>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK,
EVERYBODY.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MY NEXT
GUEST IS A VERY FUNNY GUY YOU
KNOW AS MIKE FROM "MIKE &
MOLLY."
PLEASE WELCOME BILLY GARDELL!
♪ ♪ ♪
( APPLAUSE )
( CHEERS )
>> ALL RIGHT!
>> Stephen: NOW, SIR.
>> WOW.
LOOK AT THIS.
THE ED SULLIVAN THEATER.
SORRY, I'M A LITTLE THROWN.
THIS IS A VERY HISTORIC PLACE.
>> Stephen: YOU KNOW HOW TO
HOST ONE OF THESE SHOWS.
I JUST FOUND OUT YOU ACTUALLY
HOSTED "LIVE WITH KELLY" WITH
KELLY RIPA.
YOU WERE ONE OF THE COHOSTS.
>> IT WAS THE GREATEST JOB IN
THE WORLD.
>> Stephen: IT'S NOT HARD?
>> YOU TALK TO A COOL ACTOR,
SOME CHEF COMES IN, YOU EAT, YOU
GO HOME BY NOON.
>> Stephen: BUT YOU HAVE TO
GET UP EARLY.
>> I DON'T MIND.
I'M OLD AND I'VE GOT A KID.
I GET UP AT SIX ANYWAY.
I'M RIGHT DOWN THE STREET.
>> Stephen: HOW MANY KIDS DO
YOU HAVE?
>> JUST ONE.
THAT'S ALL I WANTED, WAS ONE.
THIS ONE CAME OUT AND HE'S GOT
THE PERSONALITY OF HIS MOTHER,
WHEN IS LOVING AND PATHETIC, AND
I JUST FIGURED THE SEVEN ONE
WOULD BE JUST CHASING HIM WITH
SCISSORS.
SO I THOUGHT WE'LL KEEP THAT
D.N.A.-- THAT GARDELL D.N.A. IN
THE POCKET, YOU KNOW, WHAT I
MEAN?
>> Stephen: NOW, PEOPLE,
EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS YOU FROM
"MIKE & MOLLY."
>> THERE YOU GO.
REMEMBER?
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: "DO YOU REMEMBER?
DO YOU REMEMBER?"
THEY'RE NOT GOLD FISH!
, OF COURSE, THEY REMEMBER.
>> BUT IN TODAY'S WORLD YOU
KNOW, GONE.
NOT ON YOUTUBE CHASING A CAT,
YOU KNOW.
>> Stephen: NOW YOU'RE DOING
"SUN RECORDS."
>> I AM.
>> Stephen: ON CMT.
>> VERY EXIEPT GLD WHAT IS THE
STORY OF "SUN RECORDS"?
>> THE STORY OF "SUN RECORDS" IS
ABOUT SAM PHILLIPS' VISION IN
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, WHICH IS
UNBELIEVABLE.
IT'S THE REASON WE HAVE ROCK 'N'
ROLL TODAY.
ELVIS, JERRY LEE LEWIS, CHARLES
PERKINS, JOHNNY CASH, AND B.B.S
CAN QING, AND IKE TURNER.
AND ALL THESE MUSICIANS CAME TO
THIS PLACE BECAUSE HE WAS THE
MAN WHO TOOK EVERYTHING OUT OF
THE BOX TO MAKE A NEW SOUND.
AND IT WAS THE FIRST TIME, CIVIL
RIGHTS BEING FOUGHT FOR AND HIGH
TENSIONS HERE A MAN WHO SAID I
DON'T CARE WHAT YOU LOOK WHAT,
WHAT COLOR YOU ARE, WHAT YOU CAN
BRING TO THE TABLE?
YOU GOT THE CHURCH, THE
HILLBILLY MUSIC AND WANT BLUES
ALL MIXED TOGETHER TO BECOME
ROCK 'N' ROLL.
>> Stephen: AND YOU PLAY
COLONEL TOM PARKER.
>> YEAH, MAN.
>> Stephen: ELVIS' MANAGER.
YOU PLAY ELVIS' MANAGER.
>> I DO.
>> Stephen: CORNELL TOM
PARKER.
WE HAVE A PHOTO HERE, CORNELL
TOM, ELVIS, AND ED SULLIVAN IN
THIS THEATER.
>WOW, HOWNT THAT.
THAT'S VERY COOL.
>> Stephen: THAT'S A RAKISH
ANGLE HE'S WEARING THAT HAT.
>> HE'S GOT HIS HAND IN
SULLIVAN'S POCKET.
THAT'S WHY.
>> Stephen: WHAT KIND OF A GUY
WAS HE?
>> HE WAS A BAD GUY, MAN.
HE WAS A VERY BAD GUY BUT A
VISIONARY.
WHAT I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS GUY,
HE WAS AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO
CAME OVER HERE FROM HOLLAND,
INVENTEDLET CHARACTER TOM --
>> Stephen: HE WAS THERE
HOLLAND.
>> HE CAME OVER HERE WITH THIS
CHARACTER AND HE WAS A CON MAN,
YOU KNOW.
HE WAS JUST A CON MAN.
AND I TALKED TO FOUR OR FIVE
PEOPLE THAT KNEW HIM IN MEMPHIS,
AND NOBODY COULD DESCRIBE HIM
THE SAME WAY.
SO THE WAY I STARTED BUILDING
HIM WAS HE WAS WHATEVER THE
SITUATION WAS TO GET THE MONEY.
SO I WAS THINKING HOW DO I DO
THAT?
HOW DO I MAKE IT?
I GAVE HIM THE SCRUPLES OF
WALTER WHITE AND TRIED TO MAKE
HIM SOUND LIKE FOGHORN LEG HORN.
THE C.E.O. OF GRACELAND SAID YOU
HAVE TO PLAN WITH A TWINKLE IN
YOUR EYE BECAUSE HE WOULDN'T
HAVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH ALL THAT
STUFF IF HE WASN'T CHARISMATIC
AND HE WAS VERY MUCH A HUCKSTER.
HE GOT HIS HANDS ON EDDIE ARNOLD
AND EVENTUALLY ELVIS.
>> Stephen: DID HE RUN ANY
CONS ON ELVIS?
>> YEAH, I'M SURE.
HE TOOK A LOT OF SIDE PAY WITH
ELVIS.
BUT HE WAS THE ONE GUY IT'S
OTHER SIDE OF THE SWORD WAS HE
TOOK TOO MUCH OF ELVIS' MONEY
BUT HE SAW WHAT ELVIS COULD BE.
EVERYBODY WANTED TO BOOX HIM
INTO BEING JUST A COUNTRY SINGER
AND HE SAW THIS GUY COULD BE
ROCK 'N' ROLL.
HE SAW HE COULD MUCH BIGGER.
HE HAD THE VISION FOR THAT.
AND HE HAD A COO DEPENDENT
RELATIONSHIP.
IN ISOLATING ELVIS IN AN
UNHEALTHY WAY MADE HIM FEEL VERY
SAFE.
>> Stephen: SO HE WAS
RESPONSIBLE FOR ELVIS' HOWARD
HUGHES RETREAT.
>> YES, BECAUSE THE CORNELL
DIDN'T WANT ANYBODY AROUND HIM.
HE DIDN'T WANT HIM TO TOUR
EUROPE BECAUSE HE WAS AFRAID IF
HE WENT OVER HE WOULD GET
DEPORTED-- WHICH MIGHT HAPPEN
TODAY-- OR SOMEBODY MIGHT SCOOP
ELVIS UP AND HE DIDN'T WANT THAT
TO HAPPEN, EITHER.
SO HE KEPT HIM HERE IN AMERICA.
THERE'S A STORY, AND I DON'T
KNOW IF IT'S LEGEND OR MYTH BUT
THE MORE I PLAY HIM, I BELIEVE
IT'S TRUE.
THERE WAS A TIME EARLY ON WHEN
ELVIS WANTED TO FIRE HIM AND HE
PAID AN AMBULANCE DRIVER, TO
TAKE HIM TO THE HOSPITAL AND
FAKE A HEART ATTACK SO ELVIS
WOULD FEEL BAD FOR HIM.
ALL HE WAS ABOUT WAS GETTING THE
MONEY.
>> Stephen: WAS ELVIS
IMPORTANT TO YOU GROWING UP?
TO SOME PEOPLE HE'S AN ENORMOUS
FIGURE.
>> OF COURSE.
MY DAD IS AN ELVIS WHACK JOB.
HE HATES THE BEATLES BECAUSE HE
THINKS THEY TOOK ELVIS' CROWN SO
HE'S AGAINST THE BEATLES.
HE LOVED HIM.
THAT WAS HISIDE.
HE SAID THAT WAS WHEN ROCK 'N'
ROLL HAD NO POINT OTHER THAN TO
GET A GIRL OR FIX YOUR CAR.
WHEN ELVIS DIED I REMEMBER HIM
COMING INTO THE ROOM AND SAID,
SON, THE KING IS DEAD," AND HE
CALLED IN SICK FOR THREE DAYS.
THAT'S A TRUE STORY.
WHEN I GOT "MIKE & MOLLY," MY
WIFE AND I DECIDED WE WERE GOING
TO TAKE THE PARENTS ON A BUCKET
LIST TRIP, ANYWHERE YOU WANTED
TO GO.
MY MOM WANTED TO GO TO VEGAS AND
BE TREATED TO THE TOP OF THE
NIENS.
MY WIFE'S PARENTS WANTED TO GO
TO HAWAII.
AND HIGH DAD WANTED TO GO TO THE
PEABODY HOTEL AND SEE GRACELAND.
HEESMS THE CHEAPEST DATE.
>> Stephen: IT WAS LOVELY TO
MEET YOU.
>> PLEASURE, MY FRIEND.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: "SUN RECORDS"
PREMIERES TOMORROW NIGHT ON CMT.
BILLY GARDELL, EVERYBODY!
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH A
PERFORMANCE BY THE LEMON TWIGS.
STICK AROUND.
