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SpikeTV aired a tribute to one the greatest comedians of all time, Eddie Murphy,  in a two-hour special last night aptly titled, “One Night Only.” It was a night we never asked for, but we’re pretty glad we got. The consensus might have been that it was supposed to be a roast, considering the plethora of comedians and actors who came out to honor Eddie — Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, Samuel L. Jackson, among others — but it was a true salute to the movie star. There were definitely a few yawns in the special, but here are some of the top moments that made “One Night Only” enjoyable to watch.

The Wardrobe

Tracy Morgan walked out on stage dressed in Eddie’s famous red leather suit from his Delirious special, and everything was all good… until he unzipped the jacket and revealed his belly. It took the tribute from Eddie Murphy to Rick Ross in 2.2 seconds. No one needed to see that, Tracy! And Adam Sandler must have forgotten he was at a black-tie event because he showed up straight from the Happy Gilmore set. (We out here tryna function, Adam!) He apologized for his appearance, and we begrudgingly forgave him. We just hope he got a hole-in-one when he teed off at mini golf after the special.

The Music

Director Brett Ratner, who directed Eddie in Tower Heist, came out and crooned Eddie’s 1985 hit, “Party All the Time” and had a sing-a-long with the audience. Complete with studio headphones, it was a sight to see. One of the highlights of the night, Stevie Wonder performed “Higher Ground” and called Eddie Murphy on stage to sing with him. Eddie was trying to act all shy like he didn’t want to hop on that stage and sing with Stevie, but we all know Eddie is never going to miss an opportunity to sing, just like this lady isn’t going to miss a helping of chicken. It brought us back to Eddie’s SNL days when he used to imitate Stevie on the keys. Eddie was so excited, though, in this performance, that Stevie actually whispered to Eddie, “You taking up the whole stool, n*gga,” and stood up for the rest of the song.

The Memories

Everyone who touched the stage had an anecdote or memory to share about Eddie. Of course, Charlie Murphy was there to tell a childhood story.

“When Eddie was eight-years-old, he was already telling world class jokes about me… We got into a snapping contest and he told me my nose looked like an upside down black power symbol. That joke still works to this very day.”

Whether it was on set or a dream to be as great as him, we got to see a side of Eddie that was never really portrayed in the public. Keenan Ivory Wayans had the best story of the night, recalling a story from the 80’s when Eddie and entourage didn’t make it into a club. Watch the clip below.

The Movie Star Montages

We all may have a favorite Eddie Murphy movie, but it is hard to pinpoint which role is an absolute favorite. From 48 Hours to Harlem Nights to his Oscar-nominated role in Dreamgirls (and yes, they even showed a still from Pluto Nash), as well as his characters in SNL and standup in Raw and Delirious, it was amazing to see his body of work put together for us to remember and laugh again for the millionth time.

Eddie’s New Arm Candy and Other White People

Mr. Murphy sure made us turn heads with his new girl, especially since it wasn’t Rocsi Diaz, of 106 & Park fame, but it was truly hilarious (maybe it was just me) to see girlfriend Paige Butcher just smile and nod as they showed clips of his works on the big screen. Not to mention the other folk who clapped it up and swayed during Stevie Wonder’s performance, but Brett Ratner’s rendition of “Party All the Time” caught pure confusion. Ahhh, good times.

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