So sad to see that Regis died. I’ve met him a few times and I’ve always said “What you see is what you get” about him. He was quite the legend! Back when Kathie Lee left the show, they had a contest to see who could co-host with Regis for a day. I was super bummed when I wasn’t chosen as one of the winners. Soon thereafter, I went to the show in New York. My “Regis and Rosebud” sign caught Regis’s attention, and he came up into the audience to talk and joke with me over each and every commercial break. We discovered that out of over 10,000 video tapes, Regis chose mine to win! After visiting with him at the show, he really wanted me to co-host with him, despite me not winning the contest. The producers gave this a thumb’s down because it wouldn’t have been fair to the other people who entered the contest. Dang! Basically, the producers chose somebody else to win from the entries, but my tape was Regis’s favorite. How could they turn down those sweet little faces … and our dog (Muffy Duffy’s) plea???
Years later, Regis appeared at a casino in Minnesota. As soon as I heard him say “People always think they can do Kelly’s job,” I bolted up to the stage and I got to be one of his “co-hosts” that night and got to sing for the crowd. I was my funny self and Regis and I jokingly went back and forth with each other.
He actually remembered me years later when he signed his book addressed to my three kids. He wrote “Carly, Kevin and Jason … Your Mother is something else!” He was being a little sarcastic but that was Regis for ya!
I love you, Regis. I’m sure you’re already cracking everybody up in your new place … and definitely holding court!