t
DAVID
Reality TV star, compulsive
name dropper, and
eccentric entertainer,
David Gest is famous for
not being famous. So
how will he fare in a stage
GEST
show of his life? Buzz
talks to him about his
latest venture on the stage
words: BEN BRYANT
self-described reality TV star, the general public tend
of my charity work they’re in remission,” explains
to associate him most with his infamous divorce and
David earnestly. “My charity has helped 75,000 of
the dangers of excessive plastic surgery.
them. And these three are in remission, and they sing
Which makes it all the more baffling that David
a song: We’re The Chinese Girls With Herpes.”
should star in a stage pro-
Of course, I agree, struggling
duction of his life. But just
to imagine how audiences
L
ess than a minute into the conversation,
as his celebrity status has
“When people
will react to an STI-themed
David Gest is already dropping names. The
been cemented through an
musical number. David excels
eccentric entertainer, who first charmed
association with the stars,
come to see me,
at telling bizarre stories
UK audiences in his 2006 appearance on
his stage show features a
with a straight face. In fact,
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! is recounting
vast roll-call of musicians
they get something
much of his charm lies in his
his first visit to Cardiff four months ago, where an
and actors – most of them
rehearsed naivety and sheer
unlikely friendship with Enrique Iglesias led to a wild
70s soul heavyweights, to
quite different from
brazenness – he delights in
night out on the streets of Cardiff.
entice audiences.
crude jokes and Carry-On
“I drank my heart out that night,” recalls David. “I
“[My Life] is soulful,
the norm. I say
levels of innuendo – and, of
produced some shows for Julio Iglesias at Madison
bizarre and unique. I have
course, the oddball streak
Square Garden in the 80s, and it was for 24,000
all these great acts on the
what I think.”
that concocts these ideas in
people, and Enrique [Iglesias] was on some of them.
show,” he says excitedly,
the first place.
So it was great catching up with him.”
running through the stars of the performance. The
“And I have the Little People of Davidland,” he con-
It’s a surprising disclosure, to say the least, but then
list stretches from Jimmy Ruffin, Jr. (What Becomes
tinues merrily. “Two Little People of Davidland, and
David’s celebrity life hasn’t exactly been run-of-the-
Of The Broken Hearted), to Jean Knight (Mr Big
they sing and dance. We do a song called UK, UK”
mill. Formerly a concert promoter, he was thrust into
Stuff), to legendary film star Jane Russell. It’s a
Like New York, New York, I ask? David laughs, and
the spotlight over his acrimonious divorce from Liza
nostalgic line-up, but it is impressive, nonetheless.
segues into another story – in fact, it’s difficult to
Minnelli. Reality TV appearances followed. He came
And the bizarre side of the show? Try sex-crazed
keep him on a single topic for any length of time
second in I’m A Celebrity…, and was a judge on
nuns, midgets from ‘Davidland’, and the Chinese
– this time about his cousin, the improbably named
ITV’s Soapstar Superstar and Grease Is The Word. A
Girls With Herpes: “They all had herpes, and because
Minge Lecocka. “She owns an alcohol, wine and
BUZZ 0
october 2009.indd 8 28/9/09 12:43:08
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