ave you done? >> i dyed your hair red and blue. and i decided if you argue, it means you don't love america. this is it. every year i try to think of something. i dyed his hair red, white and blue. >> how am i going to get this out? >> i don't know. >> and that is why i'm wearing a hat as we speak right now. >> come on we had fun. >> we had a lot of fun. >> but your face when i was putting in the hair dye. >> it's still -- i mean i put some water in it but it's just gotten -- >> it's not going to go away. >> your face was so scrunched up like she couldn't be doing anything that bad, right? >> honestly i thought you were doing some sort of static electricity thing. >> like a science experiment? >> oh, crazy frazzled hair. your hair is never frazzled. that's why america loves it. >> it never makes sense. nothing you -- >> you want your hair frazzled. >> the two people who responded -- >> you're not perfect for one

night. >> you don't have to tell me. >> we appreciate you sticking with us. what is it, our eighth year together? >> yes. >> it's our eighth year together. so great, i love you. way to go. >> you can't swear. give the check back. >> it's been a lot of fun. wherever you are, if you're with a loved one, by yourself thank you so much for spending the night with us. our coverage though continues 2015 is yet to come in new orleans, in memphis, brooke baldwin and don lemon are going to handle that for us. there's the scenes in new orleans and memphis. we wish everyone a happy new year.

sts arrive, they're greeted by my butler, larry. my helipad is being re-surfaced so tonight we travel by more humble means. at my country club we play parlor games with members of the royal family. yes i am rich. that's why i drink the champagne of beers. ok, so, what would you bring to my company? what do you need? i need problem solving skills. i got through high school without a car a phone, or a computer. no college degree though. not yet, but life's taught me a lot, and i'm ready for more. well, you're not the typical kind of candidate that i hire, but you are exactly what i'm looking for. [narrator] your company could be missing out on the candidates it needs most.

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you put that down. >> did you notice where you pour mid champagne. in the cross roads of all things electrical. are you trying to make this the don show? i'm not toasting you until it's time to toast. you go ahead. i love you don lemon, but i'm rolling on. we have half an hour to go. when the clock strikes midnight here in new orleans.

>> you have to say new orleans. >> but we're going to rock out as well in memphis. >> yeah right behind us we have terrance simeon and the xylophone experience on the stage. right in front of jackson square. right in front of the mississippi river here in new orleans. look how crowded it is. . >> i'm really jealous of the cruise ship of randi kaye. >> would you rather be on a cruise than standing by me in new orleans? >> no i grew up in baton rouge,

louisiana. first of all, i have one more. but these are mine that i gaye you earlier on cnn. >> i'm going to keep my eyes right here. i'm keeping my eyes right there. it is a huge party here. and what is really cool. the last number of years, doing the drop off the top from jackson brewery. >> it's eight feet by five feet. it's huge. and it's actually started coming down already. it comes down in just a couple of minutes. so there it is. >> we'll be watching that drop in about 20 minutes from now. >> fun back story, actually in one of the big warehouses.

mardi gras and in katrina, someone found it floating through the city and so they saved that. >> they want to redo baby new year. >> they want to redo baby new year. how big is your living room? >> not that big. i have a new york city apartment. >> well are we fantasy pants. >> that wouldn't even get through the front door. >> do you want to check out fem mis? >> let's go to memphis. >> what are you doing? what's going on in memphis? >> that's a good idea to come to memphis. this is a happening place, don and brooke. i know you all have really good music there in new orleans and a lot of energy and a fun crowd. right here in memphis, let's not forget. this is the home of the blues. you can wear the music is playing. we've got a little bit of rock 'n roll. b.b. keng's blues club behind me. let me keep that in perspective. two hours ago, this place with

us pretty desolate. now it's packed with new year's eve revellers as you see here around me. up to 50,000 people here right next to the hard rock cafe. of course world famous booel street. everyone is here to listen to the good muse iic, but also to watch the ten-foot fiberglass gibson guitar drop when the clock strikes midnight here in memphis. also a fireworks display. this is the place to be this new year's eve. i pretty much decided that. another great place to be i hear is havana, cuba. that's where we find patrick. how is it going where you are? >> the party just keeps on going. really amazing night here. you hear the salsa rhythms and the drums. that's what many of the audiences have been doing in the last half-hour.

a show you won't see anywhere else in the world. we see very few americans here. one or two here and there. of course up until really today there's a travel ban on americans coming here, very difficult for americans to come to cuba even though it's just 90 miles away. that's changing though with an historic agreement announced two weeks ago. americans in 2015 will have more possibilities of coming to cuba. we'll see probably next year more americans here. that's got a lot of people excited. hoping the cuban economy. it's been an incredible night in ha havana. >> given all the developments

you just pointed out, what is this new year's like? is the energy different, given all that's been going on there recently? >> it's like nothing else pamela. cubans have hope. it's just a change in tone. for years we've been living under the cold war atmosphere with the two countries almost at war. yet cubans and americans share so much in common. the cubans look to the united states. they love baseball and american music and american culture. they get to know their neighbors to the north to really put aside the politics of the past and hope for a better future.

o. don? >> we've got about 20 minutes to go until it's a new year in the central time zone. a. >> this place is packed. i have never seen this many people except maybe outside of mardi gras. we have some performances here for you that we're going to get to tonight. happy new year for all the east coaster, we still have a lot more to come. next a heaping helping of what this city is all about. more music as we count down to 2015. let the good times roll.

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>> it is quite a display. you're looking at fireworks now in dubai. people come by and bear gifts. usually the gifts are food or drink. look who i found. andy andy scholes from cnn. what did you bring me? >> a happened grend grenade. >> aren't you working? >> i worked this morning.

>> what have you seen? >> a lot of ohio state and alabama fans. they have basically taken over the french quarter. >> who is going to win? lsu? or they're not in it. >> i think alabama is going to win. >> how many have you had? >> this is the only one i've had. and i got you one, too. >> i cannot do this until we're -- >> i'll let you finish the show. >> happy new year to you. we have about ten minutes before it's new years at the central time zone. i want to go up now to brooke baldwin who's up with what else do you have on the roof, but a fiddler. who do you have? >> i've got a gal. she's pretty impressive. this is amanda shaw who is up here, knows a thing or two about new orleans. when we roll into this city, i feel like we've done it pretty well the last couple of years. first of all, happy almost new year's. >> thanks for coming to new orleans.

>> thanks for having me in your beautiful city. i'm sighing some fireworks. we're about ten minutes away. >> we've got a big crowd here. >> you have been playing music for how long? >> since i was 4. for 20 years. >> was your violin teeny, tiny. >> a quarter size violin. >> can you explain to people who have never been to new orleans, in the soul in the dna is muse nick this city. >> oh everything is so great here. it's not just the music. it's the people here too. it's the place. you can tell everybody, too, as you've been here all the apartment doors are -- >> i've been hanging out with perfect strangers. >> that kind of place where everybody's doors are open and you're more than welcome to always come over to my house and have some drink and some food. it's that kind of place. >> would you mind playing me a little tune? >> of course. >> here we go. ♪

♪ you're watching special coverage here. there we go. ♪ i live in a luxury penthouse overlooking central park.

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♪ i say brother can we please ♪ >> just minutes away from midnight here in new orleans, memphis, chicago, st. louis, all up and down the central united states. 2015, just coming into view really. a change is going to come up behind us.

my family down in baton rouge. brooke baldwin, come on in here and join me. it's close. now the place has filled up. >> oh wow. look at that crowd. >> i promise you all, look at this. all the way back 50,000 people here on beale street. >> you're from memphis. you say this is the best place on earth to be on new year's eve. why is that? >> absolutely. home of the blues.

best place to raise a family. we're having a ball. we love cnn. it is awesome. >> what is it that makes beale street here is the guitar drop so special. why should people care about it? >> there's no place like this on earth. it's great because we get a chance to commune with 50,000 people. not like new york where people don't know each other. i know everybody around me. >> happy new year to you. >> happy new year to you as well. >> let me tell you, the crowd is rocking here. we've had great music all night long. i know you do. we've been having a lit built of rock 'n roll some blues fans here, we've been having a great time. >> great job here, we love you guys. >> a few minutes away.

>> came by to give us a hand grenade. this is what you do in new orleans. relax, it's new year's eve. >> i know. thank you. cheers. >> is brooke drunk? is don drunk? we're not drunk. we've been working all night. >> although this isn't really work. when they send us to new orleans to ring in the new year, this is work? >> they sent the both of us. i cannot believe the crowd here. seriously. i know that pamela said she has about 50,000 people. >> as far as -- i know you can't -- i don't know if you can see either way but as far as the eye can see along the main road we're parallel to the mississippi river. and we're surrounded. >> i can't wait to see the

fireworks on the river in just a couple of minutes. and also great music that we've been listening to zidaco. >> do you believe in new year's resolutions? >> of course i do. i never keep them. i always say i'm going to get a six pack and i have a keg pop i think you look pretty darn good. what's your resolution this year? >> that's a good one. i think my resolution is what it is every year. no regrets. live life to the fullest. get out there and do it and enjoy it. as oprah said step into your life. >> i love that. >> and turn up the volume on your life. that's what i do. >> i feel in the past i've

always tried to stay in the still and quiet because there's so much noise around right? >> don't pay attention to the noise. my boss always tells me that. happy new year. >> this year i want to travel. do you know what i'm doing in february? >> what are you doing? >> i've never been to africa. i did standup comedy for the first year moving to new york. i'm climbing mount killimanjarokilimanjaro. >> congratulations. >> talk to me after i do it. >> i've gone several times. chase my roots to africa. we haveless than a minute. the control is telling us less than a minute until it is new year's here in the central time zone. >> we've got the good stuff. >> who brought that? did you? >> some friends. >> andy scholes, you bring us this. but expensive champagne, that's what i want to do know. >> tastes mighty sweet. how far out are we? >> probably about 30 seconds away. >> there we go. 20 seconds. >> there it is.

so beautiful. by the crescent city -- >> oh, let's listen. >> 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 happy new year! >> happy new year. >> so fun. >> live on cnn. >> the fireworks are amazing. happy new year. >> cheers. pleasure, pleasure. love you back. so fun. happy new year. >> what are you guys doing at

home? what's your resolution? i think your resolution should be -- >> what's yours? >> live life to the fullest. >> quiet all the noise. are you happy now that you get your champagne? >> i'm very happy. i'm very happy. i'm in my home state. i've got to do this. >> here we go. >> would you like a hat? would you like a hat? >> yes. >> let me get you one. >> is this from mama lemon? >> no from cnn new year's a couple of years ago when i was with kathy and anderson in times square. i will give you that one. and i will wear this one. >> i like that. >> this one was given to me by my parents. this is my lsu tiger hat. cnn winter hat. how do you like that? >> i am so happy. i am so happy. >> if you can not be in times square, this is the best place to be. >> music, soul, magic, new orleans.

>> i love this band. i absolutely love this band. i don't know what song this is. look at the fireworks. we're going to take you to chicago. and those are pictures that you're looking at on the left happened side of your screen. fireworks in chicago. i just got a text from my friend david stone who said they're watching from lakeshore drive. ♪ >> happy new year. >> i' been waiting for you all. >> i have no doubt it will be.

it's surreal. this is my first time. and it's incredible. fireworks display, confetti going everywhere. so much excitement. just a great place to be. and not to mention all the great music. let's not forget. b.b. king johnny cash elvis presley, so many iconic musicians got their start here. the music has been incredible all around. brook and don? >> brook is going to open the nice expenseive stuff that her friend brought us.

>> i've been waiting for my producer to bring me some. i think it's on its way. i think we have to fight through the crowd. rink on international television. >> anthony bowerdourdain and i had a little drink on las vegas. >> happy new year, happy new year to all of our viewers.

all the best on cnn. >> have a fabulous 2015 everyone. >> happy new year. alk to richard. i feel like he's a wild animal that you guys hired. he's like a wild like rescue dog that was abused but then you love him and then he turns -- see?