Published: September 23, 2007 02:02 am      

Providence graduate to show off unusual skill on Letterman show

When New Albany-raised Jon Coombs was a child, he would have imaginary conversations with talk show host David Letterman in the shower.

Now, Coombs, 21, will realize his lifelong dream of being on the comedy legend’s CBS show Monday night.

Coombs, a 2004 graduate of Providence High School and a telecommunications major at Indiana University in Bloomington, will be interviewed by Letterman for attempting to break the world record of most rubber bands stretched over a face in one minute. Though ultimately a New Zealand man broke the record with 62, at one point Coombs did hold the record with 57 rubber bands stretched over his face. The former record was 44.

“It’s not really about the record, though that is a lot of fun,” Coombs said. “I grew up on Letterman shows.”

Coombs will try again to break — and this time hopefully keep — the record Monday night and hopes to get 63 rubber bands. But whether or not he reclaims the record, Coombs said he is “excited and nervous” about his upcoming experience on “The Late Show With David Letterman.”

Coombs, a member of the IU sketch comedy group “All Sorts of Trouble for the Boy in the Bubble,” said the idea came about when a fellow member broke the world record for most T-shirts worn by a human being in December 2006. Coombs suggested someone try to break a “stupid” record every semester, and the challenge was on.

Coombs’ best friend since childhood, Brian Kerr, will watch the taping live since he now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. Kerr said he is not that surprised at the Letterman news, which they just learned about a few days ago.

“Jon’s a charismatic guy and very likable,” Kerr said. “It’s kind of surreal, and I’m a bit nervous for him.”

Coombs, the son of Curtis and Kevin Coombs of New Albany and a business minor at IU, hopes to make a career as either a Letterman production staff member or in marketing at a record label. He hopes his continued communication with Letterman’s staff since April and meeting them in person will parlay into a summer internship on the show. Though he’d also like to be interviewed on “Late Night With Conan O'Brien,” Coombs said he doesn’t plan to make a side career out of going on talk shows

“It’s just about Letterman, really,” Coombs said. “Plus I don’t think breaking an idiotic record fits into most other talk shows.”

“The Late Show With David Letterman” episode with Coombs airs 11:30 p.m. Monday on local CBS affiliate channels.