Jimmy Fallon showing up on ‘The Voice’ with a beautiful melody was the crossover we never expected
Jimmy Fallon once delivered an impressive performance on ‘The Voice’ leaving the coaches stunned, amused, and even a little emotional. The late-night host pulled off an epic prank in 2023, not only disguising himself as an audience member but also delivering a surprisingly touching rendition of Tony Bennett’s classic ‘(I Left My Heart) in San Francisco.’ Fallon flaunted a gray beard and sunglasses as he sat in the audience and interrupted host Carson Daly with a series of hilarious questions. Fallon asked, "Is this the part of the show where you take questions from the audience? I have a couple few questions for everybody."
Daly explained that there isn’t really such a segment but that doesn’t deter the comedian, who pressed, "I wanted to know if the winner of this show gets to go on 'Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' because that's a quality program. He's a good guy. I think that would just be great for the winner. It'd be a treat for the winner if they could go to New York City." He followed up with another question— "What time does Blake [Shelton] get here?" Shelton's wife Gwen Stefani, however, brushed off the question with laughter. Fallon then walked onto the stage, asked the band if they knew ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco,’ and launched into a heartfelt performance, People magazine reported.
Jimmy Fallon tried a prank on "The Voice," but one judge wasn't having it pic.twitter.com/bIHlRBFPoX
— CNN (@CNN) March 9, 2023
As he sings coaches John Legend, Stefani, Niall Horan, and Reba McEntire react with delight. Legend, in particular, was deeply moved. He remarked, "I'm getting emotional. You sound gorgeous!" The performance, though meant to be a joke, had special significance given the passing of Tony Bennett. Legend added, “I was a little emotional. We just lost Tony Bennett and that was one of his songs. I was a little emotional hearing that version. I know Jimmy was trying to be funny, but he sounded really good.”
Throwback to when Jimmy pranked the @NBCTheVoice coaches with a performance of Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” during blind auditions. 😂 #TheVoice #FallonFlashback pic.twitter.com/TaZNZuR02e
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) August 15, 2023
As per Entertainment Weekly, this wasn’t the first time Fallon crashed the sets of ‘The Voice.’ Back in March 2023, he pulled off another unforgettable prank when he participated in a blind audition. Disguised, Fallon took the stage to perform ‘I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near),’ a 1982 hit by Michael McDonald. Kelly Clarkson and Horan turned their chairs first, immediately bursting into laughter when they realized who was singing. Chance the Rapper soon followed, screaming in shock. But Shelton refused to fall for it.
Knowing something was off, he stubbornly didn't turn his chair. Fallon, ever the mischief-maker, took matters into his own hands and pressed the button for Shelton himself. Shelton noted, "It didn't take me long to figure out that it was Jimmy Fallon, and there was no way I was gonna hit my button. He does not deserve a chair turn on this show. Jimmy's impersonation is the equivalent of walking up to Michael McDonald in the face as hard as you can."
