Legendary comedian Carol Burnett recently dished on her experience sharing the stage with the King of Rock and Roll himself, Elvis Presley, on none other than The Ed Sullivan Show. Let’s just say, it wasn’t exactly her shining moment.
The Ed Sullivan Show Mishap
The 90-year-old actress appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and reminisced about her multiple appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, a true TV institution that featured iconic acts like Elvis and The Beatles.
One particular episode stood out – the one where she shared the spotlight with the soon-to-be-rocking Elvis. “Well, I was on when Elvis was on, when he was still in the army,” Burnett revealed. “They did this whole big thing for him, of course.”
Here’s where things get interesting. Burnett, with a playful eye roll, added, “And they put me on first. Nobody wanted to see me. I mean, it was Elvis! Everyone was like, ‘Where the heck is Elvis?'”
Apparently, the pressure of performing before an audience buzzing for the King got the best of her. “I bombed,” Burnett admitted with a laugh. “It was awful!”
A Sweet Encounter with the King
Despite the less-than-stellar performance, Burnett did have a positive interaction with Elvis. When Colbert asked if she met him, she responded, “Yes, I did! He was very sweet and I even got his autograph for my younger sister.”
Inspiration Strikes: From Elvis to John Foster Dulles
The conversation took a surprising turn when Colbert brought up a connection between Elvis and a rather unexpected figure – John Foster Dulles, the former Secretary of State. It turns out, Presley’s electrifying presence indirectly inspired a comedic song by Burnett.
“John Foster Dulles in the 50s, our secretary of state, aptly named,” Burnett said, setting the scene. “He was so dull, there was nothing there. I remember he wore this overcoat and hat and never smiled or anything.”
Inspired by the Elvis craze and the stark contrast in personalities, a friend of Burnett’s wrote a song titled “I Made A Fool Of Myself Over John Foster Dulles.” Burnett explained, “Everybody was going crazy over Elvis, so he wrote this song about a young girl completely smitten with John Foster Dulles!”
The song even landed her a repeat performance on The Jack Paar Show, all thanks to Dulles’ press advisor who missed the first show and requested an encore. Dulles, however, remained characteristically stoic when questioned about the song on Meet the Press, replying, “I make it a policy never to discuss matters of the heart in public.”
