Regis Philbin Captivates Crowd With Stories During Local Appearance

By now, many folks affectionately call him, “Reeg.”

It’s no wonder. On Sunday, Regis Philbin connected with nearly each audience member like a beloved, longtime friend, at the Marcus Jewish Community Center book festival.

You just feel like you know him, personally. And that’s how he gets ya. 

Regis was the final author of the , promoting his newly released book, “How I Got This Way.” He plugged the book festival during his final week of “Live! With Regis and Kelly,” calling it the biggest book festival in the country.

His 30-minute talk to a crowd of 1,400, was packed with poignant anecdotes and stories of his life, and how each of his co-hosts landed beside him on his morning show.

As for how executive producer Michael Gelman became a part of the on-air entertainment, Regis explained that one day during the days of Kathie Lee Gifford, the host ran out of things to say to her.

“One day I looked beyond Kathie Lee and I saw Gelman. I had one of those DAYS,” he said, in the emphatic tone we’ve become accustomed to. “C’MON, it HAPPENS. And so I dragged Gelman into the situation. And he’s been a part of it ever since.”

Q100 radio personality Jenn Hobby moderated the event. In August 2010, Hobby sat in for Kelly Ripa and co-hosted “Live!” She was among four radio hosts that won the opportunity to appear on national TV.

When Hobby asked 80-year-old Regis, about the art of storytelling, he launched into two stories that had the crowds rapt attention. 

Notre Dame and Turning a Loss into a Win

The Bronx native was a sophomore at Notre Dame when the Fighting Irish lost a football game for the first time in five years. In the locker room, the stunned players chanted for coach Frank Leahy to come out and speak to them.

“This guy was a great speaker. And before the games, at these pep rallies, he would talk about, ‘What Notre Dame expected from You, and Your Life,’ “ Regis said.

The setting was very powerful for young Regis. “He came out. He stood in the rain. And there was a kid who had climbed up this tree…He wanted to get a better view of all of this,” he said.

Rather than talk about why the team lost, Regis recalls how the coach spoke of transformation.

He remembers the coach saying ‘…Because somewhere along the way, you are going to lose; you’re not going to win every day…You transform it into a win; you build-up your stature; you build-up your mind to overcome this.’

The now retired talk show host said those words brought him through low times, such as the end of his run on “The Joey Bishop Show,” and afterwards when he lost an opportunity to stay on a show in St. Louis.

“Many times I thought of that along the way,” he said. “…I persevered and came back.”

Perseverance Trumps Shyness

Regis was shy as a kid.

“I was scared as a kid to get up and do anything,” he said. Still, he knew that he wanted to be an entertainer as young as six-years-old. Bing Crosby was his idol. It seemed Regis came full circle while working on “The Joey Bishop Show” when Crosby appeared as a guest and learned that Regis was his biggest fan. 

In the turbulent 1960s, during an episode of the “Bishop Show,” the Joey sent Regis into the audience with a microphone to ask young people how they felt about the future, and how they wanted to make the country better.

Regis said he found a young man that seemed to mirror his shyness. “He could not answer, and I said, ‘Just relax,’ Regis recalled.

"I saw myself in that kid’s eyes. I said to myself...’He’s afraid that people may laugh or make fun and he just can’t do it…’ " Regis said. "Anyway, I thanked him very much and went on. But I didn’t forget him."

Surprisingly, he met the man again in the 1990s at a movie premier party. A friend wanted to introduce them but Regis was reluctant – perhaps feeling shy – thinking the man was a big shot and oblivious to him.

But the man walked over to Regis and reminded him of the night he was in the audience on “The Joey Bishop Show.”

Regis told him, “I remember that night because I was looking at myself.”

The man said, “I couldn’t express myself and now every time I see you on television it reminds me of that night.”

Regis told the captivated audience, “And that man is Steven Spielberg.”