Elvis Costello nearly became the bandleader on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. The "Veronica" singer, 72, revealed on the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast that when Colbert asked his advice about the job, he pitched himself.
"I said, 'What about me?'" Costello recalled, adding that he thought Colbert believed he was joking. Costello said there were serious discussions about it. A Colbert spokesperson did not comment on the report.
Why he wanted it, and why it didn't happen
Costello said the idea came from watching The Roots handle a four-night-a-week talk show gig while still making new music and avoiding the grind of touring. He also pointed to Branford Marsalis leading the band on The Tonight Show.
He then realized his bandmates would all have to relocate to New York, where the show taped, and decided it "would have never worked." He also joked he would have been fired in about three weeks, by the network rather than by Colbert.
The job went to Jon Batiste, who led the band for seven years and left in 2022. Louis Cato took over for the show's final years.
A finale reunion
Costello still made it into the show's May finale, where Colbert sang the My Aim Is True track "Jump Up" with him, Batiste, and Cato. It was part of a medley that included a Paul McCartney-led "Hello Goodbye."
Costello is promoting My Aim Is True (49th Anniversary Edition), a five-CD box set released October 2. It includes a 2026 remaster, demos, outtakes, and a 72-page essay by Costello.
Even that debut album's track list nods to faith themes, with "Miracle Man" and "Blame It on Cain," a title that points to the biblical story of Cain and Abel.
