When Donna Summer appeared on “The Tonight Show” on November 28th, 1979, she came with a message. Anything men can do, women can do as well. She was a fan of Johnny Carson as a child, and the “Queen of Disco” made sure that not only was she musically and theatrically talented, but she also made sure that Carson and the fans at home knew of her other skills.
Carson remarked that Summer was mechanically talented, with the ability to fix cars, and made a rather politically incorrect comment about girls not being mechanically inclined. That’s when Summer put Carson in his place, as she should!
Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin has become one of the most influential musicians of all time, and unfortunately, one of the earlier members of the 27 Club. Her appearance at Woodstock was nothing short of iconic and her impact on rock music is unquestionable. A few months before her tragic passing, Joplin made one of her many appearances on "The Dick Cavett Show."
Sadly, on August 3rd, 1970, Joplin gave her final interview and televised appearance on the show, performing "Half Moon" and "My Baby." Known for her powerful mezzo-soprano voice and electric stage presence, the talented musician, would tragically lose her life on October 4th.
Adrienne Barbeau
Two weeks before Christmas 1974, the beautiful 27-year-old actress Adrienne Barbeau appeared on "The Tonight Show." Seeing as it was just a couple of weeks before Christmas, Carson and Barbeau naturally started talking about gifts. The young actress shocked the late-night host and audiences at home by revealing that she had received many interesting gifts from lovers over the years.
These gifts included a set of encyclopedias, car repair items, and a fire extinguisher. Being the true talk-show host, Carson pointed out the "multiple lovers" comment, but Barbeau refrained from disclosing any personal details. We imagine she wanted to "escape from LA" immediately.
Zsa Zsa Gabor
Thanks to Johnny Carson and Zsa Zsa Gabor, Twister became a household favorite. When the "Moulin Rouge" actress made an appearance in 1966, the two spent the entire episode playing the game. It was released earlier that year, and it was expected that the Milton Bradley game would blow up.
Unfortunately, upon its release, it was not as popular as expected. Thanks in large part to seeing the two celebrities creatively play together, Twister sales skyrocketed with over 3 million in the following few months! Now that is definitely one way to make a game's popularity sore through the roof!
Doris Day
Doris Day, the multi-faceted singer and actress, made an appearance on "The Tonight Show" in 1974. Not only did Day use the show as a platform to show off the long list of men she starred alongside (James Garner and Clark Gable, to name a few), but she discussed her role as an animal welfare activist.
In addition to her on-screen success, Day was also an accomplished singer. Her most memorable songs included "Sentimental Journey" and "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time." Truth be told, there was nothing particularly awkward about this interview. Doris Day is just impossible to ignore.