Bonnie Raitt pays tribute to Stephen Colbert: ‘We need you more than ever’

By Jill Lances May 21, 2026 | 5:30 PM

Bonnie Raitt on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ June 14, 2022. (Photo by Scott Kowalchyk/CBS via Getty Images)

Bonnie Raitt has penned a tribute to Stephen Colbert, who is signing off The Late Show Thursday night.

“As we’re forced to say goodbye to one of our most brilliant, hilarious and beloved shows, @colbertlateshow, I want to thank Stephen and his incredible team for the eleven years of astonishing gifts they’ve given us all,” she wrote on Instagram next to a photo of one of her appearances. “How insane that the number one show in that time slot is being booted off the air because some in power can’t take a joke or alternative points of view.”

“Here’s hoping that after a wee, well-deserved break, you’ll find a way to once again illuminate and delight us in an exciting new chapter,” she added. “We need you more than ever.”

Raitt then thanked Colbert for “your kindness in having us on your show,” and for “showcasing the incredible talents” of his bandleaders Jon Batiste and Louis Cato. She noted, “What an honor for us all.”

The post concluded, “God bless and til next time, here’s to us all still speaking our truths to power.”

CBS announced the The Late Show‘s cancellation in July 2025, noting it was a financial decision.