Darlene Love has performed "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the last pre-Christmas episode of David Letterman's show ever since 1986. And with her last performance before Letterman retires, she says she's
retiring the song—from television, at least. She's not ruling out doing it in concert.
This tradition is especially noteworthy in the context of Love's story, which was one of those told in the Academy Award-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom. Love was recorded by Phil Spector—who then went on to make songs she sang into hits credited to other people. Love famously was cleaning houses to make a living when hearing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the radio spurred her to try to restart her music career again. Her annual Letterman spot has helped Love have the long-lasting career—under her own name, even—it looked like she would be denied at several points over the years.