The Roots Fun Facts, Quotes and Tweets
15th February 2016
Fact: Hip-hop group The Roots' pre-Grammy Awards invite-only jam session with Lenny Kravitz was briefly disrupted on Saturday (13Feb16) after police were called to apprehend a man at the Hotel Cafe venue in Hollywood. No further information about the arrest has been released, but the stars refused to let the drama overshadow the night, as they performed a slew of Kravitz's hits, including Are You Gonna Go My Way and I Want To Get Away. Funk legend George Clinton and soul singer Bilal also hit the stage with The Roots for the event.
23rd September 2015
Fact: Comedian Jimmy Fallon pulled off his best Terrence Howard impression on Tuesday (22Sep15) as he and his house band The Roots spoofed the actor's hit hip-hop drama Empire. The Jimpire sketch, filmed for a segment on America's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, featured cameos from Howard himself and his co-star Taraji P. Henson, as well as an appearance from property mogul-turned-U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump.
23rd July 2015
Fact: The Roots' Questlove has signed on as executive music producer of the planned ROOTS mini-series revamp. The new project will premiere on America's History, A&E and Lifetime networks next year (16).
22nd January 2015
Quote: "I got drunk for the first time. I had my first hangover... I probably did one too many rum shots. I'm not a real drinker... but it was nice." The Roots bandleader Ahmir 'questlove' Thompson reveals he had his first drunken experience on Tuesday night (20Jan15) as he celebrated his 44th birthday.
23rd December 2014
Fact: One Direction joined U.S. Tv host Jimmy Fallon on his talk show The Tonight Show STARRING Jimmy Fallon on Monday (22Dec14) to perform a unique version of holiday song Santa Claus is Coming to Town. The boyband and Fallon's house band The Roots performed the tune using nothing but makeshift instruments found in a school classroom instruments. The comedian previously staged a similar singalong with Mariah Carey.
18th November 2014
Fact: U.S. Tv host Jimmy Fallon stepped into Bono's shoes on Monday (17Nov14) to perform Desire as the U2 singer alongside house band The Roots after the Irish rocker was forced to scrap a week-long residency on his late-night show following a bicycle accident. Bono injured himself while cycling in New York on Sunday (16Nov14).
1st October 2014
Fact: Actor Miles Teller showed off his musical skills on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday (30Sep14) by playing the drums with house band The Roots.
9th September 2014
Fact: Actor Jason Segel teamed up with U.S. Tv host Jimmy Fallon to take on members of his house band, hip-hop group The Roots, in a fun game of Family Fortunes during an appearance on The Tonight Show STARRING Jimmy Fallon on Monday (08Sep14). Comedian-turned-game show host Steve Harvey moderated the segment, which The Roots won.
5th September 2014
Fact: Singer Meghan Trainor teamed up with U.S. Tv presenter Jimmy Fallon and his house band The Roots for a special acoustic rendition of her song All About That Bass, with the hip-hop group using school instruments for the performance. The creative collaboration featured on Thursday's (04Sep14) episode of LATE NIGHT WITH Jimmy Fallon.
13th August 2014
Fact: Actor Rob Riggle proved he was game for a challenge on Tuesday (12Aug14), when he joined U.S. comedian Jimmy Fallon and his The Tonight Show house band The Roots to douse themselves in buckets of ice cold water - all in the name of charity. The fundraising phenomenon has taken social media by storm in recent weeks to raise money to fight Lou Gehrig's disease. Pop star Justin Timberlake performed the dare on Monday (11Aug14), and then nominated Fallon and The Roots crew to do the same, which they did within 24 hours. They also vowed to donate to the Als (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Association to help raise awareness about the condition.
7th August 2014
Fact: Former Kiss star Ace Frehley is to join The Roots for a night when he sits in as lead guitarist for comedian Jimmy Fallon's house band on The Tonight Show on Tuesday (12Aug14). The appearance will come just five days before the release of Frehley's new album Space Invader.
27th June 2014
Quote: "Our rivals ended up being Boyz II Men... They used to cheat in the talent show with glitter by (throwing it out of their hands). Girls started swooning, I was like 'What are you doing? That's Nate from science class! Come on now." Questlove and Black Thought of hip-hop group The Roots found early rivals with fellow classmates Nathan Morris, Wanya Morris and Shawn Stockman from Boyz II Men. All of the musicians went to Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts together in Pennsylvania.
24th April 2014
Fact: Rapper Nas has recruited hip-hop group The Roots to perform with him at the Boston Calling Music Festival in Massachusetts this September (14). The artists will join the likes of The National, Lorde, The Replacements and Neutral Milk Hotel on the bill for the three-day event, which will take place at the city's historic City Hall Plaza.
28th March 2014
Fact: Actor/singer Russell Crowe showed off his musical skills on Thursday (27Mar14) as he jammed with U.S. talk show host Jimmy Fallon and his house band The Roots on a rendition of Johnny Cash's Folson Prison Blues. The Gladiator star was invited to pick up a guitar and take the microphone, with The Tonight Show host Fallon on harmonica.
23rd March 2014
Fact: The Roots star Questlove will return to teach New York University students about music for a second year. The musician gave a lecture on classic albums in 2013, and this year (14), he will be talking about one of his favourite subjects - pop superstar Prince.
4th March 2014
Fact: Broadway star Idina Menzel joined U.S. Tv host Jimmy Fallon on his talk show on Monday (03Mar14) to perform a unique version of her Oscar-winning song Let It Go from the movie Frozen. The couple and Fallon's house band The Roots performed the track using kid's classroom instruments. The comedian previously staged a similar singalong with Mariah Carey.
10th December 2013
Fact: Jack Johnson and The Roots have teamed up to record a reworked version of Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for charity. The group's performance of the popular tune from U.S. show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, during which Johnson and his one-off backing band all wore matching red Christmas sweaters, is now available to download on iTunes - and all proceeds will benefit the Red Cross typhoon relief effort in the Philippines.
19th November 2013
Fact: Actor/comedian Bill Cosby stole the show from U.S. late night host Jimmy Fallon on Monday (18Nov13) when he appeared as a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The star walked past the host and chatted with an audience member after his introduction and then asked the show's band, The Roots, to audition for his funeral as he pretended to be dead on the floor. He spent the rest of the first segment on the ground.
12th September 2013
Fact: Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul and Bob Odenkirk joined U.S. talk show host Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday (11Sep13) for a Tv parody called Joking Bad. In the 13-minute skit, Fallon and comedian Steve Higgins concocted jokes instead of cooking meth, like Cranston's character Walter White does in the crime drama. The spoof also featured comedian Colin Quinn, U.S. Tv host Jay Leno and LATE NIGHT WITH Jimmy Fallon house band The Roots, among many others.
12th September 2013
Fact: Singer Justin Timberlake made a surprise appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday (10Sep13) to perform the Evolution of End Zone Dancing skit, where the Suit & Tie hitmaker and the U.S. Tv host imitated several American football touchdown dances. On Monday (09Sep13), rapper Kanye West also made an unannounced visit to Fallon's show, performing his song Bound 2 along with singer Charlie Wilson and The Roots.
2nd August 2013
Fact: R&B singer Robin Thicke teamed up with U.S. Tv presenter Jimmy Fallon and his house band The Roots for a special acoustic rendition of his hit song Blurred Lines on Thursday's episode of LATE NIGHT WITH Jimmy Fallon. The hip-hop group performed the track with toy instruments.
1st August 2013
Fact: R&B band The Roots helped U.S. late-night show host Jimmy Fallon welcome actress Paula Patton onto his programme on Tuesday (30Jul13) by playing a rendition of her husband Robin Thicke's hit Blurred Lines. Recognising the tune, the sexy Precious star danced to her seat.
2nd June 2013
Fact: The Roots served up a surprise headliner for their Roots Picnic at the Festival Pier in Penn's Landing, Philadelphia, on Saturday (01Jun13) when rapper Meek Mill joined the group onstage. As is the norm at the Pennsylvania event, the band performed backing for the announced headliners Naughty by Nature and then returned after a brief break with local boy Meek Mill. MACklemore & Ryan Lewis, Solange and guitarist Gary Clark, Jr. also performed at the one-day festival.
12th May 2013
Fact: The Roots star Ahmir '?Uestlove' Thompson is launching a food stand in New York City. Hybrid, which will serve "gourmet fast food for the eclectic palate", is set to open on Saturday (18May13) in the Chelsea neighbourhood, according to New York Post gossip column Page Six.
5th December 2012
Fact: R&B superstar Mariah Carey joined U.S. Tv host Jimmy Fallon on his talk show LATE NIGHT WITH Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday (05Dec12) to perform a unique version of her festive classic All I Want For Christmas Is You. The couple and Fallon's house band The Roots performed using classroom instruments, including a toy xylophone and a recorder. The comedian previously staged a similar singalong with Christina Aguilera using office stationery.
10th June 2012
Fact: Pop sensation Carly Rae Jepsen performed her smash-hit Call Me Maybe with comedian Jimmy Fallon and his house band The Roots in a dressing room backstage at his Late Night chat show on Friday (08Jun12). The Canadian star's odd acoustic performance featured a ukelele, a children's xylophone, a kazoo and mouth-keyboard and various woodwind and percussion instruments. Jepsen herself played a triangle.
25th May 2012
Fact: Actress Whoopi Goldberg, former model Brooke Shields and The Roots star ?Uestlove have teamed up to shoot a spoof of British period series Downtown Abbey. The group filmed the scene in old Victorian garb for U.S. programme Late Night With Jimmy Fallon and the short piece aired on Thursday (24May12).
25th April 2012
Fact: U.S. President Barack Obama proved he's still a fun-loving guy amid the drama and pressure of running the country when he joined chat show host Jimmy Fallon for his popular segment Slow Jam the News on Tuesday night (24Apr12) . The leader ran through the latest news headlines and campaign slogans while Fallon added his own funny ad libs and house band The Roots provided a little mood music.
29th November 2011
Tweet: "so grateful i got to see Patrice Oneal do his last Nyc gig. man this is so devastating. he truly was one of my favorite comics. Rip Patrice." The Roots star Ahmir '?UESTLOVE' THOMPSON on the death of comedian Patrice O'Neal.
18th November 2011
Fact: The Roots drummer Ahmir '?UESTLOVE' THOMPSON launched the New York branch of his catering company with a star-studded party in the Big Apple on Wednesday (16Nov11). Guests included Zoe Kravitz, Penn Badgley and Solange Knowles. ?uest Loves Food also operates in Philadelphia.
12th August 2011
Fact: The Roots drummer Ahmir '?Uestlove' Thompson and guitarist 'Captain' Kirk Douglas gave U.S. TV viewers a laugh on Wednesday (10Aug11) when they performed an a cappella version of LMFAO's chart smash Party Rock, posing as the black Simon & Garfunkel, on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.
24th May 2011
Tweet: "damn. thought (Kanye West's tour) GlowInTheDark was a mighty presentation... just watch&bow down now... like seriously: (presentation software) Powerpoint owes Beyonce money." The Roots drummer Ahmir '?Uestlove' Thompson was blown away by pal Beyonce's performance at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday (22May11). The R&B superstar garnered a standing ovation from the Las Vegas audience after performing her new single Run The World (Girls) with a synchronised backdrop and an army of female dancers.
7th April 2011
Tweet: "HA! at the rate where minions like The Roots were winning left & right this year i knew the Grammy's would pull this revoke category s**t." Critically-acclaimed drummer Ahmir '?Uestlove' Thompson of hip-hop group The Roots is not happy with the news the Grammy Awards are being completely revamped for 2012 onwards. More than 30 categories were scrapped and others consolidated as part of a major overhaul of the ceremony, announced by America's Recording Academy officials on Wednesday (06Apr11).
29th March 2011
Quote: "(My secret hobby is) counting paces. Always making secret bets with myself, like, 'I can get to this elevator in 50 steps' or 'I can count to 1,000 before this train stops at Penn Station'. It’s a longtime obsession." The Roots drummer Ahmir '?Uestlove' Thompson has a strange habit.
29th March 2011
Quote: "As a train connoisseur, I think you’ll never have a more beautiful experience than travelling to Montreux by train. Most people ask me when I sleep... or relax. The only 'me time' I get and enjoy is jumping on a train and doing cross-country trips. When in Europe, I never miss the chance to go to Switzerland by train." Hip-hop star Ahmir '?Uestlove' Thompson of The Roots loves touring by train.
28th March 2011
Quote: "I own at least one priceless personal item from most of my music idols. If I were to list them, the estates of said artists would hunt me down." The Roots drummer Ahmir '?Uestlove' Thompson has built up an impressive personal collection of music memorabilia.
28th March 2011
Quote: "Pop-culture paradise. My advice to all first-time visitors is to not even think of going there without $5,000 to blow. On an average, I think I blow somewhere between $15,000 and $20,000. Rare albums (most expensive one I copped was $2,000). High-end denim, toys, 'Soul Train' episodes and concert footage. And electronics and gadgets." The Roots drummer Ahmir '?Uestlove' Thompson splurges on his favourite things whenever he's in Tokyo, Japan.
28th March 2011
Quote: "Charlie Sheen is going Ham (hard as a motherf**ker) on TV right now. Just for 20 minutes I wanna know what his life is like. OK, OK… 25 minutes." The Roots star Ahmir '?Uestlove' Thompson would love to experience life as the oddball TV star. The actor has been hitting the headlines in recent weeks for his rants against TV producers, which led to his firing from hit sitcom Two And A Half Men.
6th January 2011
Tweet: "Lauryn slain her ten thousands (sic)....#amazing and yeah "worth the wait". Goodnight Kids." The Roots drummer AHMIR '?UESTLOVE' THOMPSON was thoroughly impressed with Lauryn Hill's performance at the Blue Note in New York on Wednesday (05Jan11), despite the reclusive star making fans wait until almost 1am on Thursday morning (06Jan11) before appearing onstage.
25th November 2010
Fact: Jessica Simpson, Kanye West and Kylie Minogue helped New Yorkers ring in the holidays on Thursday (25Nov10) when they performed on floats in the annual MACy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. They were joined by the casts of the Broadway musicals Memphis and Elf, comedian Jimmy Fallon with The Roots, folk singer Arlo Guthrie and R&B star Keri Hilson, who performed on the My Princess Academy float.
22nd November 2010
Quote: "Not many know, but our lead MC, Tariq 'Black Thought', provides the best culinary experience I've ever had. If he ever retired, he could have another life as a chef." The Roots drummer ?UESTLOVE loves his bandmate's feasts.
9th April 2010
Fact: Justin Bieber joined The Roots' AHMIR '?UESTLOVE' THOMPSON on the drums for a jam session on Thursday (08Apr10) during U.S. talkshow LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON.
13th January 2010
Fact: British soul singer Duffy has recruited The Roots drummer/producer AHMIR '?UESTLOVE' THOMPSON and ALBERT HAMMOND, SR. to work on her sophomore album. Thompson and Hammond, Sr. will help with both production and songwriting duties on the follow-up to her Grammy winning Rockferry disc.
16th October 2009
Fact: Scottish actor Gerard Butler showed off his musical credentials on Thursday (15Oct09) when he jammed with The Roots on U.S. TV. The Ugly Truth star joined comedian/presenter Jimmy Fallon on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon for a duet of The Doors' classic Roadhouse Blues, backed up by the acclaimed hip-hop band.
15th October 2009
Fact: Comedian/singer Eric Idle teamed up with acclaimed hip-hop group The Roots for a performance of his song ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE during an appearance on U.S. TV's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday (14Oct09). The Roots, the show's house band, provided musical backing for Idle and whistled along during the tune's chorus.
28th August 2009
Fact: Country singer Gavin Degraw and hip-hop band The Roots are among a list of musicians who have signed up to perform a free concert in New York next month (11Sep09) on the eighth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, marking the first annual U.S. National Day of Service and Remembrance.
7th August 2009
Fact: The Roots played a surprise gig in New York's Times Square on Thursday night (06Aug09) after the band's drummer Questlove announced on his Twitter.com blog, "NYC - be in times square 7 pm SHARP!!" Then adding, "THAT is all the info you need."
10th December 2008
Fact: Cult hip-hop group The Roots will rock out as the house band on TV show , which premieres in the U.S. on 2 March (09).
18th November 2008
Fact: Cult group The Roots have signed on as comedian Jimmy Fallon's house band when his late night show debuts in March (09).
10th August 2008
Fact: The Roots held a one-minute silence for Bernie Mac during their gig at the All Points West music festival in New Jersey on Sunday. Comedian MAC died on Saturday (9Aug08) at the age of 50 after a battle with pneumonia.
6th August 2008
Fact: The Roots star ?UESTLOVE has teamed up with sports giant Nike to launch his own design for the classic Air Force One sneaker - the ?uestlove Air Questo.
13th June 2008
Quote: "I thought he needed a haircut." Al Green on The Roots star AHMIR `?UESTLOVE' THOMPSON, who inspired the soul great on new album LAY IT DOWN.
31st January 2008
Fact: Hip-hop group The Roots are to collaborate with rockers Fall Out Boy on a track for their next album RISING DOWN. The disc is also set to feature rappers Common, Mos Def and LUPE FIASCO.
18th September 2007
Fact: Ben Vereen, Cicely Tyson, Ed Asner and the leading members of the cast of Roots received a 50-second standing ovation at the 59th Emmy Awards on Sunday (16Sep07) as part of a 30th anniversary tribute to the epic drama series, which is still the third most watched TV show ever.
17th September 2007
Fact: Ben Vereen, Cicely Tyson, Ed Asner and the leading members of the cast of Roots received a 50-second standing ovation at the 59th Emmy Awards on Sunday (16Sep07) as part of a 30th anniversary tribute to the epic drama series, which is still the third most watched TV show ever.
12th February 2007
Fact: The Roots' pre-Grammy Awards party at Los Angeles' Key Club on Saturday (10FEB07) featured Prince's spin-off group THE FAMILY in only their third appearance in 20 years.
12th February 2007
Fact: The Roots' pre-Grammy Awards party at Los Angeles' Key Club on Saturday (10FEB07) featured Prince's spin-off group THE FAMILY in only their third appearance in 20 years.
8th August 2006
Quote: "I downloaded Scrabble and practice three hours a day." The Roots star ?UESTLOVE (corr) is hooked on wordgames.
23rd August 2005
Fact: <p>Bobby Brown is making a musical comeback of sorts by guesting on DAMIEN 'JR GONG' MARLEY's new reggae album WELCOME TO JAMROCK. The release from Bob Marley's youngest son also features guest performances by rapper Nas and The Roots. </p>
The Roots
