David Letterman
As "Late Show" host David Letterman prepares to sign off for the last time, many who are too young to remember his groundbreaking NBC show "Late Night" may be wondering what all the fuss is about. CBS

David Letterman is down to six weeks left in his tenure as host of “The Late Show” on CBS. The comedian’s retirement continues a string of late-night TV exits, including Stephen Colbert at Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” and Craig Ferguson at CBS’ “The Late Late Show” – and Jon Stewart will step down from Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” later this year.

With all of the late-night farewells, it has started to look like an unofficial competition among the hosts to top the others’ final episodes. Now the Hollywood Reporter has released a list of A-List guests coming to “The Late Show” in the next few weeks that are sure to make Letterman’s sendoff tough to beat.

The guest list for Letterman’s final shows includes Bill Murray, Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Seinfeld, John Travolta, Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Robert Downey Jr., Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Tom Hanks, Jack Hanna, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Keaton, Steve Martin, Sarah Jessica Parker, Don Rickles, Ray Romano, Paul Rudd, Martin Short, Howard Stern and Bruce Willis.

That all-star lineup is matched by some big-time musical guests in the final weeks, including Elvis Costello, the Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Mumford and Sons, the Avett Brothers, Brandi Carlile, Emmylou Harris, Norah Jones, Ralph Stanley, Amos Lee and Tom Waits.

In addition to the huge names – Clooney, Oprah, etc. – there are a few rare gems on the list. An appearance by Tom Waits on any TV show is a rare event and should have fans excited. On top of that, zookeeper Jack Hanna will be a nostalgic experience for viewers after appearing dozens of times over the years – before the “Late Show,” Hanna was a regular on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson.

After Letterman steps down on May 20, he will be replaced by Colbert. Colbert takes over on Sept. 8. CBS will air reruns of “The Late Show” in the interim.

What do you think of the guest list for the final episodes? Tweet your thoughts to @Ja9GarofaloTV.

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