he had terminal lung cancer, Warren Zevon appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman. Zevon, a frequent guest over the previous decade, was granted an unprecedented amount of airtime to chat with Letterman and play three songs. Among his many humorous comments in the conversation is his advice to “enjoy every sandwich” after receiving a terminal prognosis.

Letterman still thinks about their last interview, as he told The Ringer. “It was the only time in my talk show history that I did anything like that,” he said. “I’ve never sat down and talked to anybody on television where we both understood they were about to die.”

Since Zevon’s debut performance on Letterman’s stage 20 years ago, the two men have become great friends, with the classic rocker making many appearances on the show and occasionally filling in for the show’s bandleader, Paul Shaffer. In 2002, however, Zevon had an unforgettable appearance on Letterman since he was the show’s solitary guest for the whole hour.

Zevon made the most of his opportunity by openly and candidly discussing his illness, mesothelioma. “I might have made a tactical error in not going to a physician for 20 years,” Zevon discussed. “It’s one of those phobias that didn’t pay off.”

Despite the news, the musician kept the interview as light as possible, and Letterman, being a gracious host, granted every opportunity for his dear friend to enjoy his final interview on TV.

Check out the video below.