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Exclusive: Rickey Minor Talks Leaving 'American Idol' For 'Tonight Show'

' 'The Tonight Show' is the perfect platform for me,' he tells MTV News after nine-year stint as 'Idol' bandleader.

Rickey Minor has graced a lot of major stages in his decades-long career as a bandleader and music director, but [article id="1636068"]his upcoming move to "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno"[/article] has the veteran arranger very excited.

" 'The Tonight Show' is the perfect platform for me," Minor told MTV News on Wednesday (April 14), the day after news emerged that he would be leaving "Idol" after six seasons to replace Kevin Eubanks as Jay Leno's latest musical foil on the venerable late-night talker.

Minor, who in addition to running the "Idol" band for six years has been the musical director for the Super Bowl, Grammys and People's Choice Awards, as well as for Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys, said he got the call about the "Tonight Show" gig a few weeks ago. "My agent said he got a call from 'The Tonight Show' expressing interest and asking if we'd take a meeting," he said. "We met and we got on well, and then it was done."

Minor, 50, had nothing but kind words for "Idol," saying the move wasn't about leaving the ratings juggernaut, which, until very recently, was consistently the #1 show on television week after week during its annual winter/spring run. "I've been doing a lot of shows for years, and for me, the decision was not as much about 'Idol,' but about how my year runs out and my ability to have time to focus on my family and my production company."

In addition to producing shows for the White House, PBS and Jennifer Hudson, Minor said his work executive-producing VH1's "Divas" specials and other creative outlets will be easier to focus on with his new gig. "I want to do more on the creative side, producing and developing shows, and 'The Tonight Show' is the perfect platform for me to do that," he said, clarifying that he definitely will not be double-dipping and continuing on "Idol" as well.

"I just turned 50, and every 10 years or so, it just happens where I roll into a new chapter," he said. "But the thing I'm proud of is that 'Idol' really elevated live music on TV. I get e-mails from people all around the world about that. It is a platform for live musicians to play, and it spawned bands like the 'Dancing With the Stars' band, and I love that musicians are working."

Minor said some of his proudest moments are the days when the "Dancing" band and the "Idol" band -- who tape across the hall from each other -- are all in the house, and more than 50 musicians are working and playing live on television. "It inspires kids to say, 'Maybe if I keep playing, I can work professionally as a musician,' " he said.

He's also proud of having played a part in launching the careers of "Idol" stars such as Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, Fantasia and Adam Lambert. "To contribute at this level ... it's something bigger than you, and it's something I'll never forget," he said. "I'm thankful and grateful to have had six years on what will go down in history as one of the biggest TV shows of all time."

Minor has already begun thinking about what he'll do on "The Tonight Show," with the expectation that he'll bring his years of experience backing up everyone from Tony Bennett to Miley Cyrus and take a strong hand in collaborating with musical guests on Leno's show. "We bring the fact that we've worked with a lot of artists and a lot of artists will be comfortable continuing that relationship and making music [with us]," he said. Leno has already called to welcome Minor into the fold, and the bandleader said he's looking forward to deepening their relationship once his "Idol" gig winds up May 26.

He's also looking forward to his close-up, as "Tonight Show" bandleaders -- from Doc Severinsen to Branford Marsalis -- have typically had more on-camera time than Minor has had on "Idol."

"We will definitely be developing an on-camera relationship," he laughed.

What do you think of Minor's move to "The Tonight Show"? Let us know in the comments below!

Get your "Idol" fix on MTV News' [article id="1486475"]"American Idol" page[/article], where you'll find all the latest news, interviews and opinions.

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