After more than four decades in the news business, Lester Holt, the iconic face of NBC Nightly News, is preparing for his next act—not behind a desk, but behind a bass guitar.

As the longtime journalist steps down from his anchor role, Holt is opening up about his passion for music and his plans to complete his journey as a bass player, returning to the rhythm that grounded him long before he became one of America’s most trusted voices.

Lester Holt’s journalism career began in 1981, and over the years he’s become a household name—anchoring NBC Nightly News, hosting Dateline NBC, and reporting from war zones, disaster areas, and presidential debates.

But few realize that before he was the calm, collected voice of prime-time news, he was a die-hard bass player.

“Music was always there,” Holt said in a recent interview. “I started playing bass in junior high, and even when I was chasing deadlines, that low-end groove never left me.”

The Bass Never Left His Hands

Even during his busiest years in journalism, Holt would unwind by jamming on his electric or upright bass, sometimes performing with fellow NBC producers under the band name Rough Cuts.

His love for jazz, funk, and blues runs deep, and colleagues often spoke of his ability to shift effortlessly from discussing geopolitics to dissecting classic bass lines from Jaco Pastorius or Bootsy Collins.

His musical moment went viral in 2020, when he appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show and, at her request, whipped out a bass guitar live on camera.

With his labradoodle Lucy on his lap, Holt played a spontaneous blues riff that sent fans into a frenzy, revealing a side of the anchor many had never seen before.

 A New Rhythm: Life After the News

Now that Holt is stepping down, he says he’s ready to pursue music more seriously—not for fame, but for joy.

“This isn’t about putting out albums or touring arenas. I just want to spend more time doing something that feeds my soul,” he said.

He’s currently working on a memoir-meets-music project, exploring the intersection of journalism, jazz, and identity. Tentatively titled The Genius of Joy, the book will celebrate Black musical heritage and its influence on his storytelling style.

Lester Holt’s decision to pursue music full-time is more than a retirement plan—it’s a return to his roots. As he trades headlines for harmonies, audiences are reminded that even the most serious journalists are full of surprises, passions, and second chapters.

From global headlines to low-end grooves, Lester Holt is now writing his own rhythm—and the beat goes on.