Darlene Love, a veteran in the music industry with over six decades of experience, has a clear understanding of her needs and desires. This is why she exclusively chose to share with PEOPLE her decision to make a comeback to nighttime TV through The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on December 18. She will perform a special rendition of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" with her long-time collaborator Steven Van Zandt, and this development is truly unbelievable.

Darlene Love's Holiday Performance on The Tonight Show - A Musical Reunion

Reflecting on Past Performances

Love recalls her last performance of her Christmas classic on late-night TV in 2015 when she appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman. After 28 consecutive years on that program, she took her talents to The View each holiday season, delighting millions of viewers. However, during her time on The View, she faced creative limitations as they wanted her to sing with others instead of just by herself. This led to some dissatisfaction among viewers.Despite this, Love emphasizes that there was no animosity involved in leaving The View. She shares, "I was not unhappy. I mean, I love all the ladies. As a matter of fact, me and Whoopi [Goldberg] are very good friends. It was just a time to make that decision. You don't want anybody making any kind of decisions for your career. I've done it now for 60 years, so I ought to know."

The Connection with Jimmy Fallon

The reason Love got the opportunity to perform on The Tonight Show was through her Christmas show on The View. Jimmy Fallon was a guest that year, and Love was immediately drawn to him. She recalls saying, "Jimmy Fallon … oh my God, I love him." Fallon then stuck his head out the door and asked why she hadn't done his show. Love was surprised and replied, "What? I'm doing your show right now." This chance encounter led to her return to nighttime TV.

The Staying Power of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"

Love shares that this record has a remarkable fame and power. Most people don't realize that it was recorded in 1961. When they heard the final result, they were amazed at how wonderful it was. They had no idea that it would still be popular 60 years later. Today, it is as big as it was when it was first released.Catch Love and Van Zandt's legendary return to late night for the holidays on the season finale of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on December 18 at 11:35 ET on NBC.