
Anyone who enjoyed Regis Philbin on TV over the decades knew he was at his best when he was a little ticked off.
That was true off-screen as well.
The last time I interviewed the legendary broadcaster, who passed away this weekend at the age of 88, it was in advance of his 2009 cabaret show at Grand Casino Hinckley. I started off the phoner by mentioning that he had never performed before in Minnesota.
"I'm SORRY!" he snapped. "I was never INVITED!"
Later, I asked him to name his favorite songwriters. He mentioned Berlin, Styne and Cahn. Then he asked who I thought should make the list.
Bob Dylan is pretty good, I said.
"I don't know anyone today who's walking around humming Dylan," he replied.
When I said that I did, he insisted that a hum a few bars. After some prodding, I attempted a few bars of "Blowin' In the Wind."