Michael Stipe and Andrew Watt performed their collaborative song "I Played the Fool" on Jimmy Kimmel Live on March 8, 2026 [1].
The appearance marks a rare televised performance for Stipe, the former frontman of R.E.M., and serves as the official promotion for the main-title theme of the HBO series *Rooster* [1], [2].
Recording the track was a significant acquisition for the production. Bill Lawrence said, "The fact that Michael Stipe agreed to do it is just insane" [2]. The performance took place at the Jimmy Kimmel Live studio in Burbank, California, shortly after the series debuted [1].
According to industry reports, *Rooster* premiered on the Sunday night prior to the televised performance, which occurred on March 7, 2026 [3]. The song "I Played the Fool" is featured on the Season 1 soundtrack of the show [1].
Watt, a prolific musician and producer, collaborated with Stipe to create the atmospheric piece. The duo used the late-night platform to introduce the track to a wider audience following the show's initial airing [1], [2].
“"The fact that Michael Stipe agreed to do it is just insane."”
The collaboration between a legacy alternative rock icon like Michael Stipe and a modern producer like Andrew Watt suggests a strategic effort by HBO to give *Rooster* a distinct, prestige sonic identity. By leveraging Stipe's cultural capital and a high-profile late-night appearance, the network is positioning the series as a high-art production rather than a standard television drama.
