Carol Burnett Recalls Meeting Elvis Presley After An 'Awful' Appearance On The Ed Sullivan Show

Carol Burnett opened up about her experiences appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show alongside the iconic Elvis Presley. During a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the 90-year-old actress shared anecdotes from her time on the variety show, which also featured performances by music legends like The Beatles and, of course, Elvis Presley.

Carol reveals her performance was awful

Burnett fondly recalled her appearance during Presley's stint in the army, where a grand production was staged in his honour. However, she humorously noted that she was placed on stage before Elvis, jokingly remarking, "Nobody wanted to see me. I mean it was Elvis, 'Where the hell is Elvis?'" Despite her self-deprecating humour, Burnett admitted that her performance fell flat. "I bombed. It was awful," she candidly revealed to Colbert.

Carol on her interaction with Elvis Presley

When asked if she had the chance to interact with Presley, Burnett shared a sweet memory of meeting him backstage and getting his autograph for her younger sister. The conversation then turned to a song inspired by the unlikeliest of muses – former Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. Burnett explained how Dulles' sober demeanour and lack of charisma inspired her friend to write the humorous song, "I Made A Fool Of Myself Over John Foster Dulles," which she performed on The Jack Paar Show.

Interestingly, after Dulles' press advisor caught wind of the song, Burnett was invited back to perform it again on the show due to Dulles missing the initial performance. The light-hearted tune became a hit, poking fun at the contrast between the excitement over Elvis Presley and the perceived dullness of John Foster Dulles.

Reflecting on the aftermath of her performance, Burnett shared an amusing anecdote about Dulles' response when questioned about the song during an appearance on Meet The Press. Despite the attention, Dulles maintained his characteristic reserve, responding, "I make it a policy never to discuss matters of the heart in public."