Kelly has spent nearly two decades broadcasting in Houston, first on the radio and later on television. Before joining Houston Life full-time in 2019, she worked at local stations including 104.1 KRBE, 94.5 The Buzz, HOT 95.7 and MIX 96.5. Her career has put her across from plenty of big names, including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, Lizzo and Justin Timberlake.
Fallon, however, seemed particularly fascinated by one of Kelly’s previous celebrity encounters: going to middle school with Beyoncé.
“Wait, what?” Fallon said. “You went to school with Beyoncé?”
Kelly said Beyoncé and Rowland were already singing at the time and described both as “the most fantastic people, the most talented and down-to-earth people.”
Fallon eventually demanded to see Kelly’s own yearbook photo, too.
“Please give me a little bit of slack because this was before any hair products in 1995,” Kelly joked.
“Oh my God, so cute,” Fallon replied.
“It was bigger than I thought,” Fallon said. “It was the most fun, exciting thing. I loved it so much.”
Fallon joked that the experience felt “like a bad Hallmark movie,” with him arriving as a “city slicker.” He had considerably fewer jokes about the food.
“Everyone treated me like gold, and I had some of the best barbecue I think I’ve ever had in my life,” Fallon said. “I loved Houston.”
Kelly also squeezed in some business, asking Fallon what viewers can expect from Season 14 of The Tonight Show. While he said he generally isn’t responsible for booking guests, he teased that the season is only getting bigger.
“Oh yeah, get ready,” Fallon said. “It’s crazier.”
But by the end of the interview, Fallon was still thinking about Kelly’s old yearbook.
“I love yearbooks,” he said. “Oh my God, this should be a segment we do on the show.”