00:00 No one was off limits to Don Rickles, including Don Rickles.
00:05 He calls me up on a Tuesday and he says, Tony, uh,
00:12 I think we may have a problem. I said, what, what's the problem? Well, you know,
00:17 we're working Vegas this weekend, the desert inn. I said, yeah, I know.
00:19 I just finished chartering the jet. What's the problem? Well,
00:24 we're flying home Sunday night after the show. Like always. I said, absolutely.
00:27 Oh good. Cause I have to go to the doctor's office early in the morning on
00:31 Monday. He wants to run some tests,
00:33 but the doctor said I can't have any alcohol this weekend.
00:37 Now you're talking about a man who used to have at least two vodkas in the
00:43 dressing room before he went on stage. Now you're talking about a man.
00:47 You can't have any alcohol. I said, Don, don't worry about it. I'll take care of it.
00:50 Thankfully he had no idea that O'Doul's is a non-alcoholic beer.
00:56 So we get to the dressing room and it's fully stocked with O'Doul's.
01:01 And I said, listen, it's not vodka. It's not kettle one,
01:03 but at least you can have a couple of beers. Oh, okay.
01:07 So we get ready to do the show.
01:09 And there was a bit during the show that Don used to do Yankee Doodle Dance.
01:14 He would do this whole dance bit and everything else. And at the end of it,
01:19 he would dance off into the wings and I'd be waiting there for him with a towel.
01:23 So this night, opening night, he's doing the show.
01:27 He's just about finished with Yankee Doodle Dandy and he runs off into the wings
01:32 and I'm standing there with a towel and he throws himself in my arms. Oh,
01:36 Tony. Oh, Jesus. Oh, Tony. Oh my God. Help me. I said, Don, what's the matter?
01:41 I haven't hurt my act in 20 years. I stink.
01:44 And then naturally he looked up at me and he left.
01:48 (upbeat music)
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