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Musician John B. Williams has entered hospice care after suffering a fall, his wife told TMZ.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Williams was a member of in-house bands for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson<\/em> and The Arsenio Hall Show<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n The artist was the inspiration for Hall\u2019s comedy bit, the “John B. Williams Poetry Moment.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Musician John B. Williams, who played on both The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson<\/em> and Arsenio Hall’s self-titled late-night series in the early ’90s, has entered hospice care, his wife tells TMZ<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jessica Williams told the outlet that John, who is 85, had previously suffered from dementia, but he recently had a fall that required brain surgery. The procedure left him unable to walk and talk.<\/p>\n Entertainment Weekly<\/em> has reached out to a rep for the musician for comment.<\/p>\n Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our <\/em><\/strong>EW Dispatch newsletter<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Williams’ online bio notes that he played multiple instruments as a teenager, then entered the U.S. Marine Corps in 1960. After fulfilling his commitment, he eventually earned a spot in the Horace Silver Quintet, whose eponymous leader introduced him to the bass.<\/p>\n He was recommended to Tonight Show <\/em>Musical Director Doc Severinsen in 1969, and played with the Tonight Show Band while simultaneously sharing bass duties for Sesame Street<\/em>. After seven years in late night, however, the musician recalled having had “talk show burnout.”<\/p>\n