CHOCOLATE
CHOCOLATE WITH CRUSTY BREAD. I WILL TAKE SOME. >>> FROM TIME TO TIME WE FIND
OUT ABOUT SOMEONE WHO IS WELL-
KNOWN OR ACCOMPLISHED OR BOTH
AND HE WAS LIVING RIGHT IN OUR
BACKYARD.
>> IT MAKES US HAPPY WHEN WE
HAVE NO CLUE THAT PERSON LIVED
NEARBY.
TONIGHT, A PRIME EXAMPLE.
WHEN HE STEPS OUT OF HIS HOME,
JOHN DAVIDSON IS SURROUNDED BY
BEAUTIFUL HILLS AND WOODS, EASY
TO SEE WHY HE LIKES IT HERE.
WHEN HE GOES INTO TOWN COME HE
MAY HAVE AN ENCOUNTER THAT
TAKES THEM BACK TO A VERY
DIFFERENT CHAPTER IN HIS LIFE.
DO YOU RECOGNIZE A LOT?>> NO, I
DO HAVE A SMILE.
I MUST HAVE BASED THEIR CAREER
ON SMILING BECAUSE IF I DON'T
SMILE NOBODY RECOGNIZES ME.>>
HERE IS HANDSOME JOHN DAVIDSON
TO SING FOR YOU.>> ♪ THERE WAS
A TIME FROM THE LATE 1960S TO
THE EARLY 90s WHEN JOHN
DAVIDSON SEEM TO BE JUST ABOUT
EVERYWHERE.
>> ARE YOU MARRIED JOHN?
>> I AM NOT, NO.
>> WHAT'S THAT BOY'S NAME?
JUST KIDDING HE IS A GOOD
FRIEND.
JOHN DAVIDSON.
>> FROM HOLLYWOOD, IT IS THE
JOHN DAVIDSON SHOW.
>> AND THE STAR OF OUR SHOW,
JOHN DAVIDSON.
WELCOME.
>> WELCOME TO MY THIS IS
$100,000 PYRAMID.?
HE STARTED IN MUSICAL THEATER
AND THEN MADE IT TO BROADWAY IN
THE HIT TV AND MOVIES.
>> ♪ ♪ THE MEMENTOS FROM MORE
ROLES AND JOBS HE COULD
POSSIBLY REMEMBER, I NOW PACKED
AWAY IN THE BASEMENT OF HIS
HOME IN THE LAKES REGION OF NEW
HAMPSHIRE.
>> I FOUND THIS IN HIS STUPID
ANTIQUE STORE AND IT WAS LIKE,
$10 OR SOMETHING I SAID.
THAT IS ME.
SHOULDN'T YOU BE ASKING A
LITTLE BIT MORE FOR THAT.
THAT IS JOHN DAVIDSON.
>> WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND
WHEN YOU SEE THAT?>> WHO IS
THIS GUY.
>> WHEN WE'RE TALKING EARLIER
YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN THOSE
DAYS AS YOUR WORDS NOT MINE,
SICKENINGLY CUTE.
>> YEAH, WHAT, YEAH.
>> YOU TOOK A LOT OF GRIEF AND
FLAK OVER THE YEARS FOR THAT
BECAUSE YOU WERE JUST, THE
HAIR.
THE DIMPLES.
IT WAS ALL JUST A LITTLE TOO
PERFECT.>> MY HAIR, IT JUST
KEEPS GROWING.
I'M LIKE AN ALBINO CHIA PET IT
JUST KEEPS GROWING.
>> HE FILLED IN FOR JOHNNY
CARSON MORE TIMES THAN ANY
OTHER MUSICIAN.
FOR A WHILE HE EVEN HAD HIS OWN
TALK SHOW.>> HE HAPPENS TO BE
WITH US THEY WOULD YOU WELCOME,
RINGO STARR?
>> HE DID GAME SHOWS.
>> HERE IS YOUR HOST, JOHN
DAVIDSON.
>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
WELCOME TO THE NEW HOLLYWOOD
SQUARES.
>> HE ACTED, DURING DRAMATIC
ROLES FROM THIS COP SHOW IN
WHICH HE PLAYED A SCHIZOPHRENIC
DIVA.
>> I MILO AND THE DRIVER FORGET
IT.
>> LET GO OF ME CAROL.>>
REGRETS?
HE'S GOT A FEW.
HE TURNED DOWN AN OFFER TO HOST
STAR SEARCH IN THE 80s AND
90s.>> IT WAS A MISTAKE.
>> EVERYBODY MAKES THEM IN YOUR
BUSINESS.
>> THANK YOU, ROB.
>> I HOPE THAT MAKES YOU FEEL
BETTER.
CARRY ON WITH YOUR LIFE NOW.
HIS REAL LOVE HAS BEEN MUSIC.>>
THIS GUITAR PLAYS BETTER THAN I
DO.
AND MY FAVORITE THING AND
THAT'S WHAT I DO, AND OVER THE
YEARS IT IS WHAT I ALWAYS DID.
♪ ♪
>> NOW, IN HIS LATE 70s, IT IS
MUSIC THAT GIVES HIM THE MOST
PLEASURE.>> EVERY NIGHT I HOPE
AND PRAY, TO THE LOVE THAT WILL
COME MY WAY.>> ♪ ♪ THE STAR
WHO ONCE PLAYED THE BIG ROLES
IN LAS VEGAS HAS IN THE LAST
DECADE REINVENTED HIMSELF AND
BECOME A SINGER AND GUITARIST
PERFORMING IN INTIMATE VENUES
WHERE HE CAN CONNECT WITH THE
AUDIENCE.
>> IT WAS A THRILL TO PLAY
VEGAS ALL THOSE YEARS AND IT
WAS GREAT.
AND IT WAS GREAT DOING TO
BROADWAY SHOWS.
BUT YOU HAVE TO LISTEN OR
PRETEND YOU ARE LISTENING TO
THE OTHER ACTORS.
BECAUSE THEY SAY THEIR SILLY
LINES.
I WOULD RATHER PLAY MYSELF.?
HE LIKES TO MAKE THE AUDIENCE
PART OF THE SHOW WHEN HE
PERFORMS, EVEN IF, IF IT IS AN
AUDIENCE OF ONE.>> I CAN'T PLAY.
>> PLAY THE BLACK KEYS, PLAY
THE BLACK KEYS ROB.>> I AM.
>> ACCEPT THIS PART.
♪ ♪
>> EVEN THOUGH DAVIDSON SANG ON
BROADWAY, TV AND MOVIES AND IN
COUNTLESS CONCERTS, HE NEVER
REALLY HAD A HIT SINGLE.
A NEVER CAME CLOSE TO HAVING A
HIT ALBUM.>> I DON'T HAVE A
SIGNATURE TUNE.
>> WHY DID YOU NEVER BREAK OUT
THAT WAY?
>> BECAUSE I LOVE PERFORMING
LIVE.
SINGING IN THE STUDIO IS JUST,
IT IS HARD.
I WORKED A LOT WITH THE
CARPENTERS WHEN KAREN WAS
ALIVE.
AND THEY LOVED BEING IN THE
STUDIO.
YOU KNOW.
I LIKE AN AUDIENCE.
>> WHEN YOU WRITE SONGS NOW DO
YOU LITERALLY SIT THERE WITH A
GUITAR IN YOUR LAP?
>> YES I'M DEVELOPING A NEW TV
SHOW I WANT TO BE LIKE YOU ROB
WHEN I GET OLDER.
NEW SHOW IS CALLED WHAT'S NEXT.
>> YOU ARE TO READJUST YOUR
SITES.
>> IT IS AIMED AT PEOPLE
TURNING 60 WHO ARE TRYING TO
FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO
WITH THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
>> HOMESTRETCH I WROTE A THEME
SONG.
>> HOMESTRETCH, OVER THE HILL
AND AROUND THE BEND.
HE IS GOLDEN YEARS WILL MAKE US
GREAT MY FRIEND.
I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE BACK THE
FINAL VOW THE SHOW AIN'T OVER
NO WAY NO HOW.
>> HERE HE IS WITH NEARLY 60
YEARS IN SHOW BUSINESS BEHIND
HIM, STILL LOOKING TO THE
FUTURE.
IS A GOOD TIME IN YOUR LIFE?
>> THIS IS THE TYPE OF THE BEST
TIME OF MY LIFE . HE HAS BEEN
GLITZY IN SHOW BUSINESS HE BUT
IT HAS BEEN PARED DOWN TO A MAN
AND HIS GUITAR PLAYING SMALL
VENUE SINGING WHAT HE WANTS,
THE WAY HE WANTS.
>> I LIKE THAT, THE FREEDOM OF
THAT IS INCREDIBLE.
YOU WAKE UP ONE MORNING AND YOU
CAN SING.
♪ ♪ MAYBE DON'T FEEL LIKE ONE
MORNING SO YOU SAY THIS.
HEAVENLY SHADES OF NIGHT ARE
FINE.
YOU CAN PUT IT IN ANY KEY YOU
WANT SO THE FREEDOM OF DOING
THIS, I JUST LOVE.
>> THAT'S A GUY WHO JUST, TRULY
ONCE TO ENTERTAIN PEOPLE.
>> CLEARLY LOOKS LIKE YOU
COULD'VE SAT THERE ALL
AFTERNOON AND ENJOYED HIS
COMPANY.
>> VERY ENGAGING AND HE TAKES
YOU FROM ONE ROOM TO THE OTHER
SHOWING YOU HIS MEMENTOS AND
MEMORABILIA AND PULLING OUT
ANOTHER INSTRUMENT.>> AND I GOT
YOU PLAYING THE PIANO.>> THAT
IS THE FIRST AND THE LAST AS
I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL HOPING.
JOHN DAVIDSON IS PERFORMING IN
JUPITER HALL ON OCTOBER 19 AND
HE HAS TWO SHOWS IN MAINE