Islands in the Stream lip sync?

April 28, 2014 8:06 AM

I have this memory of watching a lip sync performance on TV of a single person impersonating Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers at the same time, i.e. the costume was half one and half the other. Did this actually happen? Is there video?
posted by mkb to Media & Arts (13 answers total)

I think Wayne Brady did that in an episode of "How I Met Your Mother" sometime in the last season or two. (Edit - he sang though, not lip-synch)
posted by oh yeah! at 8:18 AM on April 28, 2014

Was it this scene from the TV show How I Met Your Mother? It's possible that this scene is itself a reference to some other event.
posted by muddgirl at 8:19 AM on April 28, 2014

Response by poster: No, it was not recent. This was on a TV game show in the 80s, like "Puttin' on the Hits" or something.
posted by mkb at 8:22 AM on April 28, 2014

Just wanted to chime in to agree that yes, I have a memory of seeing this on television in the early to mid-80s. I believe it was a man performing both roles. Sorry, no idea exactly where I saw it, although I think it might have been Star Search. At least you've got one person confirming the memory.
posted by ladybird at 8:26 AM on April 28, 2014

You've probably already seen this Yahoo Answers info, but in case not, I came across it by Googling.

Who was the Star Search contestant who sang a duet with half his face painted like a man and half like a woman?
posted by ladybird at 8:29 AM on April 28, 2014

Definitely supporting your idea that it dates back a ways. I totally remember it.
posted by BlahLaLa at 9:11 AM on April 28, 2014

I don't think this is the performance I'm remembering, but someone did do this (sort of badly) in 2006, see here.
posted by onlyconnect at 9:16 AM on April 28, 2014

Could it have been on Puttin' on the Hits? That was a TV lip sync contest in the 80s. I couldn't find a video, but TV Guide says someone did that song on this episode.
I specifically remember someone doing a similar act as Lionel Ritchie and Diana Ross singing Endless Love on that show, but I can't remember the Islands in the Stream one.
posted by 3fluffies at 9:17 AM on April 28, 2014

I definitely remember a male/female half-face duo thing on Puttin' On The Hits when I was a kid, but I don't know if it was Islands in the Stream or not.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 10:24 AM on April 28, 2014

I am pretty sure I saw this (or a similar) gag on Super Dave.
posted by AndrewStephens at 10:27 AM on April 28, 2014

Nthing Puttin' on the Hits. My family used to watch it almost every week and I have a clear memory of a guy doing that gag.
posted by AgentRocket at 11:05 AM on April 28, 2014

Maybe it was on The Gong Show? Sounds like something that they would have...
posted by Hanuman1960 at 11:32 AM on April 28, 2014

Related, at least: Endless Love Performed by Carlos Packard playing both Lionel Richie and Diana Ross. I have no idea how that came up using the search terms I chose....
posted by dhartung at 12:01 PM on April 28, 2014 [1 favorite]