Jimmy Fallon is a documented Prince megafan and he even has a ping pong story to prove it. Fallon’s love of the Minnesotan music legend wasn’t enough to turn a traveling Tonight Show cover into something folks wanted in their Thanksgiving plans. To be fair, maybe should have done something off Parade.
A sponsored Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float featuring Fallon and The Roots popped up during NBC’s broadcast and featured a very parade-y rendition of the immortal 1984 Purple Rain cut complete with an assortment of folks doing air guitar. It wasn’t exactly an instant classic, but it did fit the description of late night host and his talented band perform an abbreviated version of a pop hit as part of the thing you watch while held hostage by family or a walk-in clinic waiting room.
So what did folks think of Fallon’s unapologetically cheesy frontmanning of the tune? Reactions poured in on Twitter (as is the parade verdict preferred by God and country) and responses were somewhat mixed. The Roots emerged pretty much unscathed, but the Tonight Show host? Not so much. To some viewers, Fallon doing Prince was akin to sacrilege. He had his champions too, though.
GUYS, it's @jimmyfallon and @theroots ! Let's go crazy 🎉🎉#MacysParade pic.twitter.com/3S7yrvwtQ7
— Macy's (@Macys) November 23, 2017
Exec 1: “Hey, we got The Roots to perform a Prince song at the #MacysParade!”
Exec 2: “Cool … but what if we had Jimmy Fallon sing vocals?”
— Bill Kuchman (@billkuchman) November 23, 2017
WHY IS JIMMY FALLON ALWAYS SINGING!? #MacysDayParade pic.twitter.com/KtIh2KSipM
— Nicole Michalik (@NicoleisNik) November 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/UncommonNasa/status/933724341266800640
— Ken Reedy (@TheKenReedyShow) November 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/prince_PRN/status/933767257443901441
https://twitter.com/grantpa/status/933719580094189568
Prince should come back just to smite Fallon for thinking he should "sing" Let's Go Crazy.
— heather (the bravest little toaster) (@tonightatomic) November 23, 2017
Describe 2017 in a single quote. I'll start:
"And now here's Jimmy Fallon singing a cover of Prince's 'Let's Go Crazy.' "
— Dave Quinn (@NineDaves) November 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/DanaSchwartzzz/status/933720261110706176
The Roots are allowed to cover Prince. More than allowed. Jimmy Fallon is not.
— Jen Chaney (@chaneyj) November 23, 2017
prince looking down from heaven watching jimmy fallon attempt to cover let’s go crazy pic.twitter.com/DJHhlMxEc7
— erin ☁️ (@favoriterecord) November 23, 2017
Jimmy Fallon ROCKED IT!!! "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince is one of my favorite songs!!! #MacysParade
— Aaron J. (@TheRealAJ_) November 23, 2017
Jimmy Fallon & The Roots are the Thanksgiving gift that keeps on giving. Together, they’ve turned the streets of Manhattan into a “everyone’s invited” dance party!! #MacysParade
🎉🍁🎸🎉🍁🎸🎉🍁🎸🎉🍁🎸🎉 pic.twitter.com/FM9G0v9EWU— Nick Ochalek (@NickOchalek) November 23, 2017
Jimmy Fallon and the Roots #MacysDayParade pic.twitter.com/uyNjrDWUOG
— MrCapricorn_1978 (@One9Seven8) November 23, 2017
You guys rocked the hell out of that, Prince would be soo proud👏👏💜💜👏👏 OMG..im still buzzing😱😱🍀🍀 #LetsGoCrazy #MacysParade
— 🍀EstherG🍀 (@Neuro2343) November 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/zmjohnson/status/933719221397278720
Jimmy Fallon was pretty happy with how the whole thing panned out.
That was so much fun!!! Thank you @theroots and @blackthought and of course Prince. We love you all and hope you have the best Thanksgiving. #MacysParade
— Jimmy Fallon (@jimmyfallon) November 23, 2017
