Speaker No, I don’t. Well, I mean, we talked about film. Because up because Harry Nilsson, I went to do a session for Philip and Philip. We were coming down the hallway and Philip was in with John. And a chair came running, you know, like flying out into, you know, where Harry and I were. And so John and Philip got into a huge fight. So Philip asked John and I if we would I mean, of Harry knife, we would just, you know, put a lay down on a guide vocal. And we did. And then Philip tried to put it out. So David was very much involved in that part. You know?
Speaker So the next time I think he saw you, many years later, it was at the Bette Midler concert show. Yep. And he looked across the room and he says he says you.
Speaker No, he did not.
Speaker They didn’t actually meet you until you talked to them.
Speaker No, that’s not true. He’s got the worst memory of. All right. So, yes, we met that night. He was with Ahmet and I was with Sonny. So you and I were really not together. We were just we were living together. We’re working together. But we were separated. And I saw David. But I thought, you know, he was so deferential to Ahmet. I thought it was a promotion man. So then the next time I saw him was at Lou Adler’s Christmas party.
Speaker I was sitting on the floor with Goldie and I remember saying to Sunday, I’m going to lose Christmas party anyway. No, you’re not. I went, Yeah. And you can come with me or you can stay on, but I’m going. So I end up on the floor talking to Golden and no. And I don’t remember who the people were around as they were coming and going. But Goldie, now we’re having a blast and their own son, David, walked in and Goldie loved David and she said, David, come and sit with us. And we were sitting on the floor. We were talking and I thought, this guy is so great. He’s so smart. He’s so funny. Everyone was attracted to him. You know, everyone kind of came on the floor and sat and talked with us.
Speaker And then he invited me to dinner.
Speaker And I thought, oh, this is great. You know, I’m so lonely right now and I can’t tell this my story to anybody, you know, and and nobody knows. It’s Sunny and I are not together, but we’re living in the same house. I mean, we lived in a 28000 square foot house, so he lived at one end. I lived at the other was friendly. You know, we were totally friendly, but I was just finished. And so then Dave invited me to dinner. And so I said, okay, great, you know? And I thought, oh, this is so great. Everyone loves him. He’s gay. I can hang out with him. I can have a new friend, you know. So I get there and he comes to he comes to the door, the telephone, and as you know, on the air, like usual and a kind of.
Speaker Like a plaid cotton shirt and jeans twisting his hair. And he went and got a chance to take a shower. Like, OK. That’s more information than I care to know. But come on in. I said, OK, great. And Lou was there and I thought, well, this is nice. You know. Nice to see Lou. And then we went in, had, you know, dinner and and I remember we had avocado soup called avocado soup. And I thought, well, this is really good. And oh, but. But the first thing was I lived in Holmby Heroes in a huge house. And I looked at his address and I’m thinking, well, this is close. Cooper to Oros close. How does this promotion man houses here afford a house like this? Well, whatever. And so get around, you know, go into the house. We’re having dinner. And, you know, Lou’s very respectful and I’m thinking, what the hell’s going on here? But, you know, I was too excited. And so then he and I started talking.
Speaker And, you know, he started telling me his life story. I start telling him my life story. I totally told him everything about what was going on. I was sunny and I and. And at the end of the night. Well, which was all night long. We talked all night long. And he lived right around the corner. So I just went home, changed my clothes and went to the studio, you know. And I thought, oh, my God, you so wonderfully so easy to talk to me. So funny. So smart. We’re gonna he’s going to be my best friend. We’re gonna have the best time together because truthfully, I couldn’t tell anybody this, you know. And then he was going up and then Johnny came walking in the front door.
Speaker And I said, hi, Joan.
Speaker And she said, I’m so tired, I just got to the studio. I’m going to sleep. And I thought, well, I don’t even. This is above my pay grade. I don’t know what it is. Okay, so then David and I, the next day we was going to Rob and Dominique’s house because Bar David was trying to sign Bob, you know, and. And Bob and Sarah were coming as well. And we stopped to get gas and we’re talking we’re talking a blue streak, you know, just couldn’t stop talking. And. And we’re sitting there and, you know, he’s telling the guy how much gas he wants. He looks at me and he said, you know, I told my psychiatrist. Today that I thought I was in love with you. And I thought, how can I just jump out of this car right now and I just remember screeching so far to the right. And I thought, well, this is going to ruin everything. This is not what my. These were not my plans. You were gonna be my best friend and you’re ruining it. And so then we went to Rubby and Dominique’s and. And I just remember those beautiful candles all around. There’s a round table and there were candles everywhere. Was like some sort of, you know, film. And I remember looking at David and thinking. You know, there’s something special about him, but this is not my plan. This is not my plan at all. And then we went back to his house and we were talking, you know. And I kept thinking because the night before we grab each other, we hugged. We kissed, you know? And then this night, I couldn’t wait to run out of the house. And he was kind of terrified because he thought I was going to kiss him, which was like the last thing on my mind, because that first night he had he had Lou over to protect him from me. As if, you know, I mean, like I wasn’t going to do anything to anybody, you know? And so I ran out of the house, didn’t even.
Speaker Nothing. Just ran out of the house. And then. Then I just thought, well. I have to rethink this.
Speaker You know, I have to rethink this because I, I was working and then I didn’t see him for some days and then I thought, God, I really miss talking to him. I really miss being around him. And I like him so much. And we have such a wonderful time together and. And he’s not really my type, my physical type. He had these beautiful, beautiful eyes and lovely curly hair, you know, like Tozzo, the kind of hair and just the sweetest face and these beautiful light eyes. I don’t know if they were blue or green. But just beautiful face and just adorable. And so then we were just became inseparable. Completely. That’s, you know, it was just I had to work and he had to work. But then he stopped going to work, kind of, you know. And I had to keep going to work, you know. But we just put all of our time together and we were just crazy about each other. And he’d never had a girlfriend. You know, I was just too frightened. And I guess the closest relationship he had it with a woman was Laura Nyro.
Speaker Did he talk to you about. About Laura. He just told me that he got high once out a balcony and.
Speaker But I think he did tell me some things, but I don’t really remember. He loved her, but I don’t remember how it went. I mean, we’re talking. Thirty six years ago. Thirty five years ago.
Speaker She hurt your relationship. Well, she didn’t sign it. She told. He had incredibly devoted.
Speaker I know he was devoted to her. I know, I know that. I mean, I remember that part of it.
Speaker So. Can you say what? In addition, I mean, besides the fact that one in your plan, you just really want to be friends. What was your hesitancy about David? About about thrusting yourself into this.
Speaker Well, I mean, I was married and I was having a hard time and, you know, and. It was all very, you know. Walking on eggshells in my life, you know, and I I had this idea that David and I would be one kind of pair, you know, that he was going. I mean, he just was so smart and he was so funny and he was so kind. And he just was. He was just so wonderful. But I didn’t see it, as you know. I mean, it was a huge thing for me to go to Lou Adler’s Christmas party, you know, because I was not allowed to go anywhere, you know?
Speaker And so just to go there and then to meet him and then to think, oh, my God, he’s not going to be able to be friends. And I can go round the corner, I can tell him all my feelings, and I just never thought about it in another way.
Speaker And.
Speaker And it and it all. It also would mean that everything was going to come out, you know. And that was a big deal for me as well.
Speaker But, you know, then I finally realized that David wasn’t a promotion man at some point in those days. I realized that because I said, what the hell do you do? Why do you live here? And in what? What’s their names? Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards house. And why does. Why is Joni here? I would like to know because he would fall asleep early, and I would I would be kind of going home and then Joni would come in from. She’s doing and spark. And she would just sit there and we would talk for two hours. And then I would go home. And then I’m like, I was young. So and then I would go home, change my clothes and go to do the Sonny and Cher Show. So then it just started to happen. We just. Our relationship started to happen.
Speaker When did you realize you were.
Speaker Kind of not long after that. I mean, it was.
Speaker I had this idea of what it was going to be, but then all of a sudden one night it just wasn’t. And I think we were back at Dominique. And and Robbie’s house. And I just remember looking over at him and I just remember there were lots of candles and I thought, he’s so cute.
Speaker Did he? He then really began to help you take charge there?
Speaker Yeah, he he he knew what was happening. I mean, I, I told him as much as I knew, but I don’t really know anything. So he said, sure, I want to see copies of all the papers, you know. And he looked at me, he said, sure, you can’t do this. He said, this is like indentured servitude.
Speaker And he said, you have to go to Sonny and say you will work with him and you’ll keep doing the Sonny and Cher Show. But you want to be 50 50 partners and you do not want to be signed to this thing called Cher Enterprises, where you’re just you have no power, you have no money. You have no rights. You can’t work at anything that they don’t allow you to work at, which was nothing. They had no way to make money. And so. He said, you’ve got to do this. I was terribly frightened and. And then one day I just told Sonny I wouldn’t I wouldn’t go back to work with him. I wouldn’t let them pick up our contract unless he agreed to sign that we were 50/50 partners. And I was not signed to share enterprises. And he said no.
Speaker So at that point, the court. There was.
Speaker Well, I didn’t have a penny. I had no place to live.
Speaker And I was taking care of my mom and, you know, and I had nothing. I had nothing. I had a car.
Speaker What was David’s relationship like with chastity?
Speaker Well, in the beginning, it was great. She was crazy about him. She loved him.
Speaker And then. She hopes her father, who hated him, literally hated him.
Speaker Made it impossible for them to have relationship. But I mean, I’ve got great pictures of them. I have great pictures of them, actually. That would be great. We’re in Hawaii and she’s laying all over him and he’s reading a book and she’s playing with his hair. So, yeah. And Ben then. And like I remember one time I was over the house and she was there and she was talking to him and she was in the bathtub. And she kept talking and kept walking. And he went, oh, sweetheart. I said, David, she does know a thing or David. And you’re in the bathtub. You know, chill. You know, she’s a dad. She’s you know, she’s not interested, not that kind of child. He’s not going to notice that you’re in the bathtub. She just is asking you a question. She want to go to get ice cream. Dave, take me to get ice cream to say yes. So, you know, he hadn’t been around children.
Speaker What did your friends think of your relationship?
Speaker Well, I didn’t have a lot of friends. You know, I really didn’t have very many friends at all. My sister and Paulette loved him. They were a little bit. I shouldn’t say jealous because. But David, in the beginning, he was very. Not exactly possessive, but he didn’t want to rock the boat in any way, you know? And I was pretty wild, but I was pretty free spirit when I left Sunny. And so, you know, I won. I went with my sister, you know, the three of us. We went everywhere. You know, we took trips. And actually, once I beat him in backgammon and won about twenty eight thousand dollars from him and took my sister and out to Europe course afterwards he told me, let me win. But I don’t believe that.
Speaker Tell us. Tell me about when you get back to you.
Speaker His mom. Well. So I’ve only heard about it. Right. I don’t hear very good things, I don’t hear very good things about his brother. And then one day we’re driving and he goes, I’m gonna go see my mother. And I went, OK. You know this. I don’t know what’s happening, but. OK. And we went there and I guess she was as surprised, if not more so than I was.
Speaker And. And I think it went off well.
Speaker You know, he he seemed really relaxed with her and it wasn’t horrible and she was so happy to see him. But I could also see that they could never be friends on any. Understandable level at that point. No, they didn’t, because I don’t think she understood who she was. She she didn’t know who she was, you know.
Speaker And. He had, you know, anger for her and then she she just she had no idea who he was, how sensitive his he was.
Speaker And I think his brother was always supposed to be the good one. The bright one. The one that was going to grow up to be something she did grow up calling.
Speaker Yes, she did. But. And that she did. She was very a good prognosticator then. But I still think that.
Speaker She just didn’t know. Besides that, she didn’t know who he was.
Speaker Do you think is his anger was about that. That she didn’t have the faith in him, that he thought she should?
Speaker I don’t know. You know.
Speaker He had the worst temper. I asked. He only felt it once. I think I think I only found it once, but boy, he’s got a temper on him. You know, and still, it makes me laugh because truthfully, I’m not afraid of him. And he always he always says, you know, sweetheart, everybody in the world calls me back immediately. I can’t get you on the phone. I leave a message for you. You don’t call me back, you know? And but I said, Dave, that’s our relationship. And he always I mean, he takes great pride in going. Sweetheart, how are your finances? Oh, you’re just ridiculous, sweetheart. What are you doing with your life? You know, that’s kind of been his like for as long as I can remember. Sweetheart, you should have more money. What is the matter with you? You know, I’m always kind of. I’m the grasshopper. Is he still trying to take a. Just he was responsible for burlesque completely.
Speaker He was in the boat and his boat on the French Riviera. And Clint and Steven were there and they were talking about this movie and they gave David the script. And David said, there’s only one woman who can play this. And they said, who? And he said, Scherrer. So I’m telling you, she’s the only woman that can do it. And he said, and it’s gonna be a major pain in your ass if you if you’re lucky enough to get her, you’re gonna wish you never got her until it’s there and she’s working. And then you’re going to say it was worth everything.
Speaker You know, Clint was had a studio. Clint’s Clint Colpeper is the head of Screen Gems. Steven Anton, who directed it.
Speaker You don’t think that?
Speaker No, no, no. Sorry. One could wish. But an end. And Stanley was gonna be in it. And I love Peter Gallagher. And. And, you know, it’s.
Speaker You know, Christina is stars in the film and but he said, I’ve read the script and you have to do it. And so I thought, all right, well, then I’ll read the script and then I read the script. I didn’t like it. He’s a sweetheart. You still have to do this film.
Speaker Interesting. Let’s go back to the beginnings of your relationship now. You were a huge star. David was the behind the scenes guy. You don’t even know who he was.
Speaker Yes. All of a sudden. Mr. Perry, she called himself. I thought you called it. I did. But he picked it up from me. I called him Mr. Bailey, but then he picked it up and go, Yes, Mr. Branch.
Speaker Now, all of a sudden, he’s famous. He’s at all the right parties. He’s on the cover of, you know, newspapers and he’s in the public eye. How do you feel that?
Speaker Well, that was difficult. You didn’t love it, but, you know, she didn’t hate it. He there was you know, it was like it was a double edged sword. But I mean, truthfully, too, he didn’t like having you know, you don’t know what it’s like to have no privacy until you have no privacy. So that that pissed him off. But he let you know he loved being out with me. And when we were together, we just didn’t notice very many people. We just were doing our own thing. And, you know, a lot of his friends thought that I was too dumb for him. And a lot of my friends thought he was too square for me.
Speaker It’s like, you know, Gloria Steinem and I have the same relationship, but. But, you know, there are a lot of people that I knew. You know, Warren and Jack and Angelica. And I mean, and it was hard for me because all these people were working except for me, because I was signed to this contract, which I couldn’t break. So David was really kind to me at that point. He was so thoughtful. He got me a house, you know, he paid all my bills. He just took care of me, you know.
Speaker And you were hanging out with Warren? Yeah. Right. Right.
Speaker Well, let’s see. So. So all of a sudden, Jack, who has a house there, goes wrong. Going to go to Aspen, Lou Ann and I, Bologna and and a Gillian of us. Right. So we get there and I’m like, loving it. I’m having the best time. And David’s on the telephone. And I went, David, you’re never going to learn to do this if you don’t get off the telephone. You said no. Everyone out here looks like the star. And I looked like the agent. You said, I’m not doing it. And so I said, David, you’re so silly. This is so ridiculous. And I’m going to go learn how to ski. And if you’re smart, you’re going to come and do it. You know, do it, too. But he was doing business and he was also doing some things behind the scenes business for me that I didn’t know about it until much later. You know, but I loved it there and he was gonna buy me a place. There is a wedding as an engagement present. And then. But that was later. And then that didn’t work out well.
Speaker But you did. You were planning.
Speaker Absolutely. You said. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker We I we were planning to get married and we were together for a long time, you know, and.
Speaker And we got along. So we really got along so well.
Speaker He was the most wonderful, loving. I don’t care what you’ve heard about him. Boyfriend. You know, in the world, I mean, like he would leave me. He left me on Valentine’s Day, the most beautiful diamond bracelet on on my car, you know, in my seat when I was wondering, how did he.
Speaker How did this not get stolen? Like gigantic big diamond bracelet in diamond earrings and diamond necklaces. And he just had never had anybody to do this for, you know. And he he just loved it. You know, he didn’t even think he would like having a girlfriend.
Speaker Were you at all concerned about his sexuality?
Speaker You know. It didn’t have much to do with me. It just. I just loved him. I don’t really think about that. It wasn’t it wasn’t my problem.
Speaker Later, when he came out, yeah, were you. I imagine you were pretty supportive of that. Are you surprised?
Speaker No. No, not at all. Because, you know.
Speaker You know, after me, I guess he was with Marissa Berenson and then Marlo.
Speaker Right.
Speaker And then I kind of saw that kind of starting to wane. You know, and then there were more and more men. And then I just thought, well, these gravitating to where he’s gravitating it, where are you wanting to be?
Speaker Where he feels comfortable that we can talk a little bit about the Esquire, cause that was kind of a big hit. The article hit very.
Speaker He was. Yeah. It was really bad. The article was really bad. But you know what? I didn’t really read it because I knew it was not nice and I just didn’t want to know about it. Because he told me it was you told me it was terrible. So I really don’t think I read it.
Speaker It does. You know, looking back, I reread it again in the last few days and it really is a very nasty article, but why? She really paints him as being ostentatious and crass and. She you know, he let her into his life in a way that it was actually very naive to do. Well, you know, looking back and what I know about David, I’m really very surprised that he wasn’t savvier about that.
Speaker You don’t tell everything in the world to the reporter who’s doing a story. All right.
Speaker It’s a mistake, right? It’s a mistake that we make sometimes.
Speaker But she invited her to come along on your shopping trip and all of this. I mean, if you’re ready, you probably cringe, but don’t read it. OK, but but by the time the article came out, there were a couple of other things that were happening.
Speaker First, you. You had broken off with him and indeed announced in the article that you were against. Secondly, he’d announced this merger with Atlantic in the sale of intellectual, which also. He was rather public. Were you aware of this? Were you aware? Unbelievably heard. He was everything.
Speaker You know, it was a strange time in our in our relationship. He was really angry with me. So. I knew he was hurt because I heard it from everyone, you know, and I heard how terrible it was. And. It’s so strange, he’s so not ostentatious. How could she have gotten that? Whatever.
Speaker I.
Speaker Because we were having our own problems. I didn’t know about it. I only knew was it was terrible. Don’t read it.
Speaker Did he talk to you about the Atlantic asylum election? Olmert had agreed to make him co-chair. They were going to kill me.
Speaker Yeah. Right.
Speaker Well, I mean, he was devastated. I mean, you know, he. That’s why I thought he was a promotion man, because the first time I met him was with Ahmet. And Ahmet was like meant everything to him as. I mean, look, ah, my first contract was with Ahmet and we all we were. I mean, Ahmet, what was, you know, Ahmet Ness.
Speaker We were like our heroes as well as the heads of our of our record company. So it was I think was devastating. On a per hour, more of a personal level than a business level.
Speaker So how do you think it felt about.
Speaker Well, I know that Ahmed really loved him, but, you know, business is something different than friendship and I don’t know what happened to make the merger not go through all the senior management.
Speaker Atlantic refused to.
Speaker And I think it really didn’t have a choice but to back to back down.
Speaker I mean, like David out of big, you know, David had a lot of. People you know, a lot of detractors. I mean, that is his temper was legendary. And he was he could throw a fit.
Speaker Did he ever talk to you about things like that, how he felt about the fact that he had detractors? Do you ever felt? I mean, I know that while he was with you, there was a headiest one of the happiest times of his life, but didn’t feel it was a lonely guy. Well.
Speaker You know, all smart people. Are lonely guys at some point or another? I mean, I think, you know, I don’t think that he feels that way now at all. His boyfriend so great. And I don’t think he felt that way when we were together. But I think he felt it’s like whether it’s true or not.
Speaker But I think it was I was the only person that actually got him all around. And I heard him do business deals. And I heard him screaming and yelling and I heard him being really kind and I saw him be really kind to Bob. When Bob had not been used to being on the on the road and and David had all those facets of his personality, and he was always the smartest man in the room.
Speaker So where do you think he had so many detractors because he was tough and he could outsmart you? He could just outsmart you without even breaking a sweat. And he could get it one way or another, he would outsmart you. Outtalk you are out Yelle you.
Speaker So after. You broke. You broke up with him, decided not to marry. Yeah. You could just say at some point I decided I didn’t want marry.
Speaker Well, you know.
Speaker It was it was a difficult decision because it wasn’t that I didn’t want to marry him. It was that I had just gotten away from a man that was really smart and.
Speaker And.
Speaker And very open. Before we got together and the minute we got together, very, you know, he’d close that door behind me.
Speaker And even though David didn’t do that, the more we kind of got more. I kept moving the date farther back and farther back. The more I was afraid that that was what was going to happen. I didn’t know what my life would be. And I knew that I was no match for David. You know, I just wasn’t a match for him in that way. And I and I just wanted I wanted to be crazy. I wanted to sow wild oats. I just I didn’t want to get married right away because I was I was with David when I got a divorce.
Speaker I really understand that.
Speaker But you couldn’t just tell him no, because you don’t want to know it, because David David is David, David wants what he wants and I don’t blame him. But as it turned out, I mean, whenever he sees Elijah, he always goes, that should be my son. But. But.
Speaker He I mean, we would have been happy for a while, but he would have come to the same decision, you know. Not that we wouldn’t have had a great time. But also, I wanted my career, you know, and my career was floundering and struggling. And David was completely responsible for the Cher Show, you know. And when he stopped working for it and went right down the toilet, you know, he he was taking care of me like a baby. He took care of me and everything. It was one of the things he really loved doing because that’s kind of who he was. You know, he wanted to take care of you, but in order to have me think of you to do exactly what he said.
Speaker How long after you broke up? And he went to lick his wounds at Ward’s house. Know, come out and go work all these things. Did you repair your relationship? How long did it take for you to friends again?
Speaker Oh, boy. A long time. Because he was really, really angry with me. He said to me once, if we’re walking down the street. If you see me walking down the street, cross over to the other side.
Speaker And then he went to essed.
Speaker Well, he also he sent me a letter, you want all this jewelry back? And I went, you know, what do you sell? And we fought. We mock, fought for a while. And then.
Speaker And then he. He.
Speaker Then we we saw each other at at our accountants.
Speaker We ran into each other and it was just over because we could never be near each other without laughing and. Hugging and kissing, and, you know, that’s just what it is for us.
Speaker You know, we’re just I don’t know what it is, but, you know, and then and then he went to ask and he called me. He said, sweetheart, you know, I’m fine. I’m over it. I love you, love above a blond. And so we never fought after that.
Speaker He sued the psychiatrist for a while.
Speaker Yes, Dr. Gretchen. Yeah, we did. Well, we shared Dr. Groshen doing. I feel that David felt the doctor Groshen was his personal property. But Gretchen was a pretty bizarre doctor. It’s kind of unusual. Oh, yes, completely. It was a really interesting man and very, you know, obviously very smart, had escaped Hitler’s Germany and had a lot of things to say. Why he would take two people that were in a relationship together is very strange and bizarre kind of therapy.
Speaker You talked about Dylan and the concert tour, which he did, David. Yeah, but wasn’t there the last night, didn’t something that was very hurtful to David. And that’s why you planned a surprise party for him? I don’t remember what happened.
Speaker I remember the party. Oh. Oh, gosh. That’s right. Well, Sandy and I planned the party. You know, it was. I think we’d do it. Thirty first birthday party. And we. Oh, my God. It was great party. People came in from all over the world and we had it at the Beverly Hilton. I guess it was the one on Wilshire. Beverly Wilshire. Right. Beverly Wilshire. And it was a great party. We had fortune tellers. We had, I mean, every bizarre called strange sword swallowers, you know, and we all got up on that. We all got up on stage and sang Happy Birthday to him. And Ahmet came in as a surprise. And it was a great night.
Speaker It was really a great night. And the Eagles and Jackson and Joni and everybody was there. It was a great party. And I think he had a wonderful time.
Speaker I think it made up for an evening where he was so terribly hurt.
Speaker You know? Bob can be. Really unthinking.
Speaker You know, he really can be a brat. You know, there’s probably you know, it’s going to be probably a whole bunch of people that are really not going like that. But Bob is Bob and Bob, is it? You know, Bob is used to being Bob Dylan and getting exactly what he wants. And if he heard somebody, well, that’s kind of a shame. But, you know, and I don’t think he realized David put everything behind him. David, you know, eight and slept his career the whole time they were together.
Speaker You know, I think he shipped his I shipped his album platinum or gold, and it wasn’t even that they were just boosted it, you know, so he and worried about the tour like he was, you know, a mother hand. So and I don’t think, you know, Bob did not appreciate that.
Speaker And I think David was right to be heard. Yeah, well, yeah. And then there was the whole issue.
Speaker I think that Sarah was much more appreciative than Bob.
Speaker As you write this, but we just did this film about him. I mean, Bob is Bob.
Speaker And then they had a handshake agreement that he was going to be get records with the company was silent. I think that Asylum was going to release the concert album. And he said, no, no. We did find a way. But this was only shaking. We’re not doing it live. Yeah. Can you talk? Well, I don’t remember.
Speaker I don’t remember all the things that happened.
Speaker There were millions of telephone calls and lots of screaming and lots of yelling.
Speaker And I think Lloyd Braun was involved in that. Lloyd was Lloyd Braun.
Speaker Now, there was a lawyer. Was he Bob’s lawyer? Yeah, I think he was Bob lawyer because I remember lots and lots of screaming going back and forth from the office, like passing the office.
Speaker So there was rancor. There was lots of festivities and fireworks going on there.
Speaker Did this affect David’s relationship with Robbie Robertson?
Speaker I don’t know, because I never paid that much attention to what was going on with those guys, because the truth was, I wasn’t that into it. You know, I loved Jackson and I loved Joanie. I mean, I wasn’t that interested in Bob or or Robbie. I’m just, you know, they were like it was business. And David had much more passion.
Speaker I didn’t really talk about David’s skills. We’re going to do just a few more questions about David and what we haven’t talked about too much, as is, is David’s skills as an agent, as a manager, as a record company executive.
Speaker He’s obviously a genius. How would you summarize why he’s so great besides being able to yell and smart? That is taste his instincts, his music. Definitely.
Speaker Well, I mean, look, you put Crosby, Stills, Nash together.
Speaker You know, he he.
Speaker He just has a great. Sense also, he loved the music. He really loved the music, he was so passionate about the music. I think he gave. I think he gave Jackson back his publishing once as a present. You know, just because he loved Jackson, he loved the music. You know, he he just was a lover. He appreciated it as well. And I don’t think people knew that about him.
Speaker I mean, he was you know, he had a kind side to him that maybe you can’t show in business, you know, because maybe it’s better for people to be afraid of you than than to know your soft underbelly.
Speaker Warren described him as a captain of industry with the soul.
Speaker I think that’s true. Could you. I think that he he he had no problem being the David. Take charge, do the business. You know, all that. And I don’t think he would show that softness, that softness to many people. And also, I think that, you know, I knew him. I met him when he was 29 and 30. And then, you know, as he got to be, you know, David Geffen, you know, the the big shot gazillion air.
Speaker And I think that, you know, he got tougher, more able to hide that soft part of him and having fewer and fewer people see it, you know. And he had like something to you know, he ran with all the big guys. And he was he was the big guys, you know. But some of those big guys are not that nice. So maybe you don’t get to show who you really are to them.
Speaker You think fundamentally he’s changed?
Speaker You know, when I see him, I don’t think so because there’s still that smile and an.
Speaker When I see him, he just looks like him without hair.
Speaker He talks about the cancer as being kind of. Decisive point in his life and that he feels that. After that and after dealing with that scare, then he was a different person. You notice did he did you. Were you in touch with him?
Speaker It was it was when he found out that he didn’t have it. You know, I mean, I knew before and then he found out that he didn’t have it. And then I saw. I would say a big change in him. But I guess I wasn’t as supportive as I should have been, so I don’t think that I was really privileged to, you know, privileged to. Watching the day to day of that.
Speaker You have really promise you one more question. I mean. And then I’d love you to say anything I didn’t ask you if you’d like to say. But you talked about him on the Cher Show with George Schlatter. I know you were. The producer on it. And you didn’t always agree that, David. Really shaped that show. Yes, a good story to tell because that opening show is great, right?
Speaker Well, I mean, it was David did all of it. David was. I mean, he just kind of gave up his business. It was a good thing that David had to spend maybe two hours a week on his business and he could do it, you know. You know, he never he’s just stopped going to the office completely. When we met, he just, like, never went to the office. And I would say, are you getting your work done? He sat on. He doesn’t take any time at all. Sweetheart, don’t pay any attention. So then I needed him and he just stopped what he was doing and went into the you know, went into my business and just took over completely and put together.
Speaker And Elton and Flip Wilson and then put together every single artist afterwards, you know. And we had great artists. It’s difficult. You know, it’s difficult to get great people for every show.
Speaker And when he left everything with him, now that he’s talking with you about how you should talk to the audience when you came out.
Speaker I was so afraid. I was terrified anyway. Sweetheart, you know, you don’t have to be afraid. You know, you’re not used to it. David Sunee was the one that talked to the audience I loved. I talked to him and he talked to the audience and he said, sweetheart, you can do this.
Speaker You just you just don’t think you can do it. I mean, who is the biggest cheerleader in the world where he believes in something, you know? And.
Speaker And I guess, you know, people just don’t don’t nor could they know him in a way that I know him, you know.
Speaker I mean.
Speaker They just mean there’s very few of us probably that will ever know him in this way. You know, maybe you could count them on one hand. Well, I think his boyfriend now was so adorable. You just sweet and smart and fun to be with. And I really enjoyed my time with them.
Speaker What did you. I mean, besides that?
Speaker Oh, we had dinner. I went over to David’s, we had dinner and Dave went to do what he always does, which is so silly. I should know by now, go and watch a movie and I’m going to watch a movie with David consists of turning on the film and 10 to 10 minutes later and no longer. And he’s a rice. Finished watching the film together or he wakes up and he goes, Sweetheart, there’s a terrible film. I’m going to bed. What was the movie was Amelia. It was terrible.
Speaker Three words to describe, David.
Speaker Oh. I don’t want to describe him in three words.
Speaker We know. They would not be enough. Were they? It would be a game, but they wouldn’t describe him.
Speaker Lovely. Now, anything that you want to say that I didn’t ask you?
Speaker Well, really, I mean, I think, you know, I think that. I’m trying to think if there is any special.
Speaker Funny stories, anecdotes, anything that you think would add richness to this portrait of.
Speaker No, because I think that I got across his essence, except he gave me this ring a long, long time ago so I would stop.
Speaker So it stopped smoking. And also when I if I ever was nervous. And this ring is diamonds that are in a little chain. And so he said, sweetheart, whenever you get nervous, just take this ring off and just put it in your fingers and think of me and you won’t be nervous. And so I always keep it and I wear it a lot.
