Jay Leno is headlining PACER Center's annual benefit Saturday for the second time in four years.
All proceeds from the benefit, at the Minneapolis Convention Center, support PACER's programs for children with disabilities and their families, and its National Bullying Prevention Center. This is Part One of what is an unavoidably funny interview.
Q: Where did you hang that special painting that Jeff LaDow, the now-deceased Wisconsin man, gave you?
A: I don't know exactly where, but it is in the garage. [His garage is about 125,000 square feet.] I put a lot of pictures on the wall. People send me pictures of their cars.
Q: You must have quite a collection of caricatures?
A: People do a picture of me and it kind of looks like me. I was on an Indian reservation in New Mexico. They did a picture. My wife looks at that picture and says, Oh, I didn't realize you were Mexican, because I had kind of Hispanic features. An elderly African-American lady did a picture; my picture is whatever the person is used to and I have a whole array of these and they make me laugh.
Q: Was there a guest you couldn't get for "The Tonight Show?"
A: I'm sure there were some. To me, the funniest story was a series of Kathie Lee Gifford jokes. Remember when she had the clothing [controversy]? There was one joke that made her especially mad. Remember when her husband Frank Gifford was having the affair? I made a joke [laugh], "Uh-oh, Kathie Lee Gifford just found out there is no such thing as Tuesday Night Football." So we tried to book her on the show. [My bookers said] No, Jay, we've called her and she won't come on. She's mad at you. I said, "Let me call her, I will publicly apologize." I go out to the desk and say to one of the assistants, "Give me Kathie Lee's phone number." I dial it. "Kathie Lee, Jay Leno." Hi Jay, how are you! [He's imitating a lady's voice] "I'm good. Look, Kathie Lee, I've been doing a lot of jokes about you but I want to have you on." That would be fine. "You'll be the first guest." Oh, Jay, thank you so much. So I go back in the booking room and I'm teasing: "I don't need you people. I can book the show myself. When the star calls, they say yes." They said What are you talking about? I said "I just booked Kathie Lee." I just spoke to her. They said, No, you didn't. I go out to the desk and say, "Whose phone number did you give me?" She goes, "Cathy Lee Crosby." [Leno's really breaking up while retelling this.] Now I have to call Cathy Lee Crosby and apologize to her. It was so stupid. But, oh yeah, Kathie Lee, came back eventually.
