One Last "Colortini"...

"Fire up a colortini, sit back, relax, and watch the pictures, now, as they fly through the air."

For over 30 years, this was the mantra of a man who left an indelible impression upon the media landscape: Tom Snyder.

As I'm sure you may have heard by now, he passed away Sunday night, following a two-year battle with leukemia. Rather than regurgitate everything you've already heard, I'll just tell you what I know.

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My first recollection of him was as an anchor at KNBC News many years ago. When he left to take on "Tomorrow" (which followed "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson"), Paul Moyer stepped into the anchor seat (and by the way, he is still there!).

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I was a little too young to watch "Tomorrow" (after all, I had a bedtime through most of his NBC stint), but I do remember him on the weekend NBC Nightly News. He had a delivery that was both rough and sincere, and occasionally, he would say something slightly off-the-cuff. It made him unique. It made him endearing. It also made him the butt of jokes, but he took it in stride.

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Dan Aykroyd lampooned him on "Saturday Night Live". I distinctly remember a "Stars-on-45" parody on the Dr. Demento Show, in which a lady exclaimed "I'm watching Tom Snyder, and I don't feel any pain!" Ah, memories...

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Fast-forward to the 1990s. After David Letterman landed at CBS, he persuaded Tom Snyder to return to the air. Soon after, "The Late Late Show" was born, with Tom interviewing an eclectic repertoire of guests, ranging from authors to political figures to comedians to rock stars, just like he did on NBC. Everything was as familiar in the 90s as they were in the 70s: the two chairs (Tom in one, the guest in the other), the intimate set, the informal banter between himself and the crew on the studio floor.

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And who could forget his insight and his laugh? That laugh of his meant only one thing: Here was a man who truly enjoyed what he did for a living! I watched his CBS show as often as I could. When he left CBS, I thought he was retiring, but by the time I learned he had moved to CNBC, my work hours prevented me from watching him. It's a shame, too, because I thought this man made for riveting television.

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As a tribute, I bring you this report from NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams. I don't think I could've done it any better.

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So, here's to you, Tom. I lift my glass and toast a colortini in your honor.

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(Photo from AP/CBS News)