Anyone who ever worked behind the scenes on a show with Stephen Colbert knows he is an absolutely fantastic person. One of those folks who has a knack for making everyone feel special and his presence is a gift. I was assigned to him as a wrangler on ‘Night of Too Many Stars’ back in ‘17.

There was a moment where a talented young performer on the spectrum was going to play piano on stage and due to a miscue some confetti came down which distracted her and stopped the performance.

This may have been dress rehearsal if memory serves. I remember a tense moment as talent & producers huddled next to stage right monitors wondering how to proceed or if the item should be cut.

Astute and sensitive folks seemed frozen as to the right move. Suddenly Stephen said I got this guys and walked out onto stage, sat with her at her piano and comforted her and conveyed how much he alone wanted to see her play, ‘do the song as if you’re just playing for a friend, never mind the distractions, I know it’s scary but I’m right here with you’.

She played wonderfully and in that moment in my eyes you saw the measure of the man, a father, a friend, a fellow performer reminding us all why we were really here and what truly matters in this life: love and humility and lifting each other up.

We could all use more of that in this world right now and I have no doubt his light will continue to illuminate. He’s also a Radiohead fan & a brilliant comic, what more could you want in this life.🙏