# Any big time entertainers ever in Gong Show? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 6, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-big-time-entertainers-ever-in-gong-show/217454 "2003-12-06T23:13:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flusyndrome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@flusyndrome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flusyndrome)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-big-time-entertainers-ever-in-gong-show/217454/1 "2003-12-06T23:13:27Z")
It might have been nothing but garbage, but I was glued to the TV watching it all the time. I just don’t remember if there were ever any famous entertainers that appeared in the Gong show before they were stars, doing some type of act. Anyone remembers? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-big-time-entertainers-ever-in-gong-show/217454/2 "2003-12-06T23:52:10Z")
From [this story](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/WolfFiles/wolffiles247a.html): > [@](#): > > Before Paul Reubens became a national sensation as Pee-Wee Herman, he won first prize on The Gong Show as part of a duo that did an impression of a dripping water faucet. There’s a singer who also got her start on the show, but I cannot remember her name. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-big-time-entertainers-ever-in-gong-show/217454/3 "2003-12-07T00:08:13Z")
Sez [here](http://www.gameshowfame.com/shows/gongshow.htm) that Mare Winningham was on it, too. Whatever happend to The Unknown Comic, btw? Sandra Bernhard was a contestant on “The $1.98 Beauty Show” under the name of “Malvena Ray”. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-big-time-entertainers-ever-in-gong-show/217454/4 "2003-12-07T00:52:18Z")
Ol’ Jaye P. Morgan was a real heavy hitter… ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-big-time-entertainers-ever-in-gong-show/217454/5 "2003-12-07T01:09:45Z")
Cheryl Lynn had a big hit with “Got to Be Real.” She had previously appeared on the “Gong Show” singing “You Are So Beautiful.” ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-big-time-entertainers-ever-in-gong-show/217454/6 "2003-12-07T01:23:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky \* > \*\*From [this story](http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/WolfFiles/wolffiles247a.html): > > There’s a singer who also got her start on the show, but I cannot remember her name. \*\* I also remember seeing him on The Dating Game. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-big-time-entertainers-ever-in-gong-show/217454/7 "2003-12-07T01:35:47Z")
[From here:](http://www.casenet.com/concert/bransonboxcarwillie.htm) > [@](#): > > BoxCar Willie performed in hundreds of clubs and honky-tonks. He won on TV’s “Gong Show” in 1977. ---
**Author:** ![Skillet38](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Skillet38](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skillet38)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-big-time-entertainers-ever-in-gong-show/217454/8 "2003-12-07T02:50:51Z")
that show really went downhill after the CIA infiltrated it ---
**Author:** ![flusyndrome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@flusyndrome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flusyndrome)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2003, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-big-time-entertainers-ever-in-gong-show/217454/9 "2003-12-07T13:42:15Z")
Just as I suspected, there was no real talent in that show at all :=) ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-big-time-entertainers-ever-in-gong-show/217454/10 "2003-12-08T19:16:50Z")
The first incarnation of Oingo Boingo (named the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo - a performance art troupe led by Danny Elfman’s brother Richard) were on the gong show once, and won. They had some ridiculous piece where they were going to play some Hayden trio and then partway through the curtain raises up and they had people in kabuki makup being chased around y someone wearing a huge rocketship spewing smoke and other craziness. they basically ran around the stage like idiots for 30 seconds while some of them played a musical accompaniment on kazoos, triangles and other such things. A sight to behold if you can catch it. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-big-time-entertainers-ever-in-gong-show/217454/11 "2003-12-08T19:29:42Z")
The first incarnation of Oingo Boingo (named the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo - a performance art troupe led by Danny Elfman’s brother Richard) were on the gong show once, and won. They had some ridiculous piece where they were going to play some Hayden trio and then partway through the curtain raises up and they had people in kabuki makup being chased around y someone wearing a huge rocketship spewing smoke and other craziness. they basically ran around the stage like idiots for 30 seconds while some of them played a musical accompaniment on kazoos, triangles and other such things. A sight to behold if you can catch it.