A local gig with Perry Como nearly four decades ago resulted in one of the most important moments in Jay Leno’s life, writes Ellen Gray for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The former host of The Tonight Show and current star of Jay Leno’s Garage had been playing at a club called Grandma Minnie’s and at a coffeehouse venue called the Main Point in Bryn Mawr.

“I was at Valley Forge [Music Fair] with Perry Como one time — I played Valley Forge with everybody — and I had my wife, Mavis, with me. We weren’t married,” said Leno.

“Perry said, ‘I like that girl. What’s going on with her?’ I said, ‘We’re probably going to get married.’ He said, ‘When you going to get married?’ I said, ‘As soon as I get some money.’ He took out two grand and he said, ‘Here. Go marry her.’ And I said, ‘OK.’ And I did.”

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The couple remains happily married, 38 years later.

Now, Leno is back on the road after decades of television, and again doing comedy shows. He was quick to note that he does not miss being in late-night comedy at all.

“You know, it’s so ugly now,” he said. “The world we live in now, if you don’t agree with a performer’s politics, then you don’t like what they do.”

Read more about Jay Leno in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.

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