colbert is next, our next newscast is tomorrow morning at 4:30. >> we'll have all the news you need to start your thursday. good night. captioning sponsored by cbs have been hesitant to hold town hall meetings due to hostile crowds. >> do your job! do your job! >> no! no! no! ( laughter ) ( laughter )

( cheers and applause ) >> it's "the late show with stephen colbert." tonight, stephen welcomes kelly ripa. billy gardell. and musical guests the lemon twigs. featuring jon batiste and stay human. and now, live on tape from the ed sullivan theater in new york city, it's stephen colbert! ( cheers and applause ) >> stephen: how are you? hey! ♪ ♪ >> stephen: thank you, sir! ( cheers and applause ) what's going on, jon? nice to see you. ( cheers and applause ) >> stephen: hey!

welcome to "the late show," i'm your host, stephen colbert. is anybody here. ( cheers and applause ) anybody here from out of town ( applause ) anybody from out of the country? hide. they're coming for you! if you are visiting in new york, right now, you might have noticed that yesterday, activists put a banner on the statue of liberty reading, "refugees welcome." ( cheers and applause ) okay. yeah, i agree. i totally agree. that's lovely. that's lovely. it's absolutely a lovely thought, but kind of redundant on the statue of liberty, isn't it? it's like taking a rainbow flag and adding "we like the gays!" it's not necessary. but i guess-- i didn't think it was necessary. but i guess that's where we are right now. you've got to say things out

loud that before we just assumed were what we all agreed on. the bar's getting lower. for example, yesterday, trump was touring the museum of african american history and culture, and according to witnesses, he noticed a stone auction block on which slaves would stand and was moved to say. "boy, that is just not good. that is not good." i haven't heard that kind of eloquent enuncation since the civil war novel "the red badge of dang. that is messed up." and trump-- messed up. not good. it's not good. and he wasn't done taking a courageous stance against slavery, because later they came upon a set of shackles used to restrain children, and the president said, "that is really bad. that is really bad." adding, "chains on a child? what is this, the airport?" ( applause )

now, obviously, obviously, that's a joke. you can tell from all the laughter. and i hope that doesn't upset donald trump, because he's a bit of a hothead, loose cannon, powder keg, dump truck. which is why it's important for him to be counseled by people who are even-keeled. but, unfortunately, he's talking to some jerk named alex jones, the far-right conspiracy theorist who is apparently taking on a new role as occasional information source and validator for the president of the united states, with whom he sometimes speaks on the phone. okay, an information source, validator speaks on the phonelet. okay, good to have a variety of voices in a time of crisis. let's see what this guy's like. >> i'm animated! i'm alive! my heart's big! it's got hot blood goin' through it fast! i like to fight, too! i like to eat! i like to have children! i'm here! i've got a life force! this is a human! this is what we look like!

this is what we act like! thithis is what everybody was le before us. this is what i am! >> stephen: "this is why you don't mix steroids with peyote!" this is why! this is it! now, i don't. ( cheers and applause ) i don't know how to explain this, but just watching that clip, he somehow got spittle on me. so alex jones has influence in the white house. trump has even sent in messages to alex jones' show, congratulating him on his great reputation. now, if you've been living underground for the last few years, you probably listen to alex jones. but for the rest of you, he runs a conspiracy website called infowars. the name's easy to remember: just imagine "info," and then imagine someone at war with it. and donald trump's phone buddy has gained a reputation for telling it like it isn't, like this explanation as to why men are gay.

>> the reason there's so many gay people now is because it's a chemical warfare operation! here's the inside of this juice box, and if they zoom in any more, see that thin plastic? it's got it. after you're done drinking your little juices, well, i mean, you're ready to go out and have a baby. you're ready to put makeup on. you're ready to wear a short skirt. >> stephen: yes, juice boxes make men into women! ( laughter ) a couple of sips, and suddenly your capri-sun is your capri-daughter! ( laughter ) "it's happening." "this is real!" ( applause ) now, obviously, it's not fair to judge a guy on one isolated dumb-ass clip, so here's a bunch of them. >> alex is antigay he's saying that chemicals are making people gay. folks, it's making the frogs gay. two-thirds of the frogs down in houston are bi-sexual!

every major western country heavily involved in 9/11. it took me about a year with sandy hook to come to grips with the fact that the whole thing's fake. the attacks in orlando were a false-flag terror attack. sometimes i hear my show, and it sounds like the most powerful talk radio i've ever heard. other times, it sounds like a monkey doing you know what with a football. >> stephen: to recap-- one of the councilor's to the president knows what it sounds like when a monkey (bleep) a football. but alex jones is not content with talking to the leader of the free world. he's also hoping "infowars" will qualify for a white house press credential. so, to those of you working in the white house press pool, you're going to want to get some ear plugs and a poncho. so what else is happening? oh, over the weekend, the president called the media "the enemy of the american people." okay. ( of. >> audience: boo!

so you're off the hook, unlimited breadsticks. that upset-- they're delicious. now, that upset a lot of media. in response, "the washington post" added a subheader to its front page that says, "democracy dies in darkness." so, "the washington post" has officially entered its goth phase. ( applause ) it's a strong message that they're going to hold trump accountable, a message he will receive the minute "fox & friends" reports on it. ( laughter ) by the way, "democracy dies in darkness" beat out their other top choices: "no you shut up!" "come at me, bro." "we're going balls out!" and "we took down nixon. who wants next?" ( cheers and applause ) say hi to jon batiste and stay human, everybody. ♪ ♪

( applause ) ( cheers and applause ) >> stephen: now, for the record, i'm not the president of the united states. all right. i'm just a dumb tv show host, so i probably won't be president for another four years. ( laughter ) ( cheers and applause ) that's tasty. >> audience: stephen! stephen! stephen! >> stephen: don't encourage them. don't encourage them. >> audience: stephen! stephen! stephen! ( cheers and applause ) and trump's success is already inspiring other celebrities to get into politics, because in the next election, kid rock could run for senate in

michigan. that's right. we could soon be hearing "bawitdaba, da bang, da bang, diggy, diggy, i yield the remainder of my time." ( laughter ) it's no surprise kid rock could be a republican contender. he campaigned for trump and even sold pro-trump merch on his website, including a t-shirt that says, "blank-onald trump." the "d" is missing because it's in every hater's mouth. i like kid, i like kid. but that makes him sound like a real "ouchebag." the idea that some aging long-haired rocker could be the next senator from michigan sounds like the ravings of a madman. and it is: the motor city madman. because ted nugent might also run for that same senate seat! kid rock versus ted nugent. the kid versus the nuge!

it's going to be a tough choice. this is really going to split the "uncle who sells you fireworks" vote. but the race is still wide open. and here with an exclusive, major announcement, we have another michigan hard rocker. please welcome, live from detroit, shriekin' joe, the saginaw pyschopath! ( cheers and applause ) shriekin' joe, thank you for joining us. >> bongo, dongo, stephen! yeaaahhhhh!!! >> stephen: i'm a huge fan. i see you have your crossbow with you. >> yeah! got it in an abandoned laundromat. >> stephen: i'm a huge fan. i've got all your albums: "live from your mother's panties," "born to hunt dolphins," and that one where the cover is you and jesus with two babes in an above-ground pool. >> oh, yeah, boobie messiah. >> stephen: a great one,

classic. so, shriekin' joe, i understand you have an announcement to make. >> that's right, stephen. shriekin' joe is running for senate from michigan and says "the great state of son-of-a-bitch-igan"! trademark! buy my t-shirts. yeah! >> stephen: looks like a fine t-shirtuc gee. that's a big deal. i assume you've talked to your family about it. >> yeah, they're all behind me. my mom, my dad my 34-year-old daughter, my 18-year-old wife. ( laughter ) her name is serendipity. used to be sarah, until i dipped my "d." >> audience: oooh! i'm referring to my penis, stephen. ( laughter ). >> stephen: i'm aware. thank you. thank you for that update. >> subtletiy's not my strong suit. >> stephen: congratulations. so, shriekin' joe, what's your message to the people of your state? >> stephen, my platform is simple: i want you to get wet, jump on it.

i love sex. let me hear ya, michigan! yeaaahhhhhh!! >> stephen: now, shriekin' joe, this could be a competitive race. what makes you more qualified than your possible opponents, ted nugent and kid rock? >> nothing, stephen. i'm the original american dumb-ass. trademark! buy my t-shirts! >> stephen: but, shriekin' joe, don't you think the job of u.s. senator requires some qualifications? >> nope. sorry, grandma. play my new campaign song! kick it, boys! yeaaaahhhh!! ♪ i got guns and cash y'all just don't get it ♪ trump grabs the pussy but i like to pet it ♪ badabalalabamanababababaa-- bongo! dongo! i'm shriekin' joe, and i approve this message. ( cheers and applause ) >> stephen: shriekin' joe, everyone! we've got a great show for you tonight. kelly ripa is here!

but, first, i'm going to expose some white house leaks. stick around! bongo, dongo! bongo, dongo!

♪ ♪ ♪ of being there for my son's winning shot. that was it for me. that's why i'm quitting with nicorette. only nicorette mini has a patented fast dissolving formula. it starts to relieve sudden cravings fast. every great why needs a great how. is your deodorant leaving white marks or yellow stains on your clothes? use new degree ultraclear black + white. no white marks on black clothes. and no yellow stains on white.

so your white clothes stay white... and your black clothes stay black. ♪ choose degree ultraclear black + white. it won't let you down. ♪ hashtag crispety, hashtag peanut buttery. hashtag stop posting about it and eat it already. butterfinger.

( band playing ) ( cheers and applause ) >> stephen: welcome back, mixing it up. welcome back, everybody. as we all know, the trump administration is really mad about the leaks from the white house that paint an unflattering picture of incompetence and chaos. there are even twitter feeds that claim to be staffers inside the administration, like alt doj. rogue potus staff. alt department of state. and alt national park service. ( cheers and applause ) okay.

if it's true, it's shocking stuff. but i don't know whether to believe it. the idea that a high-ranking government official would be on twitter is just laughable. ( laughter ) but we here at "the late show"" will not be outlooked. i have found an anonymous source willing to ill-spay the ean-bays on national tv in my new segment "late show presidential leak-crets." ( cheers and applause ) ladies and gentlemen, welcome to "late show presidental leak-crets." now, to protect his identity, we have dimmed the lights of the studio, and protected his or her voice, and put him or her behind a screen, all right. hello, unnamed source. >> hello, stephen. >> stephen: i see they've disguised your voice.

>> yes, they have. hold on. i'll turn off my voice modulator, and you can hear what i really sound like. (deeper pitched) this is my real voice. >> stephen: so what's going on in the white house? >> well, i don't want to get too technical, but on the inside, we're saying it's 100%, 24/7 bonkers. ( laughter ) >> stephen: so that's an exclusive. can you give me several examples? >> first off, the president doesn't know he's signing all these orders. steve bannon just puts papers in front of him and says he needs an autograph for a kid named "ed... ed-zecutive-order." ( laughter ) >> stephen: wow, that is shocking. that is shocking. ( applause ) does trump-- i clap when i'm shocked, too. i clap when i'm shocked, too. does donald trump-- this is a very important one-- ask donald trump have a secret relationship

with russia? >> yes, he does, but it's purely physical. it's not emotional at all. ( laughter ) okay. oh, and the president's secret service code name is barbie-hands. ( laughter ). >> stephen: wow, wow. okay, good to know. ( cheers and applause ) well, anonymous leaker, anonymous leaker, what is melania's code name? >> her code name is "she deserves better." ( laughter ) ( applause ) >> stephen: i've heard insiders are worried about giving donald trump the nuclear launch codes. >> they are. so the pentagon installed a "nuclear launching computer" especially for trump, but it's just an atari 6600. so far, he thinks he's defeated china, mexico, and the space donkey kong. >> stephen: what about trump's

inner circle, steve bannon, stephen miller? do they have as much power, as the leakers say? >> yes, they do, but steve bannon does have a weak point. he's vulnerable to attack when he's scampering from his old shell to a bigger one. ( laughter ) and stephen miller is allowed to roam through the white house basement at night eating all the mice he can catch. >> stephen: so, is the trump family playing a big role in his administration? >> well, eric trump has been lost in the air vents for weeks ( laughter ) but when we do hear him, he sounds happy. >> stephen: for weeks? how does he survive? >> again, mostly on mice. >> stephen: i have to ask, the rumors about the moscow hotel thing, are those true? >> well, i don't know. i'll have to check in with my international contact, monsieur renard.

bonjour! bonjour! c'est va! je suis monsieur renard! monsieur renard, is the pea thing real? >> oui, oui! >> monsieur renard, is the pee i love you so much. i love you so much. >> stephen: i love you, too. ( applause ) unnamed source, everybody! we'll be right back with kelly ripa! ( cheers and applause ) how it fe your numbers go up, despite your best efforts. but what if you could turn things around? what if you could love your numbers? discover once-daily invokana®. it's the #1 prescribed sglt2 inhibitor that works to lower a1c. invokana® is a pill used along with diet and exercise to significantly lower blood sugar in adults with

type 2 diabetes. and in most clinical trials, the majority reached an a1c goal of 7 percent or lower. invokana® works around the clock by sending some sugar out of your body through the process of urination. it's not for lowering systolic blood pressure or weight, but it may help with both. invokana® can cause important side effects, including dehydration, which may cause you to feel dizzy, faint,lightheaded,or weak, upon standing. other side effects may include kidney problems, genital yeast infections,changes in urination, high potassium, increases in cholesterol, risk of bone fracture, or urinary tract infections, possibly serious. serious side effects may include ketoacidosis, which can be life threatening. stop taking and call your doctor right away if you experience symptoms or if you experience symptoms of allergic reaction such as rash, swelling, or difficulty breathing or swallowing. do not take invokana® if you have severe liver or kidney problems or are on dialysis. tell your doctor about any medical conditions

and medications you take. using invokana® with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. it's time to turn things around. lower your blood sugar with invokana®. imagine loving your numbers. there's only one invokana®. ask your doctor about it by name. it helps put some distance.. between you and temptation. clinically proven to help reduce hunger between meals.

from metamucil, the #1 doctor recommended brand. going on now. sleepiq technology tells you how well you slept and what adjustments you can make. she likes the bed soft. he's more hardcore. so your sleep goes from good to great to wow! only at a sleep number store. right now find our queen c2 mattress at $599, save $200. sale ends sunday.

( cheers and applause ) yeah, more of that! >> stephen: welcome back, everybody. my first guest tonight is a

five-time daytime emmy winning actress and talk show host. please welcome kelly ripa! ♪ ♪ ( applause ) >> hi. hi. >> stephen: that is a beautiful dress. >> thank you very much. >> stephen: that looked like it was out to get you a second ago. >> it was out to get me. that's what you get for buying something on sale. i did, i got it on sale. >ithought i was so smart you. >> stephen: are so smart. being with-- i love being on your show. i've been on a bunch of times in the past. >> well you should come back. >> stephen: the old gig, and selling books on your show. it's a lovely show. how is it going? >> speaking of books, i have a bone to pick with you about a book that you sold on our show, i think book in-- i want to say 2012? was that -- >> stephen: okay, which one? i've had three books. which one? >> it's called-- as a matter of

fact, i think i have-- yeah, i brought a copy of it. here it is, right here. oh, look at that! okay. it's called "i'll a pole, and so should you." >> stephen: it's a children's book we wrote. >> it's a children's book. >> stephen: it's about the adventures of a pole, that doesn't know what kind of pole it is. >> it doesn't know what kind of pole it is, and i have to say-- i'm not selling books for you, but this happens to be one of the greatest children's books i've ever read. >> stephen: it has the greatest blurb of all time. "the sad thing i i like it." maurice sendac. >> he also said on the back, ," it's terribly, supremely ordinary." i like, that too. my son, when he was nine years old, he's dyslexic, so he goes to a school where, you know, the primary focus of the education is really learning how to read, and if you master so many books, you can bring in a book of your

choice. and the teacher will read the book out loud to the class. >> stephen: oh! >> so stephen came in -- >> stephen: oh, no. >> stephen was coming on monday and this was a friday. i brought the book home. i put it on the table. and joaquin said, "hey, mom. that's a great book. i can take it to school?" thinking he somehow knew the book already. and i said, "absolutely, you can take it to school." and he sends it back to me and said the teacher wouldn't finish reading the book. ( laughter ). >> stephen: i know-- i think i know why. >> i said, "why not?" and he goes, "i don't know. she put a note in it." so i'll just read you-- i'll just read you the-- i'll read up to the book. it says-- so here's it's really adorable. the pole goes to a fire house, and he says, "there's always a fireman or fishings, but those are hard to find." and then the pole says, "so i interned as a stripper pole, but i couldn't stand the grind."

( laughter ) ( applause ) >> stephen: the they have to len somewhere, kelly. we ease them into adulthood. >> so i got, you know, a "dear mrs. consuelos, i'm not sure if you read this first." and she said, "it's a really funny book. i really tried to stick with it, but at a certain point, certain things aren't appropriate for nine-year-olds." >> stephen: i understand. i apologize? >> no, are you kidding? >> stephen: i don't. >> this is still the greatest, like, school memory we have, because -- >> stephen: thank you. >> because nowadays, parents are so careful and they're so good at parenting. >> stephen: right. >> and i became "that mom." >> stephen: wow. >> you know? >> stephen: so you're suggesting everyone buy this for their children. >> everyone buy this -- >> stephen: thank you very much. i'm not sure it's in print anymore. >> it should be. >> stephen: it definitely should be. >> it should be in print print. now it will sell more than ever. >> stephen: let's look at this beautiful family of yours.

there you go. your son, joaquin's 14th birthday is this friday, right? >> this gldz do you have any big plans for this party? >> well, we are-- we're having, you know-- all he wants is a fudgy the whale cake from caravel. >> stephen: i still want a fudgy the whale cake. >> and he wants to go air softing. >> stephen: yeah. >> do you know what air softing is. >> stephen: yeah, i have boys. >> no kidding. >> stephen: it's like b.b. guns that you're supposed to shoot at each other. >> they're b.b. guns that can't harm you in any way. >> stephen: they can, but you wear goggles and they're like plastic beads and you pow-pow-pow. >> and they have air soft courses. do you know about that? >> yes? >> and he walks around in the gear gr full battle-rattle. >> that's what he calls it. >> stephen: put it all on the line. >> wait, how many sons do you have? >> stephen: i have two sons but my work room in the basement really looks like i'm a serial

killer. i have the m-soft m-four, the garks the saw, one of these. my boys have used all their allowance for years to try to get new stuff. yeah. >> i never-- we didn't-- we were like-- we were trying to be the parents that didn't bring the stripper pole book to school. so for years we were just -- >> stephen: no guns. >> no guns. >> stephen: same here. >> we were not going to let our kids play with guns. and what would happen was i have videotape of joaquin in a diaper running around the table going, "spew. spew." using his fist like a gun. and we would go to the beach and he would pick up a sea shell. and one day anderson cooper bought him for his birthday a nerf gun, and that really began his addiction with small artillery. >> stephen: that anderson cooper is a bad influence. he is a bad influence. >> terrible, terrible influence.

>> stephen: all right. >> so now he's segued into air soft. which i think is going to be fine. >> stephen: it's fine! >> it's fine. >> stephen: it will only worry you for about three years. >> yeah. >> stephen: and then he'll move on. >> they say the pellets are biodegradable. >> stephen: don't go with the biodegradable pellets because if they're human the gun jams and the other guy will come down on you. >> so just keep polluting. >> stephen: you got the live oscar show. >> we do. >> stephen: after oscar show. >> we do. >> stephen: so it's in the morning after the oscars out there. you going to be in l.a.? >> i'm going to be in l.a. we go out, and i'm backstage with all of the winner s. >> stephen: as they come off? >> so as they come off the stage, the first thing they see-- and i do mean thing-- is me with a microphone in front of them. >> stephen: are they eager to talk to you at that point or are they like, "no, i no, i have to go party." >> they will tell you anything. >> stephen: really? because they're so high on the win. >> celebrities hopped up on

adrenaline from winning academy awards are surprisingly, shockingly, squarelily frank. like, they say things that we've saved people from themselves just by -- >> stephen: oh, no! >> we can't show that -- >> stephen: roll that tape, baby. roll that tape. >> we can't -- >> stephen: people will come off and say, "suck is, meryl streep! spielberg is overrepresentatived! wo! stuff like that. >> stuff like that. not exactly, that but stuff like that. really sometimes inflammatory. sometimes scary, creepy. but really appreciative. >> stephen: i feast on human flesh and rule the night! >> well, the weird thing is, i can tell, like, people will see me out, and they're not sure where they've seen me before. but i know where. it's because they'd won an academy award and i was the first person they saw. so you know how when a duck is born, whatever it sees first, it -- >> stephen: it imprints on it. >> right. i have imprinted on them a happy

memory, and they're saying, i don't know that girl, but i want to kiss her hard on the face. glvment what do you mean they don't know you? you're kelly ripa. you've been on tv for 16 years. you have the number one entertainment morning show. >> they're from other place s. >> stephen: other countries. >> other countries -- >> stephen: not for long. trump is going to get those people out of here as quick as possible. >> heard, i heard. >> stephen: you do this at 6:00 a.m. l.a. time. >> 6:00 a.m. >> stephen: so you'll stay up and party hard through the night. >> yes. >> stephen: seriously, you probably don't go to bed. >> we don't go to bed. i have not gone to bed yet in the six years i've been doing it. >> stephen: you look good. i have to say. >> i'm pretty punchy. i'm pretty punchy by the time we go on the air. >> stephen: right now you're plowing your way through a bunch of cohosts. >> yeah. >> stephen: it's been nine months looking for a cohost. when are you going to put a ring on, girl? >> are you proposing? i mean, how long you can make

these trump jokes? ( cheers and applause ). >> stephen: i would say four years. four years? check back with me in-- >> do i have to wait four years? >> stephen: four years, exactly. >> mmmm! >> stephen: good mug work. >> listen, are you cut out to be a morning show host. you are wasting your time here! >> stephen: daddy likes to sleep in. >> oh, come on "the live with kelly after oscar show" airs monday. kelly ripa, everybody! show" airs monday. kelly ripa, everybody! lovely to see you. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ lease a 2017 lincoln mkx for $369 a month.

only at your lincoln dealer. fortified.tored. replenished. emerge everyday with emergen-c packed with b vitamins, antioxidants, electrolytes plus more vitamin c than 10 oranges. why not feel this good everyday? emerge and see. i love the smell of napalm in the morning. no, this is double espresso. hodor! hodor! ehhh, hodor. you guys watch game of thrones, right? inconceivable! surely, you can't be serious. i am serious. and don't call me shirley? that's the unlimited effect. stream your entertainment and more with unlimited data when you switch to at&t wireless and have directv. plus, get the amazing new iphone 7 on us. ♪

♪ so tasty. sometimes you capture the moment. and sometimes, it captures you. marriott now has 30 brands in over 110 countries. so no matter where you go, you are here. join or link accounts.

( band playing ) ( cheers and applause ) >> stephen: welcome back, everybody. ladies and gentlemen, my next

guest is a very funny guy you know as mike from "mike & molly." please welcome billy gardell! ♪ ♪ ( applause ) ( cheers ) >> all right! >> stephen: now, sir. >> wow. look at this. the ed sullivan theater. sorry, i'm a little thrown. this is a very historic place. >> stephen: you know how to host one of these shows. i just found out you actually hosted "live with kelly" with kelly ripa. you were one of the cohosts. >> it was the greatest job in the world. >> stephen: it's not hard? >> you talk to a cool actor, some chef comes in, you eat, you go home by noon. >> stephen: but you have to get up early. >> i don't mind. i'm old and i've got a kid. i get up at six anyway. i'm right down the street. >> stephen: how many kids do you have? >> just one. that's all i wanted, was one. this one came out and he's got the personality of his mother, when is loving and pathetic, and i just figured the seven one

would be just chasing him with scissors. so i thought we'll keep that d.n.a.-- that gardell d.n.a. in the pocket, you know, what i mean? >> stephen: now, people, everybody here knows you from "mike & molly." >> there you go. remember? ( cheers and applause ) >> stephen: "do you remember? do you remember?" they're not gold fish! , of course, they remember. >> but in today's world you know, gone. not on youtube chasing a cat, you know. >> stephen: now you're doing "sun records." >> i am. >> stephen: on cmt. >> very exiept gld what is the story of "sun records"? >> the story of "sun records" is about sam phillips' vision in memphis, tennessee, which is unbelievable. it's the reason we have rock 'n' roll today. elvis, jerry lee lewis, charles perkins, johnny cash, and b.b.s can qing, and ike turner. and all these musicians came to this place because he was the man who took everything out of the box to make a new sound. and it was the first time, civil

rights being fought for and high tensions here a man who said i don't care what you look what, what color you are, what you can bring to the table? you got the church, the hillbilly music and want blues all mixed together to become rock 'n' roll. >> stephen: and you play colonel tom parker. >> yeah, man. >> stephen: elvis' manager. you play elvis' manager. >> i do. >> stephen: cornell tom parker. we have a photo here, cornell tom, elvis, and ed sullivan in this theater. >wow, hownt that. that's very cool. >> stephen: that's a rakish angle he's wearing that hat. >> he's got his hand in sullivan's pocket. that's why. >> stephen: what kind of a guy was he? >> he was a bad guy, man. he was a very bad guy but a visionary. what i found out about this guy, he was an illegal immigrant who came over here from holland, inventedlet character tom -- >> stephen: he was there holland. >> he came over here with this

character and he was a con man, you know. he was just a con man. and i talked to four or five people that knew him in memphis, and nobody could describe him the same way. so the way i started building him was he was whatever the situation was to get the money. so i was thinking how do i do that? how do i make it? i gave him the scruples of walter white and tried to make him sound like foghorn leg horn. the c.e.o. of graceland said you have to plan with a twinkle in your eye because he wouldn't have gotten away with all that stuff if he wasn't charismatic and he was very much a huckster. he got his hands on eddie arnold and eventually elvis. >> stephen: did he run any cons on elvis? >> yeah, i'm sure. he took a lot of side pay with elvis. but he was the one guy it's other side of the sword was he took too much of elvis' money but he saw what elvis could be. everybody wanted to boox him into being just a country singer and he saw this guy could be rock 'n' roll. he saw he could much bigger.

he had the vision for that. and he had a coo dependent relationship. in isolating elvis in an unhealthy way made him feel very safe. >> stephen: so he was responsible for elvis' howard hughes retreat. >> yes, because the cornell didn't want anybody around him. he didn't want him to tour europe because he was afraid if he went over he would get deported-- which might happen today-- or somebody might scoop elvis up and he didn't want that to happen, either. so he kept him here in america. there's a story, and i don't know if it's legend or myth but the more i play him, i believe it's true. there was a time early on when elvis wanted to fire him and he paid an ambulance driver, to take him to the hospital and fake a heart attack so elvis would feel bad for him. all he was about was getting the money. >> stephen: was elvis important to you growing up? to some people he's an enormous figure. >> of course. my dad is an elvis whack job.

he hates the beatles because he thinks they took elvis' crown so he's against the beatles. he loved him. that was hiside. he said that was when rock 'n' roll had no point other than to get a girl or fix your car. when elvis died i remember him coming into the room and said, son, the king is dead," and he called in sick for three days. that's a true story. when i got "mike & molly," my wife and i decided we were going to take the parents on a bucket list trip, anywhere you wanted to go. my mom wanted to go to vegas and be treated to the top of the niens. my wife's parents wanted to go to hawaii. and high dad wanted to go to the peabody hotel and see graceland. heesms the cheapest date. >> stephen: it was lovely to meet you. >> pleasure, my friend. ( cheers and applause ) >> stephen: "sun records" premieres tomorrow night on cmt. billy gardell, everybody! we'll be right back with a performance by the lemon twigs. stick around. ,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,

>> here performing "i wanna prove to you" from their album,

"do hollywood," ladies and gentlemen, the lemon twigs! ♪ ♪ ♪ i wanna prove to you my love is extending ♪ my love never ending my passion befriending ♪ your ba ba ba ba ba ba ba ♪ to be the same with you is love fully realized ♪ when i look in your eyes i'm not telling you lies

♪ baby, why won't you love me? sugar-girl, why won't you hug ♪ me? i tried and i tried ♪ on my life on my life to get you to see ♪ baby, i guess you're just not the one for me ♪ i want to be with you when my strength is tested ♪ when i'm not invested i haven't digested

♪ what i said when all my sweetness went away ♪ and i could taste the darkness all of my life ♪ waiting for someone finding their waves ♪ pulsate and drama loving in ocean ♪ loving emotion ♪ baby, why won't you love me? sugar-girl, why won't you hug ♪ me? i tried and i tried ♪ on my life on my life to get you to be with me

♪ baby, i guess you're just not the one for me ♪ i want to prove to you why won't you love me? ♪ i want to prove to you why won't you love me? ♪ i want to prove to you, what i can do prove to you ♪ what i can do yeah, yeah

( cheers and applause ) >> stephen: yeah! the lemon twigs everybody!,,,,,,

late show." please tune in tomorrow when my guests will be aubrey plaza, bradley whitford, and musical guest lupe fiasco.

now stick around for james corden and his guests lionel richie, bob odenkirk, and david oyelowo. good night! captioning sponsored by cbs captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org ♪ are you ready y'all to have some fun ♪ feel the love tonight don't you worry 'bout ♪ where you come from it's gonna be all right ♪ it's the late, late show