Defamer
Until we saw this clip from Larry King Live last night, we honestly had no clue how hard Johnny Carson made things for our secretly favorite Dancing with the Stars contestant, Wayne Newton, who couldn't pull on a single, sequined polyester outfit and launch into song in a Las Vegas floorshow without having the late night despot crack some crass joke questioning his sexuality. (And later, he claims, finagling him a spot on a Mafia's Most Wanted hit list.)
Watch as the consummate entertainer revisits the painful time in his career, clearly still scarred by the memory of The Tonight Show host ripping open the edge of a white envelope, blowing into it, and producing an index card that read "Name a cancer, a dancer, and a prancer," (the response to Great Carsoni divination, "Lung, Baryshnikov, and Wayne Newton") to the audible delight of the studio audience.
Comments
That is some weird, wild stuff.
I've NEVER seen another guest on LK's show dress more suitably. The 'glowing outline' created by his jacket and hair are positively Holy.
Yes, It's true Larry: Wayne never got killed by the mob, but he has been dying in front of live audiences for more than 40 years.
Well, at least he's down with Carson's grandsuccessor. I seem to remember Conan enjoying nonjudgmental fun with Wayne years ago when he sent him down onto the street to sing for passers-by, thus outsourcing any sexuality-questioning. But I guess all that could change should Silverman forcefully present Conan with a big genie hat and instructions to bring back the good ol' days.
1. "Danke Schoen" sounds like it was sung by a woman.
2. Young Wayne Newton was a dead ringer for Billy Tipton.
3. Liberace at least had the self-awareness to know he was a joke.
4. That is a very impressive pompadour.
There's nothing more virile,masculine, and hetero than and "Indian boy from Virginia" wearing lip gloss.
Newton loves recounting this story of confronting Carson. I heard this about a year or so ago in some other interview.
I like how he worked in the chuckle before telling Larry the story though. Ha-ha-HARGHCOUGHACK
Is there anyway to convince Wayne that Carson Daily has been ripping him on "Last Call" so that Wayne will send his evil henchmen after him?
Caught him on some home improvement/designer show while flipping channels a few months back, and I swear he looked like Edgar in "Men in Black" in the scene where he pulled his face back...Doesn't look as extreme here, though.
You don't mess with Wayne Newton, people. He feeds his showhorses arsenic to make their coats shine. I'm just saying, don't cross him and then brunch together.
@saltwater: It's just the ghost of Johnny Carson ready to choke the life out of him.
He can't even say "gay"? That's rather unmasculine.
@Bufflekins: Mr. Dunken Shane is following one of the cardinal rules of good writing:
Don't describe - show!
Don't worry Wayne - you are no gay icon... Even Blossum Dearie runs rings 'round you on that score...
Both his sportcoat and coif are a lovely black velvet.
Lucy "discovered" him on an episode of The Lucy Show -he was flaming as a teen farm-boy who can only sing to his cow.
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