i called jackie, and said i couldn't make it up. could you do the show? gleason came and did a good show. i said, jackie, i owe you won. four years later, i get a message, and i call him. i say, jackie, it's frank. he says, this is the one. tavis: that is why that story is informative. it goes back to that principle, loyalty. >> frank held him to it, and he would use that chip, if you have a chip from sinatra for a kid on a radio show. >tavis: what do you make of jackie doing that for you? >> he was larger than life, and he knew that he had a friend. how could i ever not be nice to him. i don't know if it was selfish. it was a glorious thing to do. the night before jackie died, i got a call from his publicist, and there was a list of people to say goodbye to, and i was on the list. there is something to say for being liked. there is a scene in "fiddler on the roof," he is in russia with five daughters. jewish and very orthodox. his first daughter marries a christian. they come to him, how could you permit this. he says, stop. i like him. i like him. what are you

thetory of sinatra an jackie gleason. i will l you tell the sto. >> it is a great sry. jackie befriended me. i am at a dinner, honoring jackiegleason. he was on my shownd i would go see the scriptwriting, when they puhis togethe for the honeymooners. he was a very -- he was an insomniac. he didn't read fiction, but people and science. i was there with a doctor, and heaid, whatis impossible. he pointe at theoctor. t doctor said, ty will never make blood in laborato. blood willot be in a lab. you may get gransu-- trafusions. he said it to . i said do a local show from 9:012:00. frank satra too myhow for three hours. nobody is bigger. he says, when is he dark he is not working nextonday. you got him. i said, how? [laughter] i said i am goingack on the air, to promte sinra. the phones are ringing. management calls. he you lost your mind. jackie said it. management call we have an ad inthe miami hald. we call the hotel wehre he is per-- where he iserforming. are you sure he's coming. jackie says h's coming i go on five after:00. nobody went he. the secretaries staye home. thr

he got his start with jackie gleason and frank sinatra. larry king joins me.g with the family three rows back. what was it like? >> it was incredible. the whole morning was incredible. proud to be invited to be there. we sat behind berry gordy the third row behind the family. it was emotional to watch them react. >> the casket was right there. >> that blew me away. did you know the casket was coming? >> we got word earlier before. >> well, no one in the house knew. the hush that occurred when that was brought in was unbelievable. i did not expect that. it is usually at a funeral. not at a memorial service. >> soledad o'brien and i were watching when they brought the casket out from the forest lawn. both of us had an intake of breath. when you first saw it, it obviously brings it all home. >> yeah. the body is there. why did they take it at forest lawn if not to bury it. >> i don't think they have decided. i think they wanted a private service. >> it was an incredible morning. >> you were sitting next to the three children. you lost your dad at age 9, i lost my

>> otherwise you wouldn't have had people like barbra streisand, jackie gleason going away, lucille ballto peek into other people's lives. >> fine. drive around your neighborhood and look in a few windows. don't call it entertainment. don't call it reality television. >> but why are people watching it? that's the thing. >> well, it's cheap. they're watching it because it's cheap to produce. >> but people are watching. they have choices to watch things that aren't cheap but they choose to watch reality. >> so what are you saying about people, hoda? >> i was just saying -- >> i was picking out a couple of them. but no, you're endieting an entire generation of human beings. >> i'm just saying they like it. they find something intriguing about watching other people's lives crater. >> would you say you are what you eat? >> are we changing gears? >> no. if we are, if by eating a healthy diet, look at leslie, if you eat that you're going to become a healthy person. >> yes. >> you have a steady diet of garbage, what goes in, becomes -- >> yes. >> like people who watch porn all the time. >> exact