Friday, November 7, 2008

Gong Show Lives

Just when you thought it was safe, something comes along and bites you in the ass. I thought the days of the Gong Show were long gone but history is trying to repeat itself and once again someone has decided to resurrect the old Gong Show this Sunday. Just because the Broncos are off doesn't mean we have to go hop in Mr. Peabody's "Way Back" machine does it? Well I guess it does. It's for a good cause....to help our friend Jerry Warner out with a fundraiser of sorts but now I'm forced to come up with an act. How could I possibly top some the acts I did at Squeaky Bob's in the 70's and 80's! There were such memorable skits like the ventriloquist with a speak and spell(stolen from Howie Mandell), the duet with me playing my nose, Bibus playing the 'singing saw' and Chuck Schmuck on the "washtub bass", the 'Lumberjack Song' with Barky and Fetch, "Nursie" Young and her dancing Yankee Doodle Dandy, and the only one I didn't get gonged for..... the Foot, Foot Song with the rabbit hand puppets.
Maybe somebody(Stew) can remember some of the other unforgettable acts. Well, I guess it's time to dust off the old "Comodaphone" and see what I can come up with. On with the show, this is it!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Those years and especially the Gong Shows are a bit fuzzy, after all it was the Eighties and the alcohol flowed more freely then. But some things I do remember. Like DW, who was always the MC, juggled raw eggs every year and Bob Beck did his death defying sledgehammed balancing act. Every guy and girl who owned a guitar dug it out and played and sang ( most of them very badly). There were a few acts that were actually pretty good like Casey Collins the 12 or 13 year old kid who had a great voice and won every time he entered or the 8 or 9 year old kid that told jokes that were both clean and funny. But one of the stories that I remember was when Geo. Warner(no relation to Jerry) was a Judge and his wife was part of an act made up of local ladies that did Swiss bell ringing. I think they called them selves the Blue Belles or something lame like that. Well, before they could finish the song they were playing Geo. gonged them. His wife divorced him a few years later and I don't know if that was a factor in her decision or not, but I'm sure it did'nt help.

Anonymous said...

I remember Geo gonging the ladies and they were pissed off! I think they were called the Juniper Bells. I also recall a certain Gong Show Judge(Barky) who after a few bottles of pepermint schnaaps was carried upstairs to his room and later resurected to carry on in the true Braky Lew spirit.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget Ronnie and the Sheilas tying for first one year with Nursie and her dancing puppet.It was Marily McDonald, all of about 8years old, who stole the show when Trish accidentally bumped her on the head while performing the actions of the Gum Tree song. Good times!
Ronnie Roo

Anonymous said...

I want to hear more on the judge called B Lew ....rlm

Anonymous said...

I want to know who those people are without grey hair and the people looking on? They look amused!! Must have been way to much alchol involved......

Anonymous said...

I want to know why a few bottles of peppermint schnaaps were carried upstairs to the Judge's room...

darmuck said...

I (Darcie) was in I think, the 1st one with my sister, Miss Donna and a guy named Murray.

I was wearing a kayak skirt and a conehead and played "Oh Susannah" on the harmonica while Miss Donna (on the kazoo) had yellow long underwear and a hat with a stuffed lightning bolt coming out the top.

Murray wore a powder blue suit and curly wig and was playing a toy piano as I recall.

I don't remember how long it took us to be gonged.... we were a class act