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CNN Live Today

Interview With Elmo Shropshire

Aired December 23, 2002 - 10:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, crooner Bing Crosby longed for a white Christmas, Brenda Lee rocked around the Christmas Tree, and somewhere in the seasonal celebration of song is the little song you're hearing right now in the background, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."
It has been 23 years since this questionable classic first debuted with the voice of Elmo Shropshire, also known as Dr. Elmo.

And Dr. Elmo, as you see there, joins us now from San Francisco, and he is going to have a command performance for us this morning. How are you doing, doc?

ELMO SHROPSHIRE, SINGER: Never better, Leon. It's my season.

HARRIS: Yes, it is. As a matter of fact, this is about the only season where you really have any work to do, isn't it?

SHROPSHIRE: Yes, it is.

HARRIS: As I understand it, I read about you this morning, something about 180 interviews, performances you have between Thanksgiving and Christmas every year?

SHROPSHIRE: Yes. It's great to get my 15 minutes of fame during the holiday season.

HARRIS: Well, your 15 minutes has been spread out over some 23 years.

SHROPSHIRE: Yes, it has.

HARRIS: Now, you didn't write this song, correct?

SHROPSHIRE: No. It was written by a friend of mine, Randy Brooks. He said his band wouldn't let him play it, and he thought it would be perfect for me. And I came back, sang it, and I said, You know, I do like that song. I think a lot of people would like it.

HARRIS: You know what? That one is nothing compared to some of the other titles that I have here of your other songs. "Texas Chainsaw Christmas?"

SHROPSHIRE: Yes. It raises the bar a little bit for Christmas violence than "Grandma."

HARRIS: Yes, almost as much as "Uncle Johnny's Glass Eye." Well, that one isn't a violent song, I actually listened to that one this morning. But you actually find a way to take humor in some of the craziest things. How do you do this?

SHROPSHIRE: Well, I just get together with co-writers or other people who have written some clever Christmas songs, and we put them together and hope that people will find them enjoyable.

HARRIS: Well, they have, because as I understand it as well, this song replaced, about -- what, a few years ago, replaced "White Christmas" as the most requested Christmas song on every single billboard list.

SHROPSHIRE: That was one of the biggest surprises of my life, when that went to number one on Billboard's chart.

HARRIS: That is incredible. Can you tell me how much money you're making off this song?

SHROPSHIRE: Probably enough to make a living, even living in California.

HARRIS: All right. Why don't you give us a sample of what you do for a living. Give us something.

SHROPSHIRE: Well, here's -- I always wanted to write a song about fruitcake, but I had writer's block. And this friend of mine, Rita Abrams (ph), who co-writes with me, she finally said, Well, let's describe fruitcake. And here's the description...

(SINGING)

HARRIS: That one works for me.

SHROPSHIRE: Thanks.

HARRIS: All right. Well, listen, we have got to move on. We have got some more news to get to, Dr. Elmo. But hey, congratulations with the success, and keep it up, and good luck to you. Give us -- on the way out, can you give us a little bit more of that "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer?"

(SINGING)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired December 23, 2002 - 10:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, crooner Bing Crosby longed for a white Christmas, Brenda Lee rocked around the Christmas Tree, and somewhere in the seasonal celebration of song is the little song you're hearing right now in the background, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer."
It has been 23 years since this questionable classic first debuted with the voice of Elmo Shropshire, also known as Dr. Elmo.

And Dr. Elmo, as you see there, joins us now from San Francisco, and he is going to have a command performance for us this morning. How are you doing, doc?

ELMO SHROPSHIRE, SINGER: Never better, Leon. It's my season.

HARRIS: Yes, it is. As a matter of fact, this is about the only season where you really have any work to do, isn't it?

SHROPSHIRE: Yes, it is.

HARRIS: As I understand it, I read about you this morning, something about 180 interviews, performances you have between Thanksgiving and Christmas every year?

SHROPSHIRE: Yes. It's great to get my 15 minutes of fame during the holiday season.

HARRIS: Well, your 15 minutes has been spread out over some 23 years.

SHROPSHIRE: Yes, it has.

HARRIS: Now, you didn't write this song, correct?

SHROPSHIRE: No. It was written by a friend of mine, Randy Brooks. He said his band wouldn't let him play it, and he thought it would be perfect for me. And I came back, sang it, and I said, You know, I do like that song. I think a lot of people would like it.

HARRIS: You know what? That one is nothing compared to some of the other titles that I have here of your other songs. "Texas Chainsaw Christmas?"

SHROPSHIRE: Yes. It raises the bar a little bit for Christmas violence than "Grandma."

HARRIS: Yes, almost as much as "Uncle Johnny's Glass Eye." Well, that one isn't a violent song, I actually listened to that one this morning. But you actually find a way to take humor in some of the craziest things. How do you do this?

SHROPSHIRE: Well, I just get together with co-writers or other people who have written some clever Christmas songs, and we put them together and hope that people will find them enjoyable.

HARRIS: Well, they have, because as I understand it as well, this song replaced, about -- what, a few years ago, replaced "White Christmas" as the most requested Christmas song on every single billboard list.

SHROPSHIRE: That was one of the biggest surprises of my life, when that went to number one on Billboard's chart.

HARRIS: That is incredible. Can you tell me how much money you're making off this song?

SHROPSHIRE: Probably enough to make a living, even living in California.

HARRIS: All right. Why don't you give us a sample of what you do for a living. Give us something.

SHROPSHIRE: Well, here's -- I always wanted to write a song about fruitcake, but I had writer's block. And this friend of mine, Rita Abrams (ph), who co-writes with me, she finally said, Well, let's describe fruitcake. And here's the description...

(SINGING)

HARRIS: That one works for me.

SHROPSHIRE: Thanks.

HARRIS: All right. Well, listen, we have got to move on. We have got some more news to get to, Dr. Elmo. But hey, congratulations with the success, and keep it up, and good luck to you. Give us -- on the way out, can you give us a little bit more of that "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer?"

(SINGING)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com