>> ♪ I BEG YOUR PARDON ♪ >> ♪ BY CHRISTMAS, I WAS BOILING I COULD FEEL MY TEMPERATURE RISE ♪ ♪ >> ♪ GONE AWAY IS THE BLUEBIRD HERE TUESDAY IS THE NEW BIRD ♪ ♪
AUDREY: THE PERFECT HAIR, THAT ENGAGING SMILE, AND THOSE DIMPLES.
IF YOU TURNED ON YOUR TV IN THE 1970’S AND 1980’S, JOHN DAVIDSON WAS THERE, A FREQUENT GUEST ON THE ORIGINAL HOLLYWOOD SQUARES.
>> ON THE WHOLE, I WOULD SAY -- [LAUGHTER] AUDREY: EVENTUALLY HOSTING THE SHOW YEARS LATER.
>> JOHN DAVIDSON!
>> OH!
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AUDREY: THE TONIGHT SHOW, WHERE HE WAS A FREQUENT GUEST AND FILL IN HOST FOR JOHNNY CARSON.
>> MR. JOHN DAVIDSON.
AUDREY: A HOST FOR ONE OF THE FIRST REALITY SHOWS, "THAT’S INCREDIBLE." FEATURE FILMS AND TV MOVIES -- ♪ AUDREY: A TV SERIES WITH SALLY
FIELD.
>> LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT.
YOU CAN READ EVERYBODY’S MIND?
>> OF COURSE NOT.
JUST SOME PEOPLE.
AUDREY: A LAS VEGAS SHOW.
♪ >> ♪ JOHNNY B GOODE ♪ >> FROM HOLLYWOOD, IT IS THE JOHN DAVIDSON SHOW!
AUDREY: AND HIS OWN TALK SHOW.
>> JOHN DAVIDSON!
JOHN: HELLO.
WELCOME!
AUDREY: PLUS GUEST APPEARANCES ON JUST ABOUT EVERY SHOW ON THE AIR.
HE IS A SINGER, RECORDI ARTIST, ACTOR, GAME SHOW HOST, TALKSHOW HOST, AND NOW, HE’S ADDING SOMETHING NEW.
TROUBADOUR.
>> WOULD YOU PLEASE WELCOME JOHN DAVIDSON!
>> IS MY SONG CAN MAKE YOU REMINISCE ♪ THEN LISTEN TO THE SONGBIRDS ♪ ♪ AUDREY: HE RECENTLY PERFORMED AT THE FARM STAND.
JOHN: SO GLAD YOU CAME OUT TO THE FARM STAND THIS EVENING ♪ AUDREY WHAT BRINGS HIM TO TAMWORTH?
JOHN IS NOW A GRANITE STATER.
HE LIVES IN SANDWICH.
JOHN AND MEREDITH AND THE LAKES REGION IS SO PRETTY.
AUDREY: JOHN AND HIS WIFE MOVED TO NEW HAMPSHIRE NEARLY TWO YEARS AGO FROM THE BERKSHIRES.
IT DID OT TAKE HIM LONG TO CHANNEL HIS INNER GRANITE STATER.
JOHN AND RHONDA HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR 34 YEARS.
WE SPEND TIME WITH JOHN ON HIS 23 ACRE PROPERTY HE SHARES WITH RHONDA AND THEIR ENERGETIC DOG THEY RESCUED FROM MEXICO THE TRADEMARK SMILE, STILL THERE.
THE FEATHERED BROWN HAIR REPLACED WITH A SILVER GRAY PONYTAIL.
THE NICE GUY IMAGE JOHN PORTRAYED ON TELEVISION -- HE MAY HAVE CREATED THAT PERSONA, BUT IT IS NOT FAKE.
JOHN DAVIDSON IS A NICE GUY.
JOHN: READY?
I HATE IT -- HIT IT.
DID YOU SEE IT?
AUDREY: IF ONLY I COULD TELL MY 12-YEAR-OLD SELF THAT I PLAYED CROQUET WITH JOHN DAVIDSON AT HIS HOUSE.
HE BEAT ME.
JOHN: WOAH.
LOOK AT HIM GO!
I NEVER PLAYED SO WELL.
AUDREY: JOHN DAVIDSON WAS BORN IN MASSACHUSETTS.
HIS PARENTS WERE BAPTIST PREACHERS AND THEY MOVED TO NEW YORK WHEN HE WAS 13.
HE ENTERED THE THEATER ARTS PROGRAM.
HE THOUGHT THEATER MIGHT MAKE HIM A BETTER MINISTER IF HE CHOSE TO FOLLOW IN HIS FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS.
>> IT WAS THEATER PEOPLE THAT GOT ME HOOKED ON THEAT, SO I REALIZED I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH RELIGION.
I LOVED DOING THE SERMONS AND GETTING UP IN FRONT OF PEOPLE AND SPEAKING.
I REALIZED I DON’T WANT TO VISIT PEOPLE IN HOSPITALS OR DO FUNERALS.
AUDREY: THE ENTERTAINER IN YOU JOHN: IT IS THE ENTERTAINER.
AUDREY: HE HEADED TO NEW YORK, WHERE HE LANDED A BROADWAY ROLE AT AGE 23.
JOHN EVERYONE ELSE LOOKED LIKE AL PACINO OR ROBERT DE NIRO.
WE HAD THE THING CALLED THE DENISO HELLO.
EVERYONE WAS SMILING.
ACTORS IN NEW YORK DID NOT SMILE.
AUDREY: HE ADMITS HE USED HIS BOYISHLY HANDSOME AND WHOLESOME LOOKS TO CREATE A CLEAN-CUT IMAGE.
JOHN: ♪ I AM JOHN DAVIDSO AND WELCOME TO THE MUSIC ALL.
HAVE WE GOT SOME SURPRISES FOR YOU TONIGHT ♪ JOHN: I CHEATED.
I USED THE SMILE TO GET PARTS.
IF YOU HAD TO COMPARE YOURSELF WITH OF FOOD, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
JOHN: THAT’S EASY, ANNIE.
HOG’S JOWLS.
I WAS 23, 24, JUST GOT OUT OF COLLEGE.
AUDREY: THE SA PRODUCER SPOTTED JOHN ON BROADWAY.
JOHN: ♪ AND NOBODY ELSE ♪ JOHN: HE SAID A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SPEARS.
TONY BENNETT JUST IS ONE THING.
HE SAID YOU COULD BE A PITCHFORK.
HE SAID I AM GOING TO SHOW YOU -- YOU ARE ALREADY TAKING ACTING LESSONS.
YOU ARE A THEATER MAJOR.
GREAT.
YOU COULD MAYBE DO A SOAP OPERA, HOSTS A VARIETY SHOW, BEAUTY PAGEANTS.
WHATEVER.
GAME SHOWS CAME ALONG LATER, BUT YOU HAVE GOT TO DEVELOP THIS INSTRUMENT, JOHN DAVIDSON.
HE TAUGHT ME HOW TO BE KNOCKED EARLY IN OKLAHOMA, BUT TO BE THE CHARACTER OF JOHN DAVIDSON, TO PLAY THAT ROLE, AND HELP ME SEE THAT AS AN ROLE.
JOHN: ♪ GENUINE LEATHER ♪ AUDREY DESPITE HIS WIDE ARRAY OF TALENTS, HEATED KNOWLEDGES THAT WAS A LACK OF CONFIDENCE BEHIND THAT ONE MILLION-DOLLAR SMILE.
JOHN: MOST OF US AS ACTORS WERE BASICALLY SHY, AND WE DO NOT THINK WE ARE WORTHY OF GETTING ON STAGE, BUT IF YOU CONSIDER YOUR CHARACTER AS A ROLE, THEN YOU CAN GET ON STAGE.
WHY WOULD PEOPLE WANT TO SEE ME?
WHO WOULD WANT TO SEE ME?
NO, BUT I WIL CREATE A CHARACTER CALLED JOHN DAVIDSON.
AUDREY: HE COMBINES MUSIC, SINGING, STORYTELLING, AND HUMOR.
LOTS OF SELF-DEPRECATING HUMOR, IN FRONT AT HIMSELF AND HIS AGE.
JOHN: ♪ I AM IN MY 70’S I AM IN MY 70’S I CAN’T GET MY BLOOD TO FLOW GIRLS USED TO SCREAM THEY USED TO CALL ME A FOX NOW THEY CALL ME GRANDPA
AND I AM WEARING ORTHOPEDIC SOCKS BECAUSE I AM IN MY 70’S ♪ ♪ AUDREY FOR AN ENTERTAINER WHO HAS DONE JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM STAGE, SCREEN, TO
TELEVISION, JOHN SEEMS HUMBLED BY THE MEMORIES THESE FOLKS HAVE OF HIS CAREER.
JOHN: THANKS FOR COMING.
>> GREAT SHOW.
I ENJOYED IT.
AUDREY: HE ADMITS HE’S NERVOUS.
JOHN: I AM TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ENTERTAIN NEW HAMPSHIRE PEOPLE BECAUSE THERE IS A UNIQUENESS HERE.
AND I LOVE IT.
AUDREY: JOHN HAS BEEN ON THE ROAD STEADILY FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, SO HE IS BEGINNING TO EMBRA COUNTRY LIVING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
HE PLAYED THE WIZARD IN "WICKED," TRAVELING WITH "FINDING NEVERLAND," PLAYING A DUAL ROLE.
JOHN: ♪ DOWN THROUGH THE AGES LIKE MANY SAGES SEARCHING FOR KNOWLEDGE THEY PLUNDERED ♪ ♪ AUDREY: JOHN’S BASEMENT IS HIS REHEARSAL SPACE.
JOHN: ♪ AUDREY: THIS PAIR OF WELL -- THEY ARE JOHN’S BACKUP SINGERS.
IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF HIS HUMOR.
JOHN: MY BACKUP SINGERS, THE INFLATABLE’S.
AUDREY YOU HEARD CORRECTLY.
THEY NO LONGER GO ON THE ROAD.
THE RIGHT DECISION AS THEY REALLY DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH TO THE SHOW.
JOHN YOU UNDERSTAND HOW I AM DOING IT, RIGHT?
THEY DON’T REALLY THINK, YOU KNOW.
AUDREY: YWEP.
SURE.
OLD MOVIE AND THEATER POSTERS AND MEMORABILIA HE HAS COLLECTED OVER HIS LONG CAREER.
JOHN: THAT WAS THE SECOND DISNEY FILM THAT CAME OUT IN 1968.
AUDREY AT THIS STAGE OF HIS LIFE, JOHN DAVIDSON REMAINS A WORK IN PROGRESS.
IN THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT, THERE IS NOT MUCH HE HAS NOT DONE.
HE RECENTLY LOOKED TO HIS SON FOR ADVICE ON HOW TO WRITE THE NEXT CHAPTER IN HIS LIFE STORY.
JOHN LISTEN TO THAT FIRE IN YOUR HEART AND GET THAT SECOND WIND DON’T START OUT RUNNING.
START OUT WALKING FORWARD.
ONE STEP AT A TIME.
WRITING YOUR OWN STO.
YOU HAVE GOT TO WRITE YOUR OWN STORY.
AUDREY: JOHN DAVIDSON’S STORY HAS BROUGHT HIM BACK TO NEW ENGLAND, TO HIS ROOTS AND HIS NEW HOME IN NEW HAMPSHIR JOHN: THE LAKES REGION IS INCREDIBLE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A LAKE!
YOU CAN GO TO CHINA AND STILL BE WINNIPESAUKEE!
SO SWEET.
IT HAS EVERYTHING.
VERY SO MUCH TO DO IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SPENDING THE REST OF MY LIFE HERE.
I JUST LOVE IT.
AUDREY: COMING UP NEXT -- JOHN: ♪ LAST AND TEARS AND -- AFTER LAUGHS AND TEARS AND ALL THOSE YEARS ♪ AUDREY: JOHN DAVIDSON THINGS A LOVE SONG HE WROTE FOR HIS
WIFE, RHOND