Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Scott vorgiez Y, Gary Lewis, and the Playboys. Gary Lewis
will be here at the Relevant Center in Elcorn this
Saturday night, seven o'clock start time. The latest event from
Bill and Yvonne Williams, and thanks to the Richlings as
well for putting this on. It's at the Relevant Center
(00:22):
in Elcorn. It is done by Patriotic Productions and you'll
find all the details, including ticket information, at Patriotic Productions
dot org. We welcome onto the program from the Playboys.
It's Gary Lewis. Welcome to News Radio eleven ten kfab.
It's good to talk to you now.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Yeah, it's going to be great having you here in Omaha,
especially on Independence Day weekend. I know that you've done
so much under the flying flag of America and for
our veterans over your career. What does Independence Day mean
to you?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Well, you know, it's probably the most important day for
the country and myself being a veteran, I you know,
I was around when all that all the guys from
Vietnam were coming home, and I saw the way they
were treated and I really didn't like it at all.
(01:21):
So I made a pledge to myself, I'm going to
do whatever I can to help the veterans. So over
the years we've been doing free shows for the veterans
and their families. And you know, anytime I'm called to
do something for the veterans, I'm in.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
That's such a beautiful thing. You served in our nation's army, right,
What was that? What was that decision like for you
when you decided to enlist.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Well, I didn't enlist. I got my draft noticed in
the mail, and the very first thought I had was,
Elvis did it, I'll do it.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah. I suppose that's probably a pretty good path to follow,
that of Elvis Presley.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
But absolutely, you know, I mean he didn't. He didn't
try to get out of it. He didn't try to do,
you know, to get people to help him out of
it or anything. And I wasn't. I was going to
be the same way, you know. I just wanted to
do whatever I was supposed to do.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Now, of course, your father, Jerry Lewis did What did
he think about you going into the army?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Oh? He he definitely didn't like that, you know, he said,
he told me one time, he said, I could have
done something to get you easy duty or something, you know.
And I said, that's exactly what I don't want.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
You know.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I'm in the Army with with all these regular guys,
and and that's exactly what I want to be. I
want to go in to what I'm supposed to do,
you know. And I actually, I mean I was. I
was happy to do what they wanted me to do.
(03:10):
And and that's all there is to it. I guess
I felt that way because all my school years I
went to a private military school in Los Angeles, and
uh that that gave me all the military knowledge I
needed to go into the army and nothing was strange,
(03:30):
you know, because I already knew it. So so it
was good. It was good for me, you know. And
and and by the way, when people go into the army,
you definitely grow.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Up, I imagine. And I I really appreciate your service,
not just to the country in the army, but also
being there for veterans and organizations throughout your career. I
think it's I think it's funny that you know your dad,
Jerry Lewis, of course entertainment icon. Did he really have
(04:02):
the influence to pull some strings and either get you
out of the army or get you a different position
within the army. And did your dad have that kind
of power back in the sixties.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Probably not, But I never asked him. You know, I
didn't have to. I went, you know, so I didn't
care what kind of power he did have.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
It seems like it was just the other day when
we lost your father. But it's coming up. The eighth
anniversary is next month.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Here.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
What was it like growing up the son of Jerry Lewis?
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Well, most people would think it was always glamorous, but
it wasn't always glamorous. You know. It was you know,
Hollywood people have a tendency to be into themselves an
awful lot, you know, and so you can read anything
(05:03):
you want to into that. But it wasn't all uh,
you know, all flowers and rain and roses. You know.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yeah, what do you do every year on Labor Day?
Is it weird not to be a part of a telethon?
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Well? Yeah, you know, that was so much fun. I
mean we did like about twenty of them. And uh.
And then you know, as I understood it, some very
young new CEO was elected to the board and uh,
and he says, Okay, we're gonna we're gonna update the
(05:45):
Muscular Distripte Association, and we're gonna fire Jerry Lewis and
get somebody younger in there. I always thought that was
really stupid, because I mean, he did it for so long.
He had people that donate every single year, I mean
big money, you know. And then so the new CEO
(06:08):
came in and he he had his way about things,
and boom, all of a sudden, it's over.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Yeah now, and it's it's such an important part of
so many people's childhoods growing up watching the telethon, donating
to the telethon. We're talking here for a couple more
minutes with Gary Lewis. Gary Lewis and the Playboys coming
to Omaha at the Relevant Center in Elkhorn this Saturday night,
seven o'clock. Patriotic Productions is putting on this show Patriotic
(06:36):
Productions dot Org. What are your favorite songs to perform? Now?
I know you've been singing this Diamond Ring or Everybody
Loves a Clown or green Grass. You've been singing these
for over sixty years in some instances. What keeps you
interested in the music at this point?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Well, just because of what all those hit records did
for me. I mean, like you said, it gave me
a sixty one year career and I'm still blessed to
be able to do it. I'm healthy, you know, I
feel good. I get excited every time I'm singing. And
(07:15):
those songs, you know, people ask me, don't those songs
get old to you? No, they don't get old. I
mean they gave me everything I have, and so and
I like to give back to the fans, because the
fans are the people that put you where you are,
you know, and so I like to give back to
(07:38):
the fans. You know, maybe I'm hearing it, hearing the
song for the billion of time, but there's people out
there that are only hearing me do it for the
first time. So it's always new for me too.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
It's such fun music. And you juxtapose that with what
you hear in popular music these days, which is pretty
profane in some instances, which is, you know, pretty pretty dirty.
You guys had the squeakiest clean image, yet you were
called the playboys. Was that kind of a weird dynamic,
(08:10):
especially as a magazine with that name was becoming the
prominence at about the same time.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Well, there there was actually Hugh Hefner actually brought me
to court about that, and you know, the court proceedings
lasted maybe five minutes because the judge said, there's no
copyright on the English language. They can be whoever they
want to be, you know. And then the judge told me,
(08:40):
just don't put out a magazine called Playboys.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Right, yeah, Well, the idea would be that people were
coming to your show expecting to see, you know, playboy
bunnies dancing around. They're like, this isn't at all what
we wanted. We're suing. I don't know that anyone was
real confused at the time.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
No, I kind of like that myself.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Well, you're not allowed to say that you guys were
you guys were the squeaky clean good boys there.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
I forgot?
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Is that true? Would the show get over and you
guys like, well, it's time to go back and study?
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Uh well yeah, because you know, we were in college
at the time. You know, my mom had to sign
all the contracts and do all that stuff because I
was still a minor, you know, So we were all
in school. That's where I formed up the original Playboys
was from classmates at a theater arts college I was
(09:37):
going to well.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
People are going to be having a great time. They'll
be singing along. You'll never have to worry about remembering
the lyrics to your song. Just look down at the
first several rows and everyone will be singing along this
Saturday night. Gary's such a pleasure having you on the program.
A very happy Independence Day to use, safe travels to Omaha,
and I know everyone's looking forward to seeing you on
(10:00):
Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
All right, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Absolutely, Gary Lewis here on news radio eleven ten KFAB.
Gary Lewis and the Playboys coming up this Saturday night
at the Relevant Center in Elkhorn. Another great event put
on by Patriotic Productions. All the details ticket information right
there at Patrioticproductions dot org. Scott Boyes News Radio eleven
(10:25):
ten kfab
Scott vorgiez Y, Gary Lewis, and the Playboys. Gary Lewis
will be here at the Relevant Center in Elcorn this
Saturday night, seven o'clock start time. The latest event from
Bill and Yvonne Williams, and thanks to the Richlings as
well for putting this on. It's at the Relevant Center
(00:22):
in Elcorn. It is done by Patriotic Productions and you'll
find all the details, including ticket information, at Patriotic Productions
dot org. We welcome onto the program from the Playboys.
It's Gary Lewis. Welcome to News Radio eleven ten kfab.
It's good to talk to you now.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Yeah, it's going to be great having you here in Omaha,
especially on Independence Day weekend. I know that you've done
so much under the flying flag of America and for
our veterans over your career. What does Independence Day mean
to you?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Well, you know, it's probably the most important day for
the country and myself being a veteran, I you know,
I was around when all that all the guys from
Vietnam were coming home, and I saw the way they
were treated and I really didn't like it at all.
(01:21):
So I made a pledge to myself, I'm going to
do whatever I can to help the veterans. So over
the years we've been doing free shows for the veterans
and their families. And you know, anytime I'm called to
do something for the veterans, I'm in.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
That's such a beautiful thing. You served in our nation's army, right,
What was that? What was that decision like for you
when you decided to enlist.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Well, I didn't enlist. I got my draft noticed in
the mail, and the very first thought I had was,
Elvis did it, I'll do it.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah. I suppose that's probably a pretty good path to follow,
that of Elvis Presley.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
But absolutely, you know, I mean he didn't. He didn't
try to get out of it. He didn't try to do,
you know, to get people to help him out of
it or anything. And I wasn't. I was going to
be the same way, you know. I just wanted to
do whatever I was supposed to do.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Now, of course, your father, Jerry Lewis did What did
he think about you going into the army?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Oh? He he definitely didn't like that, you know, he said,
he told me one time, he said, I could have
done something to get you easy duty or something, you know.
And I said, that's exactly what I don't want.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
You know.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
I'm in the Army with with all these regular guys,
and and that's exactly what I want to be. I
want to go in to what I'm supposed to do,
you know. And I actually, I mean I was. I
was happy to do what they wanted me to do.
(03:10):
And and that's all there is to it. I guess
I felt that way because all my school years I
went to a private military school in Los Angeles, and
uh that that gave me all the military knowledge I
needed to go into the army and nothing was strange,
(03:30):
you know, because I already knew it. So so it
was good. It was good for me, you know. And
and and by the way, when people go into the army,
you definitely grow.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Up, I imagine. And I I really appreciate your service,
not just to the country in the army, but also
being there for veterans and organizations throughout your career. I
think it's I think it's funny that you know your dad,
Jerry Lewis, of course entertainment icon. Did he really have
(04:02):
the influence to pull some strings and either get you
out of the army or get you a different position
within the army. And did your dad have that kind
of power back in the sixties.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
Probably not, But I never asked him. You know, I
didn't have to. I went, you know, so I didn't
care what kind of power he did have.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
It seems like it was just the other day when
we lost your father. But it's coming up. The eighth
anniversary is next month.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Here.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
What was it like growing up the son of Jerry Lewis?
Speaker 2 (04:42):
Well, most people would think it was always glamorous, but
it wasn't always glamorous. You know. It was you know,
Hollywood people have a tendency to be into themselves an
awful lot, you know, and so you can read anything
(05:03):
you want to into that. But it wasn't all uh,
you know, all flowers and rain and roses. You know.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yeah, what do you do every year on Labor Day?
Is it weird not to be a part of a telethon?
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Well? Yeah, you know, that was so much fun. I
mean we did like about twenty of them. And uh.
And then you know, as I understood it, some very
young new CEO was elected to the board and uh,
and he says, Okay, we're gonna we're gonna update the
(05:45):
Muscular Distripte Association, and we're gonna fire Jerry Lewis and
get somebody younger in there. I always thought that was
really stupid, because I mean, he did it for so long.
He had people that donate every single year, I mean
big money, you know. And then so the new CEO
(06:08):
came in and he he had his way about things,
and boom, all of a sudden, it's over.
Speaker 1 (06:14):
Yeah now, and it's it's such an important part of
so many people's childhoods growing up watching the telethon, donating
to the telethon. We're talking here for a couple more
minutes with Gary Lewis. Gary Lewis and the Playboys coming
to Omaha at the Relevant Center in Elkhorn this Saturday night,
seven o'clock. Patriotic Productions is putting on this show Patriotic
(06:36):
Productions dot Org. What are your favorite songs to perform? Now?
I know you've been singing this Diamond Ring or Everybody
Loves a Clown or green Grass. You've been singing these
for over sixty years in some instances. What keeps you
interested in the music at this point?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Well, just because of what all those hit records did
for me. I mean, like you said, it gave me
a sixty one year career and I'm still blessed to
be able to do it. I'm healthy, you know, I
feel good. I get excited every time I'm singing. And
(07:15):
those songs, you know, people ask me, don't those songs
get old to you? No, they don't get old. I
mean they gave me everything I have, and so and
I like to give back to the fans, because the
fans are the people that put you where you are,
you know, and so I like to give back to
(07:38):
the fans. You know, maybe I'm hearing it, hearing the
song for the billion of time, but there's people out
there that are only hearing me do it for the
first time. So it's always new for me too.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
It's such fun music. And you juxtapose that with what
you hear in popular music these days, which is pretty
profane in some instances, which is, you know, pretty pretty dirty.
You guys had the squeakiest clean image, yet you were
called the playboys. Was that kind of a weird dynamic,
(08:10):
especially as a magazine with that name was becoming the
prominence at about the same time.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
Well, there there was actually Hugh Hefner actually brought me
to court about that, and you know, the court proceedings
lasted maybe five minutes because the judge said, there's no
copyright on the English language. They can be whoever they
want to be, you know. And then the judge told me,
(08:40):
just don't put out a magazine called Playboys.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Right, yeah, Well, the idea would be that people were
coming to your show expecting to see, you know, playboy
bunnies dancing around. They're like, this isn't at all what
we wanted. We're suing. I don't know that anyone was
real confused at the time.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
No, I kind of like that myself.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Well, you're not allowed to say that you guys were
you guys were the squeaky clean good boys there.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
I forgot?
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Is that true? Would the show get over and you
guys like, well, it's time to go back and study?
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Uh well yeah, because you know, we were in college
at the time. You know, my mom had to sign
all the contracts and do all that stuff because I
was still a minor, you know, So we were all
in school. That's where I formed up the original Playboys
was from classmates at a theater arts college I was
(09:37):
going to well.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
People are going to be having a great time. They'll
be singing along. You'll never have to worry about remembering
the lyrics to your song. Just look down at the
first several rows and everyone will be singing along this
Saturday night. Gary's such a pleasure having you on the program.
A very happy Independence Day to use, safe travels to Omaha,
and I know everyone's looking forward to seeing you on
(10:00):
Saturday night.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
All right, thanks for having me on.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Absolutely, Gary Lewis here on news radio eleven ten KFAB.
Gary Lewis and the Playboys coming up this Saturday night
at the Relevant Center in Elkhorn. Another great event put
on by Patriotic Productions. All the details ticket information right
there at Patrioticproductions dot org. Scott Boyes News Radio eleven
(10:25):
ten kfab
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