Oh yeah, I know Johnnie Bassett. We were part of that whole thing.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I tell my audiences today that I served 10 years in Nashville! That's a joke, of course; I was grateful for the work. Bob Ferguson, who produced Connie Smith, Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton, started calling me in.
The only actor who I think probably might have possibly taken a swing at me if he could have would be Burt Reynolds. He used to call Roger and me the Bruise Brothers, out of Chicago.
I think a lot of people thought my career started with Butch Cassidy.
In my early days I was a contract player at Universal and I had a wonderful mentor named Monique James, who was head of talent there, and she used to drag me on sets to do parts.
My father, Tommy, who was a trained draughtsman, played for Preston North End in the Finney era. He liked football but did not love it as I do.
I joined Tommy Dorsey at the Paramount Theater in New York as a singer. I replaced Frank Sinatra.
I think I'm telling the truth. I sat by Ray Perkins at the Hall of Fame dinner in New York, and at that time he didn't know he was our coach and I didn't either.
I worked under Francis Schmidt, and he was the biggest influence on my coaching career.
I knew Billy Wilder socially and would have loved to work with him.
John Wooden made a name as a coach but also a life as a mentor.