Jay Leno's last 'Tonight Show'

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Jay Leno's last 'Tonight Show'

Jay Leno last night on Tonight Show

Jay Leno on Friday closed out his long tenure as "The Tonight Show" host, welcoming replacement Conan O'Brien. But the taping was also a time for memories and his trademark quips. "Welcome to the exciting season finale of `The Tonight Show,'" said Leno, greeted by a standing ovation. "I want to thank all the people who made it possible: Michael Jackson, Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton."

Leno posed with the 68 children born to the show's staffers over 17 years. "That's what I'd like my legacy to be," Leno said, his voice thickened by emotion. "When these kids grow up and they go, `Hey, mom and dad, where did you guys meet?', they're going to say they met on the stage of `The Tonight Show.'"

Giving O'Brien a pre-debut boost, Leno welcomed him as his final guest. "You were the perfect choice. You've been an absolute gentlemen in private and in the press," Leno told O'Brien, lauding him for his "sharp" material. "Conan rocks," a studio audience member shouted. "I agree, Conan rocks," Leno replied.

Michelle Seltzer holds a portrait of Jay Leno as she and other fans wait in line for Leno's final appearance as the host of "The Tonight Show" Friday.

Look for this sign to be gone over the weekend. Conan O'Brien wants viewers to think of his "Tonight" host debut Monday as the introductory course to a new late-night era. "I'm not going to cure cancer on the first show, and I'm not going to jump Snake River Canyon. I'm not going to levitate. Sometimes people forget this is the first show of what I hope will be many, many, many shows," O'Brien said.

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Jay Leno on Friday closed out his long tenure as "The Tonight Show" host, welcoming replacement Conan O'Brien. But the taping was also a time for memories and his trademark quips. "Welcome to the exciting season finale of `The Tonight Show,'" said Leno, greeted by a standing ovation. "I want to thank all the people who made it possible: Michael Jackson, Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton."

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