Jay Leno Through the Years ... After 22 years, Leno bids farewell to 'Tonight'

FILE - In this July 30, 1993 file photo, Ed McMahon, left, former announcer of the "Tonight Show," looks on as "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno breaks into laughter during the taping of the show in Burbank, Calif. McMahon, the loyal "Tonight Show" sidekick who bolstered boss Johnny Carson with guffaws and a resounding "H-e-e-e-e-e-ere's Johnny!" for 30 years, has died at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 86. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian, file).

THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JOHNNY CARSON -- Air Date 01/28/1992 -- Pictured: Guest host Jay Leno on January 28, 1992 .

Burbank , Ca. August 4 ; Senator Hillary Rodham clinton appears on the Tonight show with Jay Leno' ay The NBC Studios August 4 , 2003 in Burbank.

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ... Episode 4570 ... Pictured ; (l-r) Former President George W. Bush during an interview with host Jay Leno on November 19, 2013 .

Al Gore at "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at the NBC Studios in Burbank , Ca. on Wednesday , November 27 , 2002 .

President Barack Obama , left , appears on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno in Burbank , Ca. Thusday , March 19 , 2009 .

Late Night With David Letterman ... Espisode 1144 ... pictured ; (l-r) The new host of The Tonight Show Jay Leno , host David Letterman on May 7 , 1992 .

Comedian Jay Leno during an interview with Guest host on July 4 , 1979.

Jay Leno breaks out in laughter as band leader Branford Marsalis reveals his bikini during taping of "The Tonight Show " in Burbank, Ca . February 2 , 1993 . Marsalis wore the attire after losing a bet to Leno .

British actor Hugh Grant , left , reacts to a question about his lewd conduct from host Jay Leno during the early moments on "The Tonight Show" Monday , July 10 , 1995 in Burbank , Ca. It was Grant's first appearance since his arrest involving a prostitute .

Talk show host Jay Leno and Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich holds piglets during the taping of "The tonight Show " at NBC studios in Burbank , Ca. Friday , April 26 1996.

Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger jokes with host Jay Leno during taping ... Wednesday , August 6 , 2003 . Schwarenegger announced that he would run for governor of California in the recall election schedule for October 7 .

Jay Leno poses with a copy of his new children's book "If Roast Beef Could Fly," Monday , March 22 , 2004 in Burbank , Ca. It's based on a family cookout from his childhood in which mischief led to a ruined rotisserie of meat .

Jay Leno and wife Mavis arrive at the Vanity Fair Oscar party on Sunday , March , 2010 in West Hollywood .

Comedian Jay Leno pokes fun at President Barrack Obama during the White House Correspondents' Association dinner at the Washington Hilton Hotel . Saturday , May 1 , 2010 in Washington . At far left is first lady Michell Obama , second from left is Matt Winkler of Bloomberg .

Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon , late night talk show hosts .

BURBANK, Calif. (AP) - Jay Leno said farewell to "The Tonight Show" once before, but that turned out to be just a rehearsal.

On Thursday, Leno is stepping down for the second and presumably last time, making way for successor Jimmy Fallon in New York. When Leno gave up the venerable show to short-lived host Conan O'Brien in 2009, he did a prime-time NBC comedy series before reclaiming "Tonight" in 2010.

This time, Leno's out the door.

"When we left in '09 we were going to the 10 o'clock show, so there wasn't the same sort of finality to it," said "Tonight" executive producer Debbie Vickers as the program counted down toward its last taping in its Burbank home.

"It's going to be difficult to not come in and do a show every day for our audience who has been so great to Jay. ... And also hard for this group of people (the staff) who have all been together for 22 years," said Vickers, who worked on Johnny Carson's "Tonight" before taking the top job with Leno.

Leno, 63, said he plans to continue playing comedy clubs, indulging his passion for cars and doing such TV work as comes his way - other than hosting on late-night.

"It's been a wonderful job. This is the right time to leave," he said last week, and make way for the next generation.

Fallon, 39, starts his "Tonight" Feb. 17, with NBC hoping he rides the promotional wave of its Winter Olympics coverage the next two weeks.

Billy Crystal was set to help close out Leno's run, the second-longest for a "Tonight" host next to Carson's 30 years. The actor-comedian was Leno's first guest in 1992, and Leno told him he wanted him to be his final one.

Garth Brooks will appear as well, along with surprises being kept under wraps. The 2009 farewell ended with Leno filling the stage with the many children born to the longtime staffers of "Tonight," an indication of the pride Leno takes in being a loyal boss.

How can he top that?

"In the last segment, Jay will say goodbye to our viewers," Vickers said. "He has some closing thoughts he's putting together."

During his 2009 finale, Leno showed some of his favorite comedy bits and made cracks about favorite subjects, including former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and NBC, the network that shuffled him around. James Taylor, the only featured celebrity, performed "Sweet Baby James."

Leno's late-night competitors aren't stepping aside for his final bow.

ABC's Jimmy Kimmel, who was harshly critical of Leno when O'Brian lost "Tonight," has the A-list cast of the new film "The Monuments Men," including George Clooney, Matt Damon and Bill Murray.

On CBS, David Letterman's "Late Show" will continue its musical tributes to the upcoming 50th anniversary of The Beatles' appearance on CBS' "The Ed Sullivan Show." Sean Lennon, son of the late John Lennon, will perform a Beatles tune with The Flaming Lips.

Witchy sums it up :
Jay Leno is the best - he will be missed. We are sincerely saddened. He was part of our daily routine after work and school! Jay -- you will be missed! The others (Letterman, Kimmel, Fallon, O'Brian) are not in the same category as Jay. They just don't leave us with a happy feeling at the end of the day -- there's always something rude or offensive being said at some point in any one of their shows. Jay - you leave us feeling happy! A good ending to a hard working day. Thank you Jay! You're a good man! Faithfully, we will see you later tonight on your Tonight Show! The Ricky Minor Band is fabulous too !!