Per Deadline, Jerry Foley, the esteemed director of the Late Show with David Letterman, overseeing nearly 4,000 hours of late-night television and earning two-dozen Emmy nominations, has passed away at the age of 68. His death, reportedly resulting from a skiing accident, occurred last week.
With a tenure spanning over 25 years, he began his journey as the technical director of NBC’s Late Night with David Letterman before transitioning to CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman. Taking over from Hal Gurnee (The David Letterman Show, Late Night with David Letterman), in 1995, he directed the show for almost its entire duration until its conclusion in 2015, except for a solitary month.
From 1994 to 2017, Foley garnered 24 Emmy nominations, with his final nod coming for the NBC special Tony Bennett Celebrates 90: The Best Is Yet to Come. Additionally, he received nine nominations for the DGA Awards.
Furthermore, he was the producer and director of the “America Salutes You” benefit concert in November 2016. Moreover, he directed an off-Broadway presentation of Dorothy Dandridge – Hollywood’s Sepia Goddess for Amas Musical Theatre.
Aside from his work on Late Show, he directed and served as executive producer for all 72 episodes of the webcast concert series Live on Letterman between 2010 and 2015. Furthermore, he contributed to The Alec Baldwin Show and Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons: A Life on Stage, in addition to directing episodes of ABC’s The View and Jimmy Kimmel Live!
View Foley’s cherished highlights from Letterman’s career on the David Letterman YouTube page provided below.