'Don't have nights like this': Eddie Murphy revisits iconic photo from Sammy Davis Jr's 60th anniversary celebration on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live', acclaimed actor Eddie Murphy took a sentimental journey back in time, reminiscing about a memorable photograph from the Sammy Davis Jr 60th anniversary celebration.
The 62-year-old stand-up comedian fondly reflected on the extraordinary event, stating, "You don't have nights like this."
The event was a tribute to Sammy Davis Jr, marking his sixtieth year in the entertainment industry. The celebration was recorded in front of a live audience at the Shrine Auditorium in Hollywood.
The show also featured a compilation of clips from Davis’s previous appearances on television and film, providing a retrospective of his illustrious career.
Eddie Murphy revisits photo from Sammy Davis Jr 60th anniversary celebration
Eddie Murphy’s insane picture filled with legendary stars! pic.twitter.com/rm72SRpBJu
— Jimmy Kimmel Live (@JimmyKimmelLive) November 30, 2023
During his show, host Kimmel presented the iconic photo from the Sammy Davis Jr 60th anniversary celebration and remarked to Murphy that Davis Jr was "in the middle with you and it’s obvious he liked you best of all the people."
In response, Murphy shared that he had hosted the show and fondly remembered, "I was around all these classic old show business superstars and it was like you don’t have nights like this. It was an amazing show."
Murphy also revealed that it was "at that show" where he met Frank Sinatra for the first time. Recalling the encounter, Murphy said, "He came backstage and he said, hey Eddie, you're looking young every day."
He added, "That's what he said to me and I was 24 I kind of felt like he didn't know my name or he didn't really know me he was just kind of just saying something back."
Kimmel, pointing out a very young Mike Tyson in the photo, exclaimed, "Gosh, he’s very young there, that’s so crazy." He then queried Murphy about whether he had imitated Tyson during that show and if Tyson had been informed in advance about the planned imitation.
"No," replied the comedian with a smile. "It's a funny thing when imitate him and he grabs my mouth and all you got to see it, it's on YouTube."
The host then elaborated on the photo, saying, "We’ve got Davis Jr’s 60th anniversary, we’ve got Whitney Houston and Stevie Wonder, and Whitney’s whispering something in Stevie’s ear."
He added, "You got Deion Warwick Ed McMahon is here Richard prior and Magic Johnson holy crap this is some Lola Falana."
Kimmel continued, "You know I grew up in Las Vegas and Lola was not many people I think most people don't know now." Murphy later admitted to Kimmel that he went on a date with Lola Falana.
"I was maybe 20 21 and she was a little older it was a completely surreal night," recalled the actor. "And you know what I ate dinner with her and then her cook came out and the cook was uh uh the guy that played Bookman on Good Times."
He went on, "Johnny Brown came out of the kitchen. that's just she 'oh yeah he loves to cook' and Johnny Brown cooked the dinner, had dinner with Lola Falana and it was one of the most surreal moments."
Fans say Eddie Murphy has 'best old Hollywood stories'
Fans have quickly reacted to Murphy's stories. One person commented, "Eddie has the best old Hollywood stories. Can't wait for him to write a book about his life."
"Eddie Murphy, Michael Jackson, Prince, Richard Pryor, Rick James...what a time to be alive," said another.
One fan stated, "Smiled and laughed through the whole interview. His back-in-the-day stories are priceless."
"LEGEND...I could have listened to his stories for hours," said another.