Robert Goulet remembered as "epic prankster"

[Bluebear]

Singing legend Robert Goulet loved a good joke, but he positively lived for the epic "gotcha."

Jeff Motley, senior director of public relations for Las Vegas Motor Speedway, was on the receiving end of a near-cardiac inducing doozy at the 2001 Sam's Town 300.

Motley was wrangling the Broadway star into position to sing the national anthem when he saw Goulet taping the words of the song to the side of the microphone.

"I asked him what he was doing, and he said I obviously hadn't heard about the time he botched the words before the Ali-Liston fight."

Goulet was referring to the stage fright he suffered on one of the largest stages. He forgot the lyrics while singing the national anthem before the Muhammad Ali-Sonny Liston heavyweight championship fight in Lewistown, Maine, on May 25, 1965.

It wasn't a piece of sports infamy that Motley wanted to relive.

"Then he pulls out another piece of paper, which I couldn't see what was written on it. He said it was a poem to Dale Earnhardt, who had died two weeks earlier at Daytona. I almost had a heart attack. I tried to explain to him that we were on live television, under a strict time schedule and that we had Air Force jets set to fly over at the specific time of 'Home of the Brave.'"

Just as Goulet was introduced and Motley on the verge of a panic attack, "he looked at me, winked, smiled and started singing the anthem. He had gotten me."

http://www.lvrj.com/news/10938036.html

[jeff30997]

1. Wow.

I never heard of this before.Thanks Bluebear!

[MissMillie]

2. "At 3:00 when your energy is low....

some people say that Robert Goulet comes around and messes w/ your stuff."



Your story makes that commercial even funnier.

[dembotoz]

3. hope they keep running those commercials

always liked Goulet.

Funny man with an incredible voice.

My taste has always been more towards punk, but damn that man could sing

[ceile]

4. Probably the funniest commercial ever.

Love it. Even just reading it in your post made me laugh.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. He was funny in Naked Gun 2 1/2

"You've met Dr. Meinheimer before. And I believe you've had the privilege of meeting Earl Hacker. And I'd like you to meet the Redmonds, weekend guests from out of town. We'll be at the reception. Make sure nothing happens to him while I'm gone. Then, I want the pleasure of killing you myself. "