Rick James On His Onstage Vs. Offstage Persona | Letterman

When he's not Rick James, what does James Johnson like to do?
(From "Late Night," air date: 9/15/82)
#rickjames #jamesjohnson #letterman
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Welcome to the Letterman KZbin Channel, home to all your favorite clips from Late Night and Late Show - as well as conversations with the writers, producers and performers who helped make it all happen. These highlights have been artisanly-produced, carefully-curated, and chosen completely at random by an old computer that used to pick numbers for the New York Lotto back in the 90’s.

[@mnstocknews]

Rick James was fearless and way ahead of his time.

[@jigglybandito9505]

He’s so calm. And chill.

[@I_Am_McZee]

That surprised me as well😂

[@jc-zp1de]

That’s cocaine behavior lol

[@tudyloco1726]

Come on guys I think he knew when he could go out of his mind and I think these type of interviews he knew he had to be straight didn't mean he didn't have a wild night before but I'm sure you had plenty of rest and he looks like he was just calm and relaxed a man smoking on the set wow You'll never see that again

[@RoedofWak-be5fo]

I think that's just high quality cocaine, dawg

[@sarahdell4042]

When he’s not kidnapping people and burning them with crack pipes

[@Scottieguru]

Rick James is the bomb. His music lit my skies up in the 80's.

[@jeterw75]

Same! He was on another level in the 80s

[@macmoney2043]

"Cold blooded " was by far his best work.

[@HardRockMiner]

That's a very odd compliment about a man from another man. 🤔

[@macmoney2043]

@@HardRockMiner nothing odd about it.Its just your own fear.May wanna yourself why that is 😉

[@HardRockMiner]

@@macmoney2043- What man actions "lit up your skies"? 🤔

[@EastCoastGal66]

He was absolutely gorgeous!❤

[@CJFerg81]

"Say Letterman. That's a nice couch you got there. Mind if I stretch out? Haha."

[@Nathan-gd7xq]

"Buy another one ya rich MF'er!"

[@sammyo4962]

Let me guess, he had mud all over his shoes LO.L

[@mm6461]

He’s got a little more sense than that to go around grinding his shoes into peoples couches

[@Nathan-gd7xq]

"Yeah I remember grinding my feet into Dave's couch."

[@oRealAlieNo]

Yeah i grinded my feet on his couch..

[@shawnbruce6934]

He's was a Really Cool Dude. Smart, Professional and it's sad that He ended up how He did.

[@roselynholloway7863]

How

[@prawiraagung4011]

@@roselynholloway7863 u know

[@roselynholloway7863]

@@prawiraagung4011 no I need them to explain

[@shitgethigh]

@@roselynholloway7863😢

[@carolynjones6524]

Just loved his music

[@TerenceThomas-vd4rl]

He a nice Smooth , deep speaking voice , he was very convincing when he played Spanky at the beginning of Life with Eddie and Martin

[@jeterw75]

I grew up knowing Rick James = fast life and never seen him so calm. This is amazing footage of him and Dave. I was only 6 when this dropped but he was the man around this time and he was enjoying it as you can see. RIP Rick.

[@JustBree716]

Buffalo NY finest ❤

[@adamknight1387]

swag level is over 9,000

[@arthurlara4282]

Letterman swag is stronger. Rick James is still up there though

[@Jgeneraledger23]

Hells yah, brah!

[@macmoney2043]

Facts

[@M.Montgomeryz]

That’s crazy seeing him talk and act normally after growing up watching Chappelle show

[@greenyhendrix]

Lmfao

[@shawnbruce6934]

LOL.

[@heatherblevins4441]

Chapelle nailed it 😂😂😂

[@chasc6334]

😂😂😂

[@metronica]

He sounds like Dave's lil Wayne when he talks normal lol

[@melissavictoriabomfim00]

Can you imagine this man living a ranch life? He was great!

[@macmoney2043]

And up in the snow sticks .He Was the man

[@hipking23]

I think Terrence Howard will make a good Rick James in a movie

[@2012itguy]

Why did I say that in my mind... They mouth and skin.

[@sinethembangundana8071]

Yes he would

[@camiamproducer]

That’s what his daughter said too

[@hollywoodseanhendrix]

Ongg😂

[@althepenguin]

Why not Dave Chappelle?? 😅

[@robinblackmoor8732]

" Cocaine is a helluva drug."---Rick James

[@michaelparks6120]

Oh man...Chapelle rocked that one for sure !

[@keefriff99]

Boy, did THAT line get played out over the years. Lol.

[@wolf_river808withcommentar4]

Not in today’s time it’s cut with fentanyl now

[@annettescroggins3905]

Lol

[@edwardmcdermott6701]

Long live Dave Chappelle ( Rick James) .

[@saturnsabyss]

You would never guess, judging by the stories of Rick being a party animal, that he was well-spoken and capable of intelligent conversation. He was a social chameleon.

[@silke9479]

​@First Of All Correct!

[@Captain_Rhodes]

he wrote a book. its good

[@r3ady150]

@First Of All I still remember all the white people coming up to my parents and say your son is so well spoken and I would say thank you because at the time i was young and didn't know any better and thought it was a compliment. Now I say 🖕.

[@creoleDJ]

Well, he said before that “Rick James” was more of an alter ego…

[@benjammin9471]

I always suspected he was playing a role in the Chappelle show skirt among most other appearances. If you're in a creative business then why the hell not

[@creoleDJ]

Am I the only one who thinks it’s absolutely criminal that Rick James has yet to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame??

[@Lillean]

What are you serious?

[@creoleDJ]

@@Lillean dead serious. There are those less talented than he was who are in…

[@HURT108]

Yeah that's an overdue induction smh

[@michaelparks6120]

Hahaha

[@HumbleVee]

Wow I Would Have Believed He Was Already In There.

[@jakexou812]

I thought he was going to say "I just want to say hello to my mother, and I just wanna say hello to ah, uh... someone else a good friend of mine..... CHARLIE MURPHAAYYYYY!"

[@Odawg96]

And it was Vitas Geralitis…a tennis pro. Rick had a very diverse group of friends.

[@chrisv.4071]

So nice he said hello to his mom ❤

[@hassyg4083]

what a well spoken dude

[@keefriff99]

I’m sure Rick was partying in 1982, but he seemed to still have a handle on things here.

[@michaelparks6120]

I just never found him in the least bit funny.. Dave Chappelle's take on him was hilarious but I am certain we are all aware of that

[@cactaceous]

He’s definitely coked up here

[@randypalmer2328]

This was before he decided to become the Rick James he describes at the start of the video full time. And when that happened, well, Charlie Murphy has some tales about how things went down in that era.

[@werper09]

@@cactaceous For sure, you can see the sweat on his face if you look closely and just his whole demeanor.

[@silke9479]

​@@werper09 It's glitter!

[@jiggyv6139]

BUFFALO NY’s finest! Deserved so much more respect ! A true Legend!

[@JustBree716]

Ayyyye. Love from Maryner towers and Town Gardens ❤❤❤

[@MrMister1227]

He cut the overview short when he mentioned how much he was sueing 😆🤣

[@JimmyBahia]

I used to see him everyday for a few months when he was an inmate at the prison that I worked at in SoCal in the late 90s. Saw him again at a reggae concert in Hollywood after he was released.

[@erehistruth2356]

How was he?

[@JimmyBahia]

@@erehistruth2356 We had a minor run in one time but he apologized and that was the end of that. He would ask permission to visit another inmate in my dorm to help him with his music who had a Casio portable keyboard.

[@erehistruth2356]

@@JimmyBahia Wow that's amazing. He was man enough to apologize as well. I am fascinated by Rick's life. People often poke fun at his drug addiction, but he was quite an artist. Thank you for sharing.

[@JimmyBahia]

@@erehistruth2356 When I saw him at the reggae concert, I was standing in line waiting to enter and he walked by me briskly, it took a few seconds for me to realize who he was. I was used to seeing him in his "prison blues". The venue (The Roxy) let him in and he went backstage where he stayed during the entire concert.

[@DonFelixGallardo]

@@erehistruth2356back in the 80’s EVERYONE was on blow

[@JoseYarnell-x9y]

Rick James was the Man 👍

[@ramblingrahema2125]

I love the bigging up his mom & town at the end

[@markswain365]

The US and the World needs more Rick James.

[@carolopiyo2487]

You just know the mom requested that shout out, lol!

[@drwood1962]

Rick is my wife's cousin. She never met him, and just found out 5 years ago.

[@aaliyahdiamond5227]

Wow seriously?

[@RickyMoss]

So after 56 years of his life what would you not know.. I heard that Stevie Wonder is a cousin to the Jacksons on their mom's side and they didn't even find out until Michael's funeral..

[@benjammin9471]

​@@RickyMoss that's how we do in blacks families, cousins go deep. I've got 5th and 6th cousins that I don't even know exactly how I'm related to

[@Jgeneraledger23]

They must be like third cousins, since closer they would know

[@titonemos8929]

Rick and 2pac have same mannerisms

[@stephenburke868]

Just thinking that and I seen your comment 😮

[@roselynholloway7863]

@@stephenburke868how

[@macmoney2043]

Defintely.Rick was just deep in them white snows😜😂

[@listeningviayoutube7229]

I was just thinking the same thing....

[@InMahdWeTrust]

Pac studied all the greats, I noticed he even has similar mannerisms as Al Pacino in Scarface

[@mnstocknews]

Rick was a true original. And so authentically himself.

[@deannawitt9376]

Miss u Rick❤

[@raulgreen8369]

This was on WMAQ-TV Channel 5 in 1982. Late Night with David Letterman, until 1993 going to CBS Television Channel 2 WBBM-TV. Dave started his career at WTHR-TV Channel 13 Indianapolis as a Weather man.

[@dianewinters8628]

That was a quick interview

[@CleverAccountName303]

Because he also did a song. Musicians usually don't sit down at all.

[@dianewinters8628]

@@CleverAccountName303 👍

[@f-15eagle84]

Many don't realize how much of a musical genius he was. Sadly he's remembered for some bad decisions. Such a pioneer in the music industry.

[@ironhorse6688]

Yo rick James is the man

[@razorbladethorax]

CHARLIE MURPHYYYYYY!!!

[@rikkiwallace6882]

Unityyyy

[@jewelinvegas580]

Rick James and Dr Ruth on Letterman = Can't Miss TV. Can only imagine how that went 😅

[@Jgeneraledger23]

It almost sounds like an SNL sketch

[@leel6839]

This is the most Normal-Mode i have ever seen him

[@macmoney2043]

You should see him on judge joe brown.Dave Chapple rick james there😂

[@TOJralpheal]

That's peek Rick 🙏🙏🙏

[@Jgeneraledger23]

peak

[@dustinprewitt]

Not sure if it's sad that Rick James will forever be known for that Chappelle skit and not as his own person.

[@randypalmer2328]

I think it goes both ways -- those skits made everyone think Rick James was a crazy weirdo, which he was, while at the same time leaving no doubt that Rick James was an absolute purestrain superstar, which he definitely was.

[@keefriff99]

It is kinda sad in a way, but of course he did it to himself. He really messed his life up.

[@connora5752]

He's not though. His music will outlast a chapelle skit

[@Lillean]

@@connora5752 fax

[@ozzystar3545]

@@randypalmer2328 that’s Rick james his alter ego but he became it

[@PlaGueR3FLEX]

He seems like he's got a great personality.

[@chanelsmith1587]

This man was FION 😍

[@negativeindustrial]

“Fion”?

[@adonaiyah2196]

​@@negativeindustrialfine

[@Jgeneraledger23]

What's that

[@LisaEllis-rt3xh]

Yassss❤!

[@ozzyistheking21]

hi! Letterman youtube team! It is very easy to go into audacity, click "Notch filter" and input 16000 Hz to cut out the horrible high pitch frequency ruining this video! Then reupload! I just did it and it took me 15 seconds!

[@19katsandcounting]

Love him. Wish he was still here.

[@JateeDonnie]

So cool 😎

[@CK-eo9uh]

Ha! Thats still when you could smoke on TV, you don't see that anymore.

[@keefriff99]

I know, it’s always jarring to see that. I was a young kid in 1982 and my parents both smoked in the house back then. It just seems unfathomable now.

[@chiefscheider]

@@keefriff99 Unfathomable now ... deplorable then. I recall being in grade 5 ('75/'76) and our social studies teacher told us about the dangers of smoking. Looks like mom & dad had your best interests at heart 😆

[@EYE_GOTCHA]

You could even smoke in the grocery store!

[@Jgeneraledger23]

its funny, Johnny used to light-up all the time. Rick didn't even inhale either, I don't think!

[@wrigleyextra11]

"What did the five fingers say to the face?"

[@GregorioStyreco]

SLÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄP!

[@hillelisreal2983]

Charlie Murphy!!!!!!

[@AGAM1911]

Char-lay Murphaaaay!

[@Blackmambama]

Im really shocked at how elegant and proper he actually spoke lmao!! Totally caught me off guard

[@erniedeane8967]

Before Rick died he did an episode on Judge Judy

[@2036livy]

Judge Joe Brown

[@Stackz509]

He is high asf 🤣 he trying to keep it together

[@Jgeneraledger23]

High people are always sweaty-jittery and fidgety. He looks calm-as-hell

[@AmySmith-tz7cg]

Great interview.

[@ricky15494]

I didn’t know he was so well spoken, what an awesome dude he was.. I seen a picture of him recently on Facebook he was dating Linda Blair from the Exorcist 🥰

[@SigHawk04]

What are the chances he went up to Eddie Murphy's office there in 30 Rock when taping finished?

[@TEXASBornIn76GraduatedIn94]

$450 million lawsuit! 😂😂

[@Jgeneraledger23]

They propbably settled for like $10M, Ricks actual 'want.' hahaha

[@SilentBill-ze1gf]

i was scrolling to see if anyone was already laughing st that 450 million , who is he Donald Trump ?

[@Dirtboxhor]

I was waiting for an F YO COUCH DAVE moment with his dirty boots

[@thedreamcast3411]

Buffalo legend 💪🏾🐐

[@mikejwomack9597]

How crazy is it to see a guy light a cig on TV IN A BUILDING

[@alainlalonde]

And blow an "O". Baller

[@alochoa3000]

A brother from another mother

[@summerbabetoo]

Rick James was a Genius ❣

[@markprice2225]

As 1 myself, I must agree with you! I also know that there's a thin line between genius and insanity too!

[@summerbabetoo]

@@markprice2225 I agree, I think all that talent makes them a little insane to keep topping themselves and others. It’s probably all they can think about.

[@MeneTekelUpharsin]

He's a reminder of that verse; "What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" Matthew 16:26

[@DowntownLaLife]

He's wearing the Unity Ring

[@wesleyhilde1]

He was on top of his game right dere....

[@sambbk7203]

It's sick of me but i enjoy him just casually smoking on television at the end.

[@macmoney2043]

Same here.He was living in his own universe and could care less and it was suave😂

[@Jgeneraledger23]

That was COMMON back then. I graduated in 1990, but was a little kid when they were still doing that. Today people woud think he was aiming a grenade at the audience and have a sh!t-f!t !!

[@joannefonceca7446]

People smoked in stores, hospitals, restaurants and kids had a smoking section in high school.

[@mattlaszlo3781]

I enjoyed the smoking part in it too even though I hate the smell of smoke now. I remember smoking in Dairy Queen and the local pool hall at age 13 and nobody questioned it. I remember sitting in the smoking section at Perkins at 1:00 A.M and those little Taco Bell ashtrays. My first job was at Burger King, age 16, and smoking in the break room with my adult managers because smoking was allowed and normal in a break room. I'm only in my 40s. People 30 and under have no idea what it was really like back then, smoke everywhere and hilarious politically incorrect jokes 24/7. Also before digital cameras covered every inch of Earth people used to be able to get really really crazy at parties and concerts without worry that it would be all over the world the next day. Life was real, and fun.

[@JuanHudson-th3tg]

Charlie Murphyyyyy! What did the five fingers say to the face? Slappppppp

[@EvanWhitney-yk5ds]

Pioneer of the "what the hell is that" hair..

[@sniffableandirresistble]

Great guy ❤

[@justposi]

Imagine asking a celebrity or anyone for that matter "Where do you live?" in 2020's. Tells a lot about the times we live in right now.

[@Odawg96]

No social media back then.

[@justposi]

@@Odawg96 I mean its still on a TV show in front of millions of ppl

[@Odawg96]

@@justposi Back then Letterman was a NICHE…not like what he became years later. Also consider that Buffalo was never a place people were breaking their necks to get to; it was the other way around. I used to leave there myself, and knew plenty of people who knew Rick. Back then it wasn’t all that unusual for celebs to mention where they lived. I’d say the turning point was when the girl from “My Sister Sam” was murdered by a stalker.

[@franklocasio2848]

My idol

[@davidtsmith33]

Rick was the best. Very interesting fella.

[@GMAV3RICK]

Anybody else thanks Quavo resembles Rick James? 😂

[@DonFelixGallardo]

2 chains aswell 😂

[@elainadevora1506]

No

[@eventvideoz]

He just described the plot to Trapped

[@Lord_OTD]

We need a high emoji 🤣

[@jamesheggs6825]

He wore 'wigs ' all the time. Rick was completely BALD😂😂😂😂😂

[@Keepcalmandclassyplease]

Couldn’t find anything online about this lawsuit against Dallas PD for $450m … was he joking? Hallucinating? Hard to tell.

[@thesaintst1851]

Legend

[@timb8970]

I have respect for Rick James. He is really chill.

[@MrKappaKappaPsi]

Rick James has so many classics.

[@busterheine3806]

Rick James was...different.

[@powermiller855]

This reminded me of how good pacs impersonation of Rick james is 😂

[@JerryKurpiewski]

NICE WIG HAHA😂 DAVE'S STRAIGHT UP

[@HardRockMiner]

Rick did things to Linda Blair that are illegal in 48 states and over 200 countries. 😂!!

[@joshuas4695]

I just seen an old interview with Dave Chappelle right after he did the Rick James Skit that he was in the making to do a Rick James Movie 🤣 Imagine ThatTtt!!!

[@oliviamitchell4099]

No Rick James say 450 Million Dollars ain't cocaine a hell of a drug. David Letterman knew Rick James was high. But what got me after Rick James said that he was going to sue them for 450 Million Dollars the police Dept in Dallas that's when David Letterman hurried up and end the show that ish was funny😅😅 while Rick sitting up there high as a kite.

[@mykoniichistorychannel]

I expected to hear that super deep voice I heard on Chapelle Show.

[@Dynasty19]

Hilarious cool laidback dude when he wasn’t performing or high 😏

[@marcusjamesOG]

A little disrespectful to give such a short interview

[@raymondmoore7464]

Yes at 1 time he was a teacher.

[@jimmyplenderleith9471]

I just picture him leaving, getting in his limo, going to wherever he is going, walking in and licking the face of the first girl he sees.

[@michaelgunawan635]

I'm Indonesian, Rick James is so light skin he can pass as my country man!

[@Jgeneraledger23]

oh that's wild, never thought of that!

[@LawDude777]

And he did all this without MTV. Just imagined in the 80's when MTV was popular and if they played Rick James. He was to cool for lame Boy George Playing MTV anyway!

[@nonni139]

They did play Rick James on MTV

[@OlafProt]

Ive always loved how American audiences clap a place.

[@Checkmate1954]

That was really Dave Chappelle

[@energyasylum997]

Rick lit up a cig at the end! It was common back then, but still….. it did start slowing down in the 1980s.

[@nonni139]

How many stars wants to say helllo to their mum, when they are on tv...

[@silke9479]

Exactly, very sympathetic!

[@BLOXKAFELLARECORDS]

*Im the next Rick James!!!!*

[@fooferbob9230]

Some better and at least thought-out questions would have been welcome I'm sure.

[@AnAdorableWombat1]

People expect Rick to be how he was portrayed on the Chappelle Show. On maryjane, he's calm

[@deniskostic1502]

He smoking in studio Old good times

[@josephlawson9950]

cocanie is a hell of a drug

[@ER211ful]

This was on the tour bus story