The Legendary Talk Show Host Who Provided Live Music For Ivanka Trump And Jared Kushner's Wedding
Ivanka Trump's dazzling wedding to Jared Kushner in 2009 was the stuff dreams are made of. The ceremony was held at Donald Trump's golf club in Bedminster, where 500 guests gathered to celebrate the new couple. Every aspect of the mega wedding seemed meticulously planned, from Ivanka Trump's wedding dress and jewelry to the star-studded guest list and even the music. Kushner and Ivanka chose "This Year's Love" by David Gray as their wedding song, but had a live performance from a special guest.
Talk show host Regis Philbin was called on stage to sing at the wedding reception. The showbiz veteran, who holds the Guinness World Record for the most hours on U.S. television, released four music albums featuring his wife and other famous friends. He was also an actor, a voice artist, and an author. Sadly, Regis Philbin passed away after a heart attack in 2020. He was just a month away from his 89th birthday.
Regis Philbin featured Donald Trump on his album
Donald Trump's relationship with Regis Philbin went a long way back. In an interview with Newsday, the late talk show host revealed that he had known the real estate mogul since 1983. He spoke about their first meeting in Donald's lobby, saying, "I thought it was going to be three and a half minutes. It ended up being 45 minutes. We just became friends and we've been seeing each other ever since."
By 2005, Donald and Philbin's relationship extended into the music world. Philbin featured him on the "Rudolph The Rednosed Reindeer" track from his Christmas album. The pair even gave a live performance on David Letterman's "The Late Show" (via YouTube). Donald sang the line, "Rudolph, you know you're so bright, won't you guide my freaking slay tonight." At the end of the song, he returned to conclude the performance with his "The Apprentice" catchphrase: "Rudolph, you're hired. Blitzen, you're fired." The former president was also in the audience to support Philbin's last act on "Live! With Regis and Kelly" in 2011.
Donald Trump paid a tribute to Regis Philbin after his death
Following the heartbreaking death of Regis Philbin in 2020, the former president shared a tribute via X (formerly Twitter). The July 25 post read: "One of the greats in the history of television, Regis Philbin has passed on to even greater airwaves, at 88. He was a fantastic person, and my friend. He kept telling me to run for President. Holds the record for "most live television", and he did it well. Regis, we love you...."
Before his death, Regis Philbin tentatively supported Donald's campaign for president. In a 2016 interview with CTV News, Philbin said, "I think that he'll be on fire if he becomes president. It might be the best thing that ever happened ... for him and maybe for the country. We'll all find out together." In another 2017 interview with TMZ after Donald's win, Philbin approved of his politics. "So far, I think he's done quite well ... I mean, he's getting things done that were never done before."