Many wild birds and animals have tried to entertain Johnny Carson on ‘The Tonight Show,’ and many have failed. According to Johnny, most visits featuring birds end in a total ‘wipeout!’
In 1981, Trainer David Frank changed all that with his unbelievable singing parrot ‘Poncho.’ The 12-year-old double yellow-headed Amazon parrot stole the show and amazed the audience.
According to his trainer, Poncho learned to sing from living with some ladies over the years. The trainer asks Poncho to say ‘Hi’ to Johnny. Poncho delivers, and Johnny is stunned.
The trainer asks Poncho to warm up. Poncho sings vocal riffs and sounds like an opera star to everyone’s amazement. Then, he sings ‘Bali Hai’ from the musical ‘South Pacific.’
Johnny’s reaction is priceless. His face conveys bewilderment to the audience. When Poncho sings the opening to ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco,’ Johnny falls back into his chair in amazement. He can’t believe his ears.
Poncho visited the show in support of his own record. That’s right, Poncho recorded these songs on vinyl, and it sells at the San Diego Wild Animal Park’s gift shop.
Johnny Carson has seen the best the entertainment world has to offer. It is challenging to surprise him, but this parrot did it. The performance is a must-watch video, and Johnny helps convey what we are all feeling when we hear the parrot sing like an opera star!
