Max Weinberg Leaving The Tonight Show?

[Jouster]

File this under "Bad News, Unconfirmed:" Max Weinberg, currently on hiatus from The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien on a European tour with Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, might not be returning to the show. The following status update on his official Facebook fan page certainly has an air of finality about it:

NBC is denying any possibility of a permanent departure, and claim the message is "untrue." Depending on how literally you take Weinberg's update, it certainly seems as if he'll be gone from the show for an extended period, if not forever.

Weinberg, who has been working with Conan since his Late Night debut in September of 1993 and made the transition to The Tonight Show with him earlier this year, has long been an integral part of the show. His stoic demeanor and willingness to go to nearly any length for a joke have long been assets to Conan and his team, and his departure would undoubtedly be a huge loss.

[WhoRadley]

Hey guys - not sure where all these rumors are coming from, but Max has not left our show. He'll be back in about 8 wks!

http://twitter.com/BigBley/status/2412060324

[Shane]

When does the show start taping again?

[isoS]

July 6th I think.

[dan telfer]

It's a fan page, which is often not controlled by the artist in question. People will often make these in good faith, but (semi-creepily) post news and plugs in the first person.

When his "departure" was first announced it was with the remark that he would eventually return. I think he has a fan that runs the page who misinterpreted the news. Just look at one of his other (of 3 total) updates:

Max Weinberg is upset.... i haven't had any gigs lately.

That sounds like a fan trying to be funny to me, not Max. Just my take.

[Jawa]

Max Weinberg is upset.... i haven't had any gigs lately.

That sounds like a fan trying to be funny to me, not Max. Just my take.

Plus, the mixing of first person and third person is a dead giveaway. Max would never mix points of view.

[amoment]

And hopefully Max Weinberg or anyone put in charge of an "official" Facebook page would know that "know's" doesn't need an apostrophe! Not that there's any guarantee of that ... (And why put an apostrophe in "know's" and then leave it out of "I'm" and "I'll"? At least it says "your support" and not "you're support" ...)

[CameramanNBC]

I can tell you for a fact that Max is gone for good. The band is now just refered to as "The Tonite Show Band" No longer the "Max Weinberg 7". Even when Max went on tour before Conan always refered to the band as "The Max Weinberg 7". Trust me I know, he is gone for good as their were contract problems between Max and NBC that could not be worked out. Max picked up and left. He will not be back, so sorry Max fans, Max is out!

[Newt Floss]

I doubt your credibility. Max Weinberg doesn't have fans.

[aenemaTron]

One time he was an answer on Jeopardy! but the guy misspoke and said "Who is Wack-Max Wine-bird?" They accepted it.

[darrylduffy]

i'm like 100% that is a made up character but Max is on tour in europe with springsteen and they've been calling it the tonight show band ever since well conan took over the tonight show.

[chapina]

i'm like 100% that is a made up character but Max is on tour in europe with springsteen and they've been calling it the tonight show band ever since well conan took over the tonight show.

IIRC, they added a person to the band with the move to L.A. so "7" was no longer appropriate.

[Having Fun!]

You guys didn't notice the date of the original post, I'm guessing.

I heard Conan wouldn't let Max take up skydiving.

[aenemaTron]

He left on tour with whatshisname again, that's why this is happening again.

[Trial]

You guys didn't notice the date of the original post, I'm guessing.

I heard Conan wouldn't let Max take up skydiving.

NO. Max is gone AGAIN. He's in Europe.

[Having Fun!]

My mistake. I guess Max was born to run.