Michael Stipe to perform on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!'

Michael Stipe attends Apple TV's "Shrinking" special FYC event at Quality Italian on May 02, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by John Nacion/Getty Images)

Michael Stipe is headed to late-night TV.

The R.E.M. frontman is set to be the musical guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday night, where he’ll be joined by producer Andrew Watt.

Stipe and Watt recently teamed up to record the song “I Played the Fool,” which served as the theme to Steve Carell’s HBO series The Rooster. The song featured blink-182's Travis Barker on drums and former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer on guitar and piano.

Back in April, Stipe made an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he debuted an unreleased song, “The Rest of Ever,” from his upcoming debut solo album. During the appearance he revealed that the long-in-the-works album, which Stipe’s been teasing since at least 2022, will finally be released at the end of 2026.

Monday, June 1, 2026 at 2:30PM by Jill Lances Permalink