MY TELEVISION DEBUT

THE GONG SHOW PREMIERED ON TV FORTY YEARS AGO TODAY - JUNE 14, 1976.

I MADE MY TV DEBUT ON THE GONG SHOW ON NOVEMBER 29, 1976. I AUDITIONED IN A LITTLE THEATER IN HOLLYWOOD AND I WAS APPROVED. I TOOK THE BUS TO BURBANK AND WENT TO NBC STUDIOS ON A SATURDAY MORNING.

THERE WERE ABOUT 50 OTHER ACTS THERE WITH ME, WE WERE ALL PUT UP TOGETHER IN ONE BIG ROOM. WE WAITED SEVERAL HOURS, THEN FINALLY THE TAPING, THAT EVENING. I DID A LITTLE STAND-UP COMEDY ROUTINE. I WORE A SAILOR HAT. MY JOKES WERE ALL WRITTEN ON LITTLE INDEX CARDS I CARRIED.

I WENT ONSTAGE AND THE BRIGHT LIGHTS MADE IT HARD TO SEE THE CROWD. I DID ALL MY JOKES, GOT SOME LAUGHS, BUT PAUL WILLIAMS GONGED ME WITH ONE JOKE LEFT. JAMIE FARR, WHO I LATER DID A MOVIE WITH, WAS ONE OF THE JUDGES, AS WAS JAYE P. MORGAN. AS I WALKED OFFSTAGE AFTER BEING GONGED, JAYE P. MORGAN YELLED OUT, "WE LOVE YOU, EDDIE". (WHAT A NICE LADY). I WAITED UNTIL THE END OF THE SHOW AND CAUGHT THE LATE BUS BACK TO HOLLYWOOD.

30 YEARS LATER, I SAW PAUL WILLIAMS AT A VOICE-OVER GIG. I TOLD HIM ABOUT HIM GONGING ME, LO, THOSE MANY YEARS AGO. HE SINCERELY APOLOGIZED TO ME, OF COURSE, I SAID NO BIG DEAL, BUT PAUL WAS IN ALCOHOLIC'S ANONYMOUS AND WAS REQUIRED TO APOLOGIZE TO ANYONE HE MAY HAVE HURT WHILE DRINKING. OF COURSE I ACCEPTED HIS KIND APOLOGY.

I WAS LATER SENT A WAFFLE IRON BY NBC FOR BEING ON THE SHOW. I PAWNED IT AT A PAWN SHOP AND GOT TWO DOLLARS FOR IT.

BEING ON THE GONG SHOW WAS A VERY HAPPY DAY IN MY LIFE, A FUN DAY I WILL NEVER FORGET.

Comments

[Lynnette Pope]

Hi I have worked on The gong show, and remembered you from when you were on back in 1976. The room you were talking about when we were taping it NBC we called it the rehearsal Hall it was the room that was just across the hall from the studio I was actually the one that stayed with you backstage until the stage manager needed you on stage, and then afterwards you came back and sat with me in the back until until the end when you came out at the end of the taping. I worked with Chuck in the show until long after it was over I agree with you the gong show was an awesome experience so glad you've done so well in life and so happy to hear your happy memories for being on the show.