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CNN Larry King Live
"Baby Grace": Disciplined To Death?; Wayne Newton: Dancing with Danger
Aired November 29, 2007 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY KING, HOST: Tonight, a prime time exclusive -- "Baby Grace," the 2-year-old whose body washed ashore -- an incredible police sketch led to her real identity. Her own grandmother made the link.
Was Riley Ann Sawyers killed because she didn't say please?
Plus another first -- Wayne Newton takes us from the dance floor to his near death bed. The "Dancing with The Stars" contestant breaks news on the recent heart scare that almost killed him.
Next on LARRY KING LIVE.
Good evening.
Last month, a little 2-year-old girl was found in a plastic container in Galveston Bay, Texas. Police dubbed her "Baby Grace," and although DNA tests are pending, the child is believed to be Riley Ann Sawyers.
Saturday, her mother, Kimberly Trenor, and Trenor's husband, Riley's stepfather, were arrested.
Joining us in New York is Robert Sawyers. He's the father of Riley Ann Sawyers, the little girl the nation got to know as "Baby Grace".
With him is Sheryl Sawyers, the grandmother of Riley Ann Sawyers and Robert's mother.
And Laura DePledge, the attorney for Robert Sawyers, is also with us.
In Houston is Lois Gibson, the sketch artist. Her drawing of the little baby led to the finding of this whole case -- the unraveling coming together.
Robert, what -- what do you make of this?
Why did your ex wife and her husband, if, as accused is true, why did they do this?
ROBERT SAWYERS, RILEY ANN'S FATHER: I have no idea, actually, why they would do this. I mean, I know Kim was always a good mother to Riley. I don't know this Roy Zeigler at all to make any kind of judgment on him. KING: Do you know her new husband?
R. SAWYERS: No, we don't. I don't. You know, the first time I even saw his face was on the mug shot when they arrested him.
KING: Sheryl, how did you come to see the drawing?
SHERYL SAWYERS, RILEY ANN'S GRANDMOTHER: I just -- I was on my computer one day and on my home page, you know, a lot of little news articles pop up. And I'd seen the sketch. And, you know, at first I kind of looked at it and I thought, wow!, that kind of resembles her. And I clicked on the picture and I read the story and discovered that, you know, she was found in Texas, and which I knew -- I found out the end of August, actually, that my granddaughter was living in Texas. And so I called Galveston to have them check on her.
KING: Laurie, you're the attorney for Robert Sawyers.
First, why does Robert need a lawyer?
LAURA DEPLEDGE, ROBERT SAWYERS' ATTORNEY: Well, actually, Robert retained me back in June because we were trying to enforce the order of visitation. And we actually spent several months trying to locate Kimberly.
KING: I see.
DEPLEDGE: So that's how I became involved with the Sawyer family.
And then out of this tragedy, we had a conversation of you need a spokesperson -- you need to find somebody to be a spokesperson for you. You need someone -- either a close family member who is not going to be too emotionally involved, or a trusted friend. And the Sawyers asked me if I would step up. And I certainly agreed to help them. It's just such a huge tragedy.
KING: Laura, true that supposedly the stepfather was angry that Riley wouldn't say please and yes, sir?
DEPLEDGE: You know, we heard that today for the first time on one of the earlier broadcasts. And it's shocking. And it -- and, again, if that's the truth, that's just -- it's horrible. There's just no reason for that kind of conduct by any parent anywhere. And I'm sure this is -- I'm certainly hoping this is just an isolated case.
KING: What are they being charged with?
DEPLEDGE: At this point, they're both charged with tampering with evidence and endangering -- causing injury to a child. We have not received any comments from the Galveston County prosecutor's office. But I would certainly anticipate that the charges would be changed to murder and, perhaps, a death penalty case.
KING: Lois Gibson, the sketch artist for the Houston Police Department, how gratifying this must be to you, huh? LOIS GIBSON, POLICE SKETCH ARTIST, DREW "BABY GRACE": Oh, I did this for Sheryl. Sheryl, I want you to know I did it for you. When I was driving to Galveston to look at the little girl that was murdered -- I didn't know her name and I didn't know who you were. And I said a grandmama is going to have to see this picture to solve this. And I went to see her in person and I could see that she was so beautiful. And you know how I made the sketch look so beautiful. And I wanted to reach out with that image. I didn't know where you were or who you were, but I needed it to get solved so we could find out who did this to her and so I could be at peace.
But I know how to make beautiful little baby -- blonde baby girls really well. And even though I -- when I visited her, she was very far gone, I could still see she was a beautiful little girl. And I used my little girl's body as a model because I put the clothes that she had on.
And, Sheryl, I just want you to know I did it for you, and I'm so glad you saw that image...
KING: Sheryl...
GIBSON: ... and you were able call up...
KING: Yes, that's great.
GIBSON: ...and identify her.
KING: Sheryl, you're -- you're, I guess you're -- what is she, your daughter-in-law?
S. SAWYERS: Well, no, that -- my son and her never were actually married.
KING: OK.
S. SAWYERS: You know, they were...
KING: Did -- is she claiming that her new husband did the murder?
S. SAWYERS: Well, that's what we're hearing, you know, that she's blaming most of it on him. You know, like I said, we don't know him.
KING: Robert, how old are you?
R. SAWYERS: I'm 20.
KING: You're young to have to go through all of this.
How are you dealing with the loss of your daughter?
R. SAWYERS: Just trying to focus through the day and just try to focus on the good times and try not to think of how Riley died, just think of how she lived and how she touched all of our lives in the very short period of time she was with us.
KING: Oh, boy.
Sheryl, you must miss her a lot.
S. SAWYERS: Yes. That's an understatement, actually.
KING: What a weird case.
S. SAWYERS: Yes.
KING: Laura DePledge is the attorney. Sheryl is the grandmother. Robert is the father.
And in Houston, Lois is the sketch artist.
To clarify, Riley's mother and her stepfather have not been charged with murder. They're in jail on the following charges -- injury to a child, tampering with evidence.
For the record, we contacted the attorneys for both suspects in this case, Neal Davis, the attorney for Roy Zeigler.
"And once the facts came to light -- once the time line is established and once we have a chance to comb through the evidence meticulously, we believe that Kimberly Trenor's credibility will be a big issue."
That's the statement from one attorney.
The attorney for Kimberly Trenor declined to comment, citing respect for the ongoing investigation.
A quick reminder. Tomorrow night, our guest is Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson.
And now we switch gears on LARRY KING LIVE.
Mr. Las Vegas is in the house. Wayne Newton joins us to talk about his heart problems, "Dancing with The Stars" and more.
Don't go away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "DANCING WITH THE STARS," COURTESY ABC)
NEWTON: My doctors told me not to dance and not to do my show for at least another two weeks. I think they've seen my show and they've seen me dance.
(LAUGHTER) (END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "DANCING WITH THE STARS," COURTESY ABC)
WAYNE NEWTON: The doctors told me not to dance and not do my show at least another two weeks. I think they've seen my show and seen me dance.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We now welcome my good friend -- I guess we can call him the King of Las Vegas -- Wayne Newton.
We have a very serious subject tonight.
Later we'll get a little lighter, but what happened?
NEWTON: Well, originally, about five years ago, I came back from Afghanistan -- entertaining our troops. I didn't feel good for a month or two or three. I went to Houston and they diagnosed -- Dr. DeBakey and his team diagnosed me with cardiomyopathy caused by a virus.
I stayed on medication about probably two or three weeks, went back for another check up. I was fine. I started feeling a little strange around July of this year. I developed pneumonia, breathing problems inherent to pneumonia. And I went back to Houston and I had another bout with cardiomyopathy.
So Dr. DeBakey, Dr. Tori (ph) all insisted that I -- they said if you were doing anything else other than your show, which is a very physical show for two hours, or dancing -- as much as "Dancing With The Stars," you can continue anything but that. You can't do anything that gets your heart rate up past a -- a certain point.
KING: So you can't sing?
You can't entertain?
NEWTON: I can sing. I could go to work if I were an attorney. I could go to work if I were doing (INAUDIBLE).
KING: So what couldn't you do?
NEWTON: What I can't do is anything so physical that it causes my heart to race because...
KING: OK. So you can...
NEWTON: ...if it does, I can't feel it.
KING: So you can't entertain?
NEWTON: I can entertain, but I can't do my show -- meaning I could do a song, two, three or four. I could do emceeing. I could do walking. I couldn't run. I couldn't play tennis -- at least for a short period of time. They are very hopeful -- they being the doctors and Dr. DeBakey and his team -- that within another month or two, it will be gone, it will be fine again.
KING: Did you feel pain while dancing?
NEWTON: I did not. That was the problem. I went to Houston after that and -- when they diagnosed this again. And they put me on a treadmill. I was on it approximately 15 or 20 minutes. My heart rate got up to 140 and I started...
KING: That's great.
NEWTON: ...and I started into the arrhythmia. I didn't feel it. The doctor kept saying, don't you feel something's wrong?
No. I feel fantastic. It is so difficult for me to accept this because I feel so good.
KING: So you have -- what do you have?
You have a virus in the heart?
NEWTON: I had a virus. They think it's gone. They think the body has recouped from it, but that it weakens the heart muscle. And so, therefore, the bottom of the heart doesn't eject as much as it should. And that is something you can recover from. And they expect a full recovery, just as long as I behave myself.
KING: OK.
So you can't do the Wayne Newton shows?
NEWTON: I can't do the two hours, which is why I had to cancel my last six weeks in Las Vegas...
KING: You canceled...
NEWTON: I had to cancel New Year's in Mississippi. And it broke my heart because it's tough for them to get somebody to replace you in such a short notice.
KING: And you can't just -- you could just stand on a stage and sing, right?
You could just -- without moving around?
NEWTON: I could do that, except that I wouldn't...
KING: That wouldn't be you.
NEWTON: I wouldn't know how to do that. I mean...
(LAUGHTER)
NEWTON: ...I have to do what it is I do, you know?
KING: Did the dancing, do they think, affect this?
NEWTON: No.
KING: Was it a mistake to go on that show?
NEWTON: No, it wasn't. What they thought was that anything that I would do knowing now what I know about the myopathy thing and the ejection of the lower part of the heart, until that muscle recovers, because I didn't feel it happening is what concerned them. In other words, if...
KING: Why didn't you have pain?
NEWTON: Why didn't I have pain?
Why didn't I have shortness of breath?
Why didn't I have any of those things?
KING: What do they think?
NEWTON: They think that my body is recovering from it and -- and they just do not want to take any chances for the next (INAUDIBLE)...
KING: But it sounds like they're frightened because if they're frightened that you didn't have pain -- meaning something is going on physiologically that isn't right.
NEWTON: Well, what they...
KING: You should have had pain.
NEWTON: What they thought was that my body was reacting to what I was asking it to do. My heart was trying to keep up with what I was asking of it. And, finally, when it just couldn't keep up anymore is when I went into the arrhythmia.
KING: Are you going to go on tour for the "Dancing With The Stars?"
NEWTON: I am going to go on tour.
KING: But you won't dance?
NEWTON: I am going to emcee part of it. I cannot dance until I get a full bill of health. And if that comes before I finish the tour, then we'll probably add a dance. But I'll actually be doing some dates of my show in January and then the tour starting in December. I wasn't supposed to do the December part because I was committed to Las Vegas and to Mississippi. And then when that had to be cancelled, because they wouldn't let me do my show, the "Dancing With The Stars" people called and asked if I would do the beginning of the tour, which is in December, which I'm doing.
KING: How worried are you?
NEWTON: I can't live being worried. I am not -- I'm too much of a fatalist and I'm too much of a realist. And I am one of those people believe that wherever I am supposed to be when my time comes, I'll be there. But I can tell you, I'm not homesick.
KING: Were you hospitalized?
NEWTON: I was hospitalized for testing, not for what the diagnosis was. And when all the doctors -- Dr. DeBakey and his team called me into a roundtable discussion of 10 different doctors, they simply said unless you cancel and we can make sure this does not get any worse -- and, in fact, improves -- then we won't be held responsible for what happens to you.
KING: Robert Goulet was one of your best friends.
NEWTON: A dear, dear friend.
KING: You couldn't attend his funeral.
NEWTON: I could not . I was in -- I was actually in Houston.
KING: You were best man at his wedding?
NEWTON: Yes.
KING: It's a sad case. He was a great guy.
NEWTON: You know, he was an incredible guy. And there is something about not being able to attend the final moments to pay tribute that, of course, will always be painful to me. But I also find myself remembering the really good times that we had and the times I would walk on stage and do rude things to him and he would do rude things to me.
KING: Yes.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Did it take a lot of convincing to get you to cancel the Harrah's dates?
NEWTON: Yes, it did -- to the extent where I looked at my wife and I said, honey, I couldn't have what Dr. DeBakey and his team says I have and feel as good as I'm feeling.
KING: Weird.
NEWTON: It's weird. There must be some mistake somewhere. And she said there's no mistake and you're not working, essentially. You know how that feels, you know, when the wife says you're not working, you're not working.
KING: They're the law of the land.
As we go to break, here's some of Wayne on "Dancing With The Stars".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP FROM "DANCING WITH THE STARS," COURTESY ABC)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're so charming out there, I want to give you a little hint for the future. I want to see you open up your hips just a little more. I think you've got more hip action lying in those hips. You've got to wake it up and bring it to the floor.
NEWTON: Someone said to me, you have to work on moving your hips. So, Carrie Ann, this is for you, baby. (END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: The stories were you did not enjoy yourself...
NEWTON: I had...
KING: ...doing "Dancing."
NEWTON: I had the time of my life.
KING: You did?
NEWTON: I loved every minute of it. I was sorry to leave it. I thought there were things that I wanted to do, in terms of dancing -- things I wanted to learn in terms of dancing. And I had one of the great experiences of my life.
KING: Were you sick during this performance?
NEWTON: This is the last dance and I actually had pneumonia there. And I didn't know it, but I also had congestive heart failure.
KING: Pneumonia and congestive heart failure?
NEWTON: Yes. It wasn't diagnosed until after.
KING: All right.
Are the tabloids overplaying this?
NEWTON: Unquestionably.
KING: Let's clear it up.
You're not dying?
NEWTON: I am not dying. If I do, you'll be the first to know.
From the time it hit -- I actually had my representatives call Harrah's first. I found out on a Tuesday in the day time. I got home Tuesday night. We called Wednesday morning because I was supposed to open on Friday. And we let Harrah's know, because I thought that was the proper thing to do -- that I was going to have to cancel that particular run. And somehow a press release got released from the P.R. people at Harrah's, which simply said that for health reasons, I couldn't, you know, do the show.
Well, that did nothing but fuel all of the, you know, rumors.
KING: He guested with us, I think, 40 years ago when I was on radio in Miami. Your doctor is one...
NEWTON: Now wait a minute. Hold it.
Who guested with you 40 years ago?
KING: Michael DeBakey.
NEWTON: Oh, OK.
KING: I'm getting to that.
(LAUGHTER)
NEWTON: No way.
KING: Dr. Michael DeBakey, his heart surgeon, is one of the most famous heart surgeons in the world. He's the surgeon for Jerry Lewis. He's 100 years old.
NEWTON: He's 99.
KING: Yes. He's bound to be 100.
NEWTON: Yes.
KING: There he is.
NEWTON: Oh.
KING: What was the -- what's it like to have a doctor that age?
NEWTON: He is such an amazing human being. This is a man that, during World War II, headed up General Patton's medical care. He invented the MASH units that we refer to now. A lot of the medical history...
KING: Early artificial hearts, bypass surgery.
NEWTON: He is simply a genius. All the people that he surrounds himself with are the best there is. It is such a comforting feeling when -- when he talks to you, you listen.
KING: And he's made up with Denton Cooly.
NEWTON: Yes, he did.
KING: After 40 years, they don't talk to each other, the two doctors finally make up.
We have an e-mail from Vicki in Tucson, Arizona: "So, are you planning to continue with doing concert appearances all over the world after you regain health?"
NEWTON: Well, actually, I am absolutely continuing my concert tour. And, of course, it's going to start with "Dancing With The Stars" next month. And then my own tours will start in January and February intermittently with the other tour.
KING: What did you think about how Marie Osmond resurrected her career? NEWTON: I am so thrilled. It couldn't happen to a nicer lady. I sent her an e-mail and I said to her, I think -- I'm paraphrasing, but I said, you represent to me all the good in mankind. And she does.
KING: Do you think any part of that show is fixed?
NEWTON: No.
KING: Because there are always rumors that the judges count less, the audience counts that, they want -- they want the winner to be who they want. The winner -- well, this always happens.
NEWTON: I think that always happens. And I think that probably those kind of rumors actually fuel some of the acceptance of the show, meaning that Las Vegas was always considered, you know, the mob capital of the world. People expected people to run up and down the streets shooting each other. I think part of that mystique works, as opposed to being, you know, a negative.
KING: Do you see any connection with your disease and Afghanistan?
NEWTON: No, I do not. I think it was quite coincidental. But it is a virus. And I was not in Afghanistan this particular time, even though we were scheduled to go in October. I had to change the dates because of my -- this particular show and "Dancing With The Stars" and then my other scheduled shows.
KING: Now, viruses are not curable. They have to...
NEWTON: That's correct.
KING: ...either go away -- there's no -- there's no medicine for a virus.
NEWTON: No rhyme or reason for it. No.
KING: So how do they expect this will go away?
NEWTON: Because it weakens that particular muscle of the heart, I'm told -- and I'm far from being the expert on it. You know a whole lot more about this than I do.
KING: I know about heart disease. I don't know about viruses of the heart.
NEWTON: And this is a virus. And my body has recovered from the virus, which could have manifested itself with a pneumonia and with the coughing and those things. And then the body heals itself and so does the heart, interestingly enough.
KING: Do you feel lucky?
NEWTON: I feel like it was the tap on the shoulder. You know, I think that -- that whomever that supreme being is up there, I believe that fate is a choice, in many instances, and a chance in others. And there are times when you're maybe pushing the envelope a little far that there's a little tap on the shoulder that says slow down. This is important.
KING: Our guest is Wayne Newton.
We're going to have a little surprise for Wayne Newton in a while, as well.
And lots more to talk about. Some more e-mails. We'll take some of your phone calls. And visit with his wife.
NEWTON: Ooh.
KING: All ahead. Don't go away.
(VIDEO CLIP FROM "DANCING WITH THE STARS," COURTESY ABC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(VIDEO CLIP OF STARDUST HOTEL IMPLOSION)
KING: There it goes, the Stardust Hotel where Wayne Newton opened so many times. My wife opened for Don Rickles four or five times. Spent a lot of time in that hotel, in your dressing room. Where were you when this went down?
NEWTON: I was at home. I was invited to watch it on television. I declined with courtesy, because at one point, I was, I think, at the Sands when they imploded that, I was on stage. So -- no, I'm kidding.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: It had to be sad, though, right?
NEWTON: It is sad. You know, it is to think...
KING: Great room.
NEWTON: Those are great rooms. However, I understand the necessity for moving ahead.
KING: But nevertheless, it's something to see. And Vegas is implosion city, isn't it?
NEWTON: Well, as a matter of fact, they just imploded the Frontier Hotel, too, which is right next to the Stardust, because I think the new casino is going in there. So it has been -- you know, when they're done with it, next.
KING: What's happening in your town, it's unbelievable.
NEWTON: Well, I think part of what has happened is, you know, the necessity to move on. As publicly-held companies, there are very few people anymore that you can put a face with the ownership of a corporation. And therein lies a whole new breed of cat, I think, which might be -- the time will tell, I think... (CROSSTALK)
KING: Does it make a difference performing there?
NEWTON: Oh, sure. I think that there's a lot less individual care for people, performers, employees, because the places are just so big and so profit-motivated and driven. And of course, all that's necessary, and I can understand progress, but there are a few things that you give up, I think, in the process of that.
KING: The suits are running things, right?
NEWTON: Yes. They are. But you never know if there's a face to those suits, you know?
KING: When Wayne Newton began, "Danke Schoen" made you, that was the original hit. Bobby Darin gave that to you.
NEWTON: Yes, he did.
KING: Thought it would be better for you than for him, which is amazing because...
NEWTON: Well, he was an amazing talent, an amazing friend. He produced that record for me. It was meant for him to follow "Mack the Knife" with. And...
KING: There you are.
NEWTON: Oh, my goodness, who is that kid?
(LAUGHTER)
KING: People thought you were a girl at first?
NEWTON: Oh yes, when I first heard "Danke Schoen" on the air, I heard KFWB here in L.A., and Wink Martindale, who is a dear friend of mine now. And he said, we're going to play a brand-new record. And he said, everybody thinks it's this boy by the name of Wayne Newton. He said, we all know it's Margaret Whiting recording under a different name.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: You had a rough time, did you not, with Johnny Carson?
NEWTON: I did.
KING: Because he made fun of you too much?
NEWTON: Well, what happened is I had done his show many, many times and considered him a friend of mine. And all of a sudden, a whole new brand of humor started to be displayed by him. And he was in that humor questioning my masculinity.
KING: Implying you were gay? NEWTON: Yes. A lot. And...
KING: Did you call him?
NEWTON: I called his agents, I called his manager, I called his attorney. I went through probably a year-and-a-half of trying to reach him. And when none of that worked, I went to see him.
KING: And?
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Now you know I'm not going to leave it there.
NEWTON: I went to NBC, Burbank, and walked down the halls into his office, and Freddy de Cordova, his producer, was in the office with him. And I walked in, unannounced, I said to Freddy, I said, would you excuse us, please?
He was so shocked that he did get up and leave. And I said to Mr. Carson, I said, I don't know what friend of yours I've killed, I don't know what child of yours I've hurt, I don't know what food I've taken out of your mouth, but these jokes about me will stop and they'll stop now or I will kick your ass.
KING: And what did he say?
NEWTON: He started to mumble, and I think he said something like, Wayne, I'm your biggest fan. I said, don't give me that crap. Don't give me that. I am here to straighten out whatever your problem is. And whichever way you want to straighten it out is fine with me.
KING: Do you think he was using -- just he wanted more jokes?
NEWTON: I'm going to say something I've never said on television, Mr. King. Johnny Carson was a mean-spirited human being. And there are people that he has hurt that people will never know about. And for some reason at some point, he decided to turn that kind of negative attention toward me. And I refused to have it.
KING: Do you think it hurt your career?
NEWTON: In retrospect, no. I think, probably, there was a time that it could have hurt my career. But I think ultimately, the whole thing that evolved later on, around 1980, where I was accused of fronting for the mafia and being a member of the mafia and then being extorted by the mafia and all of that, all of that emanated from Johnny Carson's influence.
KING: You think, you know?
NEWTON: I know so.
KING: Sinatra had that same bum rap too, image.
NEWTON: Well, I can tell you that when it started with me, my name was put on a hit list, which was told to me by the FBI. And they said the six people on this list, five of them are dead.
KING: Who would want to hit you?
NEWTON: Well, because NBC had said that I was going to be a star witness against the mafia in court.
KING: Oh.
NEWTON: I don't know anything about it. I'm an Indian boy from Virginia. You know, I don't know about that kind of stuff.
KING: Well, you didn't get killed.
NEWTON: I didn't get killed and the FBI handed me a bulletproof vest and said, call us if anything happens.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: I am holding my iPod which can only mean one thing, our new podcast cast is ready for downloading. Check it out at cnn.com/larryking, or iTunes. It is mega-preacher Joel Osteen and his wife Victoria, some people call him a spiritual super rock star. See for yourself and download it now at cnn.com/larryking..
We'll be back with more Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton, when we return.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, Wayne Newton!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're back with Wayne Newton, hopefully fully on the road to recovery. We have a mutual friend, George Slaughter (ph), the famed television producer. George is a confidante and bon vivant about town. And we flew home together from Utah last weekend, and I bowed and graced in his presence.
Anyway, George told me, oh, you're having Wayne on? I did a TV show with Wayne, produced it in 1967. That's 40 years ago. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON (singing): Send me a kiss by wire, baby my heart is on fire, if you refuse me, honey, you will lose me, then you'll be left alone, pick up your telephone, tell me I'm your own.
Hello my ragtime gal, send me a kiss guy wire, baby my heart is on fire...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: How does it feel looking at that? NEWTON: Strange. It's really strange.
KING: There were a lot of musical stars on that show.
NEWTON: Yes, we had Kay Starr, Johnny Ray, the Mills Brothers, Frankie Laine...
KING: Not a bad group.
NEWTON: Boy, I tell you.
KING: Look at that. So 40 years ago, you were how old?
NEWTON: Forty years ago, I would have been what?
KING: You just subtract 40 for your current age.
NEWTON: Twenty-four, yes.
KING: OK.
(LAUGHTER)
NEWTON: Thank you for the help.
KING: And what we're going to do, courtesy of George, is on his say-so to me, we are presenting you with that DVD of that whole show.
NEWTON: Well, thank you very much.
KING: It is yours. It will be given to you at the end of the show. Bakersfield, California. Hello.
CALLER: Hi. Hi, Larry. Hi, Wayne.
KING: Hi.
NEWTON: Hi, there.
CALLER: I'm part Cherokee from Missouri. My mother was from Missouri. And I know in the past you were trying to get Pocahontas' remains moved to the United States from England.
NEWTON: Yes, ma'am.
CALLER: How is that going? Have you given up on it or what?
NEWTON: I have not given up on it. In fact, we have Dr. Baden and Dr. Lee who have agreed go to Great Britain to do the dig to find her remain. Unfortunately the discrepancy lies as to where she is buried now, because there were two churches in the 1600s. And both doctors believed that they would not take a person dying of smallpox and bury them in the heart of the city. So she is -- grave is in England.
KING: How old was she when she died? NEWTON: Twenty-two.
KING: And your interest in her is because you are both...
NEWTON: I'm a direct descendant, believe it or not, of Pocahontas.
KING: You are?
NEWTON: Yes, I am, on my father's side.
KING: Wow.
NEWTON: And when I started doing all the research on her, in order to accomplish this, is when that was discovered by the two doctors that I had hired from New York.
KING: That's a great story.
NEWTON: Yes, it's really interesting.
KING: Our guest is Wayne Newton, thankfully, on the road to full health.
Let's head to New York and check in with Anderson Cooper, the host of "AC 360" at the top of the hour. What's up, Anderson?
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Larry, tonight, just about 4.5 million of you tuned into last night's Republican YouTube debate. And you really saw the good, the bad and the ugly, a lot of jockeying and elbow-throwing. But did voters get any closer to making a decision on the candidates? Did anyone really break through on the issues? We'll dig into that with the Iowa Caucuses now only five weeks away.
Plus, the Stacy Peterson case and the mystery around blue barrel. Was there a blue barrel at the Peterson that some say could have been holding Stacy's body? We'll have all that and more, Larry, at the top of the hour.
KING: That's Anderson Cooper at 10:00 p.m. Eastern, 7:00 Pacific, "AC 360." And right now we'll take a break and come back with more of Wayne Newton. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We're back with Wayne Newton. What did you think of Helio winning it?
NEWTON: I was thrilled. I thought that the two most improved people in the show were Helio and Mel B. And the fact that it truly could have gone either way and I think everybody would have been thrilled. And so congratulations. The reason I'm happy he won, he held up then male end of it for us.
KING: Three years in a row. And he's some athlete. I mean, two Indy 500s. NEWTON: Phenomenal guy, great, great guy.
KING: Have you had plastic surgery?
NEWTON: I had plastic surgery, that's a great question, because that's another thing I'd like to straighten out. I've been reading some of the tabloids too about I had plastic surgery. The last plastic surgery I had was probably 20 years ago.
KING: Twenty years ago. It must have been pretty good.
NEWTON: Yes. And the thing they say I had was a nose job. And if there's anything I need, it's a nose job. But I have not had one as of yet.
KING: So how did that start now?
NEWTON: I have no idea. I watched it on television myself. And I laughed until everybody started asking me about it. And I realized that that kind of stuff sticks.
KING: Yes, it does. I'm glad you cleared it up.
NEWTON: Me, too, thank you.
KING: Why did you do it 20 years ago?
NEWTON: I actually took the bags out from under my eyes.
KING: Arlington, Massachusetts, hello.
CALLER: Yes. Good evening Larry.
KING: Hi.
CALLER: Good evening, Mr. Newton. How are you?
NEWTON: How are you?
CALLER: Good, thank you.
NEWTON: I can hear that accent, Massachusetts.
CALLER: Can you? Yes, with John Kennedy and all. May I just say quickly, please, and a quick comment and a question. You look terrific. You should be so proud of yourself with all of your talent and accomplishments, Mr. Newton. May I ask you, please, do you think that this "tap on the shoulder" that you received with your heart problem is saying to you, maybe you should spend more time with your family and possibly, even retire or semi-retire?
NEWTON: Well, I thank you for the question. Number one, let's deal with the last question, what I think about retiring or semi- retiring, no. I'm one of those people that think that you need a reason to wake up. And to lay in bed and wait for something to happen to me is not where I'm -- I head -- where my head is. Number two, spending time with my family, I had an occasion some years ago, probably 25 years ago, where I almost had a plane crash, and I had about an hour to determine, OK, this could be it. What would I change about my life, what would I change? What would I do that I haven't done? Would I make a deal, if I could talk to God right now, to live another week?
And the answer was, surprisingly enough, was, no, I hadn't done too much that I was sorry for. I had done an awful lot that I was happy about. And I can tell you that my life has improved since then.
KING: Was this a commercial plane?
NEWTON: No, it was a private plane. My manager was flying left seat and I was flying right seat. And the landing gear...
KING: Oh, he was piloting the plane, you were copilot?
NEWTON: Yes.
KING: You fly, then?
NEWTON: Yes, I do. The landing gear wouldn't come down. And we circled Las Vegas for about an hour dumping fuel. They foamed the runway at Nellis, lined up all the fire trucks. And I had that hour to do a lot of soul searching.
KING: Yes, so you landed at the air force base?
NEWTON: We actually landed at the air force base, yes.
KING: When we come back, we'll meet Mrs. Las Vegas, Kathleen Newton, the prettier half of the family.
NEWTON: Isn't that the truth?
KING: Don't go away, we'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: We have a first. Wayne Newton's wife, Kathleen, joins him. This is your first for you, right?
KATHLEEN NEWTON, WIFE OF WAYNE NEWTON: It is my first.
NEWTON: It is her first, I can attest to that.
KING: All right. How do you feel about his first getting through this heart thing?
KATHLEEN NEWTON: I am so glad that he agreed to listen to the doctors, because I really didn't think he was going to. He has such a high tolerance for pain. And he just, it's always go on, go on, go on. And this one really scared me. So I had to really push and punch.
KING: Would you like him to retire?
KATHLEEN NEWTON: Absolutely not. Oh, he would be miserable.
(LAUGHTER)
NEWTON: She doesn't want me around the house that long.
KATHLEEN NEWTON: He would be miserable. No, you know, it's not work for him. He loves doing it. And so, I think he'll continue to do it.
KING: How long have the two off you been married?
KATHLEEN NEWTON: Fourteen years.
KING: A child bride, right? You stole...
NEWTON: Well, the truth of the matter is that a guy is only as old as the woman he feels. So I mean, take a look, that's how old I...
KATHLEEN NEWTON: So 21?
NEWTON: Twenty-one.
KING: You have a little girl together, right?
KATHLEEN NEWTON: We do. We have a 5-year-old daughter, Lauren (ph).
NEWTON: And I have a 30-year-old daughter by a previous marriage. And beautiful, beautiful girls, both of them.
KING: Were you married before?
KATHLEEN NEWTON: Never. My one and only.
KING: What's it like to be married to one and only?
KATHLEEN NEWTON: You know, he is -- you mean, what I say behind his back or in front of him?
KING: What is he like?
KATHLEEN NEWTON: He is the kindest, best husband but more than that, he is the best father that I have ever known. I mean, he wakes up, he lives for both of his daughters. And he's romantic and kind and considerate, and I'm the luckiest lady in the world.
KING: Were you happy he went on "Dancing with the Stars"?
KATHLEEN NEWTON: I was. I was the one who pushed him to do it.
KING: Encouraged him, yes.
KATHLEEN NEWTON: Because he was, no, no, no, no, no, I'm not a dancer, I'm not a dancer. And you know, I was a fan of the show, so, I said, you know, it's not about being a dancer, it's about learning.
KING: True. We have an e-mail from Mike in Louisville. "Will you describe a typical day from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed?"
NEWTON: Which day would you like?
KING: Chime in too.
NEWTON: Yes, there are times that we have obligations, doing things, like television shows, or whatever, that we would go from 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning until probably 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning. And that means usually not having time to eat, time to sleep. Then there are days that -- and we really -- we choose them.
KING: Did you go with him to USO tours?
KATHLEEN NEWTON: All of them except Afghanistan.
KING: The one where he got sick?
KATHLEEN NEWTON: It was Christmas of 2001. And we had just returned from a USO tour to Bosnia, Kosovo, Italy.
KING: Right after 9/11.
KATHLEEN NEWTON: Right after 9/11. And General Tommy Franks called and said the troops really need some Christmas spirit. Would you put together a show and come over and spend Christmas in Afghanistan. And they said it was too dangerous for me to go.
NEWTON: And let me say that Drew Carey went, Neal McCoy. went, two Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders, it was the five of us, and we hit all these places in Afghanistan.
KING: Is that the biggest thrill, troops?
NEWTON: Nothing like that. Let me hasten to say, too, if you don't mind, since we're straightening everything here tonight, I want to just say thank you to all the families of our military people who are on active duty, all over the world because most people forget that the families are sitting on that hot seat to...
KING: Waiting for the phone call.
NEWTON: Waiting for a phone call. So I'm very thankful to all of our military people and especially their families.
KING: Let's do a little "Danke Schoen. Come on, we've got 30 seconds.
NEWTON: Got it.
GROUP (singing): Danke schoen, darling, danke schoen, thank you for all the joy and pain.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: You were better then.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: No. And we formally present to you Wayne Newton's "One More Time" special from George Slaughter Productions in Los Angeles, yours to keep.
NEWTON: Thank you, Larry. And thank you, George. You're a special guy.
KING: Thank you. Thanks, Kathleen.
KATHLEEN NEWTON: Thanks, Larry.
KING: "Danke Schoen" Wayne, as always, check out our Web site, cnn.com/larryking. You can download our current podcast, Joel Osteen, participate in a quick vote, e-mail upcoming guests. And don't forget, you can send guests a video question from your Web cam. It's all at cnn.com/larryking.
Tomorrow night, presidential hopeful Fred Thompson, and in a week, Brad Pitt. And now Anderson Cooper and "AC 360" -- Anderson.
COOPER: Larry, thanks.
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