1995 Interview

JOHNSON

We’ve looked at a lot of clips from different performances. You did the Ed Sullivan Show.

PHILLIPS

Yeah.

JOHNSON

Do you remember that experience and what that was that like?

PHILLIPS

Oh, that was the most fun of anything in the world. [Laughs] Cass would never stop - Ed had this sort of stop and go memory. And he’d say, "Another music group, for God’s sake, help me." And he’d say it’s up to us, you know. Who are you? And without moving his lips. [Laughter] "Help me, for God’s sake." And Cass would say things like, "Sure, Ed. One thing is, we’re tired of following that little mouse." [Laughter] He was just a hilarious guy.

McKENZIE

But he had a pain killer problem. [Laughter] He did. He really did. He had a bad back and he had to take a lot of pain killers.

PHILLIPS

He was the nicest guy in the world. Bob Prector, his son-in-law, was the producer of the show. He sort of got us through all this, and he was wonderful. Then, when I think Ed retired after twenty years of doing the show or something, they wanted to do promos for his last year of doing the show. Cass said, "We congratulate you, Ed, on these twenty years. I hope you only do one more." Which Bob blew up and came out of the office screaming at Cass, which didn’t help. Cause Cass didn’t care who screamed at her.

McKENZIE

She was used to it.

PHILLIPS

She was magic.