Legendary television icon Carol Burnett reminisced about her time as a guest on "The Ed Sullivan Show," coinciding with Elvis Presley's appearance, during an interview on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert."
Promoting the Apple TV+ series "Palm Royale," the 90-year-old Burnett delved into her illustrious television career, sharing anecdotes from her seven appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Host Stephen Colbert inquired about her interactions with the show's renowned guests, prompting Burnett to recount her experience sharing the stage with Elvis Presley.
Recalling the memorable occasion when Presley performed while serving in the army, Burnett humorously revealed, "They put me on first. Nobody wanted to see me. It was Elvis. ‘Where the hell is Elvis?’ I bombed. Oh my god, it was terrible. It was awful." Despite the less-than-ideal timing of their performances, Burnett fondly remembered meeting the King of Rock and Roll and obtaining his autograph for her sister.
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Discussing her song "I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles," named after the former U.S. Secretary of State, Burnett explained its inspiration, stating, "Everybody was going crazy over Elvis so he wrote this song about this young girl going crazy over John Foster Dulles."
She performed the song on "The Jack Paar Show" and later on "The Ed Sullivan Show," garnering widespread attention. The humorous love song sparked rumors, with Dulles himself addressing the matter coyly on "Meet the Press," stating, "I make it a policy never to discuss matters of the heart in public," a moment Burnett fondly recalled watching on television.
