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CNN Live Event/Special
New Year's Eve Live. Aired 12-1a ET
Aired January 01, 2023 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: I got to say, that 20 minutes, from 10 to midnight to 10 minutes after --
ANDY COHEN, CNN HOST: It is amazing. It is beautiful.
COOPER: -- is the most incredible 20 minutes around.
COHEN: It was so beautiful.
COOPER: Amazing.
COHEN: I feel like I'm in a state of namaste, 2023. It feels good here.
COOPER: A state of namaste.
It is a little smoky here.
COHEN: It is.
COOPER: There was a moment when confetti is everywhere --
COHEN: It was all coming down.
COOPER: It was really cool.
COHEN: It was very exciting. That was almost spiritual.
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: And to do it sober.
COOPER: I know, a revelation.
COHEN: The clarity. Wow.
Bryan Cox from "Succession," "Logan Roy" himself --
COOPER: I'm so excited. COHEN: -- is going to join us live on the riser.
COOPER: And at 12:30 Don Lemon is live in New Orleans to continue the coverage elsewhere in the country. We will be right back live in Times Square.
COHEN: Happy New Year, everybody. Happy New Year.
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[00:10:00]
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COOPER: And happy New Year, everybody.
COHEN: We are 12 minutes into New Year.
COOPER: 2023. I hope it is everybody out there is listening, I hope it is your best year yet.
Joining us now is the star of HBO's "Succession" and "The Independent," streaming on Peacock, Brian Cox.
It is so wonderful to have you here.
BRIAN COX, ACTOR: Thank you. This, wondering what I was doing for the last three hours, this is it.
COHEN: This is what you were doing.
COOPER: Was this full when you began?
COX: It was full when I began but my wife was here so she helped. The last dribble is for you guys.
COOPER: Oh, thank you, thank you.
You know what?
I appreciate it.
So have you ever been in Times Square?
COX: I have but as a member of the public rather than in this position. I have to say it was a surprisingly moving experience.
COOPER: It is. It is quite moving, isn't it?
COX: Yes. I didn't expect it.
COOPER: I know.
COX: I don't know. I think -- I think the great thing about Americans is you know how to do Christmas.
COHEN: Right.
COX: And you half know how to do New Year but we Scots, we invented New Year's.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: What does that mean?
COX: We had, believe it or not, for 400 years, we weren't allowed to practice Christmas. It wasn't allowed. I mean it wasn't official. But because it was a papist thing, they didn't want that.
So what happened was the New Year festivity became more popular and, therefore, we all became more egalitarian because we all joined in. So the whole thing about New Year and what we call the last night, it is called Hogmanay. That's the last night.
And what you are supposed to do, you have to be dark, blue-eyed and you bear a piece of coal and go into someone's house and you wish them -- this is what should be starting now -- the good, the best for the year, the warmth of the year. You can do it with whiskey, you can do it with bread. The tradition is to do it with coal.
COHEN: Coal, wow?
That's so interesting.
[00:15:00]
COHEN: Does "Auld Lang Syne" ring in a special way for you?
COX: Absolutely.
(CROSSTALK)
COX: Burns to me is the greatest poet of all time.
COHEN: Here it is.
COX: "Should auld acquaintance be forgot -- "
COHEN: Yes.
COX: "And never brought to mind?"
COHEN: Yes.
COX: "Should auld acquaintance be forgot for the sake of auld lang syne?
"For auld lang syne, my friends, for auld lang syne, we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet, for the sake of auld lang syne."
COHEN: Oh, my God, I love that.
COX: Sorry if I --
COHEN: I have to have a toast now.
COOPER: I had a Scottish nanny who told you about, who was really like my mom growing up.
What?
COHEN: Relatable.
COOPER: Well, I'm sorry, but OK.
COX: A huge influence.
COOPER: She was a huge influence on me.
COX: You can't do better than a Scottish nanny.
COOPER: She called me a skinny malink so I call my son all the time a skinny malink.
COX: "Skinny Malinky long legs, umbrella feet, "Went to the circus, couldn't get a seat.
"When the circus started, Skinny Malinky farted "When the circus ended, Skinny Malinky fell."
(LAUGHTER)
COHEN: Wow.
COOPER: You live in New York.
COX: I do.
COHEN: Oh really?
COOPER: How long have you lived in New York?
COX: I have lived here since -- oh, God, 2008.
COHEN: You are about to go back to Broadway, right?
COX: Next -- not for a while.
COHEN: Not for a while?
COX: Hopefully 2024.
COHEN: Oh, OK.
COX: I'm very busy this year. I have a lot of things on my plate.
COHEN: Well, you are busy.
COX: I am.
COHEN: We have to talk about "Succession."
COX: Right.
COHEN: The new season starts when?
Can you say?
(CROSSTALK)
COX: We're still shooting it, yes.
COHEN: You are still shooting it.
Yes, you have been watching the show a little bit tonight.
Knowing what you know about young Anderson and me, who do you think would be better equipped to run Waystar Royco?
COX: Of you two?
COOPER: It is an impossible choice.
COX: Well, based on tonight's performance.
COHEN: Yes.
COX: I would say none of you.
COHEN: Right, yes.
COOPER: I had a feeling.
COX: On certain days I would have said Anderson probably.
COOPER: Do you like Logan Roy?
COX: Yes, I do.
COOPER: You do?
COX: I actually do.
COOPER: I kind of like him, too.
COX: Well, I have a lot of sympathy for him. He is a miserable bastard, he is a misanthrope, he is deeply unhappy. And he has three of the horriblest children -- or four. Actually, the oldest isn't too bad but the rest of them are pretty horrible. So I feel for him.
COHEN: It seems this season it will be the kids going after him in a significant way.
COX: Yes, they probably will.
COHEN: They probably will?
COX: They probably will.
COOPER: I feel like he's so ready for it. I'm so excited for this season.
COX: Oh, no, he will be fine. He's fine. He will deal with it pretty well.
COHEN: You know what I love about him and I love about you?
Neither of you have any Fs left to give.
COX: No, no Fs.
COHEN: You really don't.
COX: No, I'm F'ed out.
COHEN: And you came out with a book -- that we talked about on radio, Andy -- that you called Johnny Depp overrated, Steven Seagal ludicrous. Bowie not a particularly good actor, Edward Norton a pain in the ass, Quentin Tarantino's work meretricious.
COX: This is deeply embarrassing.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: Did you hear from anyone in the book?
COX: Only one and I can't say who the person was. But he was only mentioned in passing and he was deeply upset.
I wrote him back and said, "I never meant to upset you. Other people I meant to upset but you are not one of them."
COHEN: You're right. And you only mentioned that person in passing?
COX: Only in passing.
COOPER: I ran into Steven Seagal once in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and he was dressed in a police uniform, driving a police car. I was doing a live shot. He came out and I turned.
I was like, "Steven Seagal dressed as a police man.
"What are you doing here?"
And he said, "I'm not even here, man, I'm just doing the work," and got back in the police car and left.
COX: He's a funny fellow.
COHEN: And that's where the work began.
(CROSSTALK) COX: Exactly, exactly.
COOPER: Aren't we all just doing the work really?
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: -- we are just doing the work, man.
COX: We are following our -- we are adroitly following our mercenary (ph) calling and drawing our wages. That's what we're doing.
COHEN: Yes, we are.
I'm so glad. It was so nice, you kind of glided in here after midnight. And he and I were in this state of kind of --
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: -- transcendentalism.
(CROSSTALK)
COX: No, no, I'm fairly transcendental at the best of times. My New Year's resolution is to make no resolutions whatsoever. That's my New Year's resolution.
COHEN: You don't seem like a New Year's resolution guy.
COX: No, I don't believe in all that.
COOPER: What do you love about New York?
COX: I used to love New York even more than I do now.
COOPER: Yes?
COX: I don't like the gentrification.
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COX: I like the -- I love yin and the yang of New York. And I miss a little bit of the yin. That's why I live in Brooklyn. Brooklyn's the place, people. I really love Brooklyn. So we have great time there.
COHEN: You know what is so incredible?
You can hear now the sounds of the cleanup crew.
COX: Right.
COHEN: I mean, you know, it happens almost immediately.
COX: I promised my wife I would say one thing on behalf of the New Year.
COHEN: OK. COX: And it is a serious thing but I think it is an important thing.
This is a year that we've watched the women in Iran be treated pretty horrendously.
COHEN: Yes.
COX: And we have watched the uprising of those women and them trying to claim their basic simple rights. My wife is half Iranian. And she was quite active, she has been quite active.
She did -- actually she was one of the first to cut her hair. And I just think what is happening in Iran and also Afghanistan to the women is pretty awful. And we have to do something about it. We can't let it go on.
(CROSSTALK) COOPER: And the Taliban in Afghanistan has stopped women from being able to work for NGOs, which I mean is one --
COX: Well, there's a deep hypocrisy at work as well there, too.
(CROSSTALK)
COOPER: And the strength and the courage of Iranian people to continue to go out and protest --
COHEN: Is incredible.
COOPER: -- in the wake of hangings and protesters, it is an extraordinary thing.
COX: They've been amazing.
COOPER: In Iran, I don't know if they still do it but, for a while, when they hang people, it is not hanging somebody and letting them drop, which breaks their neck, instantly kills them. It is picking somebody up with a crane so that it is actually suffocation, strangulation.
COX: I know, it is very, very --
COOPER: Particularly brutal.
COX: Anyway.
COHEN: OK. I'm glad you said it because people need to know it.
COX: Well, I think we have to remember these things that need to shift in the New Year.
COHEN: Yes.
COOPER: The dichotomy that we are here on this joyous occasion enjoying our freedoms.
COHEN: Yes.
COOPER: And to know people elsewhere are cowering in their homes in fear.
COX: Absolutely.
COHEN: I want to thank you so much for coming.
COX: My pleasure.
COHEN: You are the perfect after-midnight guest.
COX: I shall advertise that. Available after midnight.
(LAUGHTER)
COHEN: He is the perfect after-midnight guest. And I know a thing or two about after-midnight guests.
COX: So do I.
COOPER: Brian Cox, thank you so much.
COHEN: Thank you for the bottle. Happy New Year.
COOPER: Yes, really a pleasure.
COHEN: Yes, absolutely.
COOPER: Such big fans.
Let's bring on Richard Quest really quickly.
COHEN: This year falling apart.
Richard, you have done this for 25 years.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST: Yes, and I would not miss it for a moment. There is no better place to be than here, excitement, ooh!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is pretty magical.
COOPER: It is.
COHEN: Really, it is.
There is a -- you sit and you wait and you wait and then it happens.
It always surprises me.
QUEST: I keep thinking maybe I won't do it this year, maybe I'll do something. But I tell you, I can't think of anywhere else I would rather be. I mean, a house party is a bit lame after --
COOPER: Yes, I know. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Also, it is like you meet all of these people
from around the world, who this is like their bucket-list thing to do, right.
COOPER: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's a certain specialness and those of us who live in New York take it for granted. This is in our backyard but people travel from around the world to be here where we are.
(CROSSTALK)
COHEN: Yes.
COOPER: We thank you so much.
QUEST: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you both very much.
COHEN: Happy New Year, guys.
COOPER: You look so great.
Andy, thank you for another year.
COHEN: Anderson, we made it through.
COOPER: Yes, we did.
COHEN: I want to thank CNN for having us.
COOPER: Yes.
COHEN: For having me, actually.
COOPER: Yes, and for having me as well.
COHEN: Yes.
COOPER: We will see if it happens again.
COHEN: Yes, we will. Yes, we will see.
COOPER: Thanks so much for watching. We wish you the best and, yes, I hope you have a good rest of the night. Thank you for spending the night with us.
COHEN: You sound a little drunk and you haven't had anything to drink.
COOPER: It is that pickle juice.
COHEN: Yes, right.
COOPER: From four hours ago. COHEN: This has been great. Don Lemon is going to continue our
coverage next.
COOPER: From New Orleans amazingly.
COHEN: From New Orleans. Happy New Year, everybody. Happy 2023.
I'm taking this one. We're going out. Yes, we're going out.
COOPER: We'll see about that.
COHEN: We're going out.
COOPER: Happy New Year's.
COHEN: That's what is happening, from me to you. Happy New Year. Happy 2023, everybody.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Tonight, live from the heart of New Orleans, this is CNN's NEW YEAR'S EVE LIVE. We're counting down to the Central time zone's New Year with special guest Usher, Ava Max, Richard Marx, Weekend Excursion, REO Speedwagon --
(AUDIO GAP)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: I don't hear anything. I think I lost --
Hello, hello, hello, everyone. Hello. This is Don Lemon. We are live in New Orleans. We are so happy that you are here. This is the real New Year's Eve from New Orleans, as you can see. I've got (INAUDIBLE) in the French Quarter. I'm joined by some special guests. We want a family-oriented New Year's Eve. So I have my entire family here.
Say hi, Mom.
KATHERINE CLARK, DON LEMON'S MOTHER: Hello.
LEMON: Eighty years young. My entire family.
Mannie Fresh is here.
MANNIE FRESH, MUSIC PRODUCER: How y'all doing.
LEMON: Grammy-award-winning music producer.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, happy New Year.
LEMON: My extended family. My beautiful nieces, Katie (ph), Kimberly (ph), Ashley (ph), my great-nephews, my brother-in-law. These are my boys.
Say hi to Tim (ph). Say hi to Gus (ph), Barkley (ph) and Boomer (ph). We have so much planned for you in the next couple of hours.
[00:30:00]
LEMON: I know everyone is wondering, is Don Lemon drinking, is he lit?
I will let you be the judge. My mom says I don't need to drink to have this personality.
CLARK: Never.
LEMON: This is my natural personality. Everybody thinks I'm drunk every year, I'm not. This is my personality.
Anyway we have got marching bands. We will do what they do here in New Orleans. We will take you on a parade. We will take you on a ride around New Orleans, show you some people doing really good things for the city. Let's march. Let's have a second line and let's go through.
We have on tap so many people, I need notes. My mom and my family. We have The Roots of Music with Derrick Tabb.
Derrick, get over here.
We have the Hot 8 Brass Band. We have Mannie Fresh, as I introduced to you, the award-winning music producer.
The 50th anniversary of hip-hop is coming up tomorrow, as a matter of fact. We will talk about that.
Derrick, let's talk about The Roots of Music. You come every year, you have the band, The Roots of Music. These are young people you are helping out. Explain what happens with The Roots of Music.
DERRICK TABB, THE ROOTS OF MUSIC: The Roots of Music is an after school program dedicated to serving the kids of New Orleans. And we take kids from all around the city, from over 30, 40 schools around the city, bring them to one safe location, where they learn how to play music, New Orleans music.
They learn how to be friends before enemies. We teach them skills.
LEMON: You know what I love about this, I love about New Orleans is the diversity here, right. It is full of beautiful Black people celebrating and you are helping the young youth here, especially young Black children here.
Why is that so important to you?
TABB: Because we find that they need something to do. All kids need something to do to be the best kids you could possibly see. Look at these kids here. They come -- half of these kids never picked up an instrument a day in their life. And now they're producing music. That's what it is all about, teaching them how to survive, how to make
it out of life.
LEMON: How long have you been doing this?
TABB: Fifteen years. This is the 15th year.
LEMON: And you have success stories?
TABB: I have a bunch of success stories. I have kids that have been all the way to Berkeley and Spain. Berkeley in music.
LEMON: Weren't you a runner-up for CNN Heroes?
TABB: Yes.
LEMON: Talk to me about that.
TABB: It was a great experience. In 2009, I was a Top 10 CNN Hero. Man, it was a great experience, to be around others.
LEMON: I love you, brother. I love what you do. Thank you so much. Don't go anywhere. We have some more people to talk to.
Come here. Get over here. This is Howie Kaplan. We are standing outside now of Howlin' Wolf, which is a venue right in New Orleans, right on the corner here.
How many people you got here tonight?
HOWIE KAPLAN, HOWLIN' WOLF: Got about 500, 600 people standing on the street tonight.
LEMON: Howie, you have a very special position here. Tell us what your position is here.
KAPLAN: So I'm the director of nighttime economy for the City of New Orleans. They call me the night mayor.
LEMON: They call you the Night Mayor, not like nightmare, like scary dream but nighttime mayor.
How did it happen?
KAPLAN: It's a lot of hard work. I get to represent the culture bearers (ph) in the City of New Orleans. I get to represent these fantastic musicians and the people that do the work to make New Orleans a special place. And I'm proud I get to be here today and every day, representing my city.
LEMON: Who are these dolls you have behind you?
KAPLAN: Look at these ladies.
Aren't they gorgeous? They represent a very particular part of our culture. They're part of some of the Mardi Gras people that make it so special in our city. And they do it so beautifully. They do it year around. But we celebrate coming to the Mardi Gras season.
LEMON: We hear so much about New Orleans, what is happening in New Orleans. As the nighttime mayor of New Orleans, what do you want the world to know about the city?
KAPLAN: This is the most wonderful place in the world you can come. New Orleans is a world class city. There's no place better in the world to get what you grew up, what I live with every day, the food, the architecture, the music, the culture, the art, everything about where we live and breathe every day is why so many millions of people come here every year. It is time to come back to New Orleans.
LEMON: Can you explain to people when I first got here, one of the first things you did was hand me this towel?
KAPLAN: This is a Mardi Gras thing. You sit here and throw your towel and do everything you have got to do. We are a city and we celebrate everything. We celebrate misery, we celebrate loss, we celebrate passion, we celebrate everything. And we do it just like this. New Year's Eve is the best time to do it.
LEMON: It is the symbol of the second line when you do it with the towel.
KAPLAN: Yes.
LEMON: Listen, we have a crab boil, we have a crawfish boil, what else?
A shrimp boil, everything here. We will talk about the beautiful mural on the side of this building that was in honor of one of the people who started.
KAPLAN: So Bennie Pete was the founder of the Hot 8 Brass Band, standing behind me right now. The Grammy-award winning Hot 8 Brass Band, won with Jon Baptiste (ph) last year. This was a gentleman who gave his soul and passion to the city. Look what he did over here.
[00:35:00]
KAPLAN: This beautiful, beautiful mural for a beautiful man that saved many lives and inspired so much passion.
LEMON: This is my gorgeous niece.
Hi, gorgeous niece.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Don.
LEMON: How many drinks have you had?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Several. LEMON: This is her son. This is my great-nephew.
Say hi, Cairo (ph).
CAIRO (PH), DON LEMON'S GREAT-NEPHEW: Hi.
LEMON: Of course, my mom. This is my gorgeous niece, Ashley (ph). Say hi.
ASHLEY (PH), DON LEMON'S NIECE: Hi, everyone.
LEMON: This is my gorgeous niece, Kimberly (ph).
KIMBERLY (PH), DON LEMON'S NIECE: Hi.
LEMON: This is Ashley's (ph) son. Ashley's (ph) son, who is my great- nephew, is a university, LSU University High School football star, being recruited by LSU. Already playing varsity.
Say hi.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
LEMON: And that's it for my family. I want to take you guys back to the crowd. Come this way.
This is The Roots of Music. This is what Derrick Tapp was talking about, the youth that they are getting here, to take part in learning about music and learning about culture. The kids here don't get the experience of going to Juilliard or don't get the experience of going to big music schools.
So what Derrick Tapp does, he takes these kids, he introduces them to music. He takes some of them off the streets. He has success stories. And then they end up being on CNN. Now I want to go over here. These is where we are going to end up. My favorite place.
Where?
There we go. Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yay!
LEMON: This is my hometown. I grew up with this. So when you guys think that I'm lit on television or whatever, that's my personality. I grew up in the land of lagniappe (ph), right, "laissez les bons temps rouler."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, Happy New Year.
LEMON: "Let the good times roll."
How do you guys do this all the time?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the time. We do this all the time throughout the crawfish season. We just boil them up. Happy New Year. LEMON: You know where it is going great?
Maybe almost as good but not quite, is in the Bahamas, in the Caribbean. I want to go to CNN's Stephanie Elam.
We have been texting each other. I know you have a special guest that you cannot reveal, you didn't reveal to me. But you are going to reveal now.
Is it warm there?
Are you having a good time?
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I have been out here breaking a sweat while we were meeting your family, because Deejay Webstar (ph) is over here killing it. I have been dancing nonstop.
Look who else is dancing, check it out. Look at this crowd. Look at this crowd, still partying. Well, we are here in Paradise Island in the Bahamas and, Atlantis, now that 2023, about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. They had a big party here tonight. That is still going on.
We had (INAUDIBLE), we had (INAUDIBLE) who was here as well (INAUDIBLE). And everyone is having a ball here. We haven't stopped dancing all night, Don. Look, look, people are still getting it. It is so much fun here.
On top of it, there's other thing we have better than you guys, the weather. It is like hot as all get out right now. But it feels great. You see, you can tell. It is summertime down here, right. Just a great time had by everybody. Just really good energy, celebrating the New Year with just about 3,000 of our favorite friends.
LEMON: It is always summertime in New Orleans. It always party time in New Orleans as well as always party time in Las Vegas.
You know who else is in Las Vegas?
Usher. Let's check in.
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[00:40:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
LEMON: All right. I'm live. OK, I'm live. I had no idea I was live. It is really hard to hear here because it's really loud. We have a bunch of people around us, we have the bands going. We're going to talk to these guys.
Hi, guys. How are you?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy New Year.
[00:45:00]
LEMON: Good to see you again. I can't hear anything, I don't know why.
Your name is Evan, right?
EVAN TROXELL, GULF COAST CRAWFISH COMPANY: I'm Evan with Gulf Coast Crawfish Company here in New Orleans. We are cooking up some crawfish. We heard Don was on the way and we heard he likes them, so he's trying them out.
What do you think?
LEMON: I think they're great. The entire commercial break and while Usher was playing, I was sitting here eating crawfish and they're really good.
TROXELL: Love to hear it.
LEMON: Stand by.
Mom, do you want some crawfish?
CLARK: Yes.
LEMON: Do you want me to peel you some.
CLARK: I know how to peel them.
LEMON: Are you enjoying this?
CLARK: Yes.
LEMON: Here is what you guys should know. You guys think this is a big deal. Basically this is like every weekend in Louisiana, especially during football season. We either fry fish, we do a crab or crawfish boil or a fish fry and there's bands everywhere.
TROXELL: We do this every weekend. We are just always having a party, having a good time, you know. That's how we enjoy our time here.
LEMON: So Mom, during the fall, like we would do this. We went to Southern University which is an HBCU, Southern University football games, it was like this.
CLARK: Yes.
LEMON: We had the bands playing, we had The Battle of Bands. We'd tailgate in the parking lot. We would have crawfish or shrimp and we would drink.
CLARK: Boiled corn and potatoes.
LEMON: And we would have a good time. CLARK: I almost said the wrong word. A doggone good time.
LEMON: Let me tell you a story about resilience and about life and about love. My mom called me on Christmas Eve and said, this is really sad, her boyfriend died.
CLARK: Yes.
LEMON: She found her boyfriend unresponsive, right.
And I told her, I said, well, Mom, I want you to come host New Year's Eve with me to talk about life and love.
CLARK: Yes.
LEMON: And to celebrate life.
CLARK: Yes.
LEMON: And you are here celebrating because life is what?
CLARK: It's short, baby.
LEMON: And it is for the living.
CLARK: It is for the living and you told me, we all have to leave here one day.
LEMON: Yes. So anyway, I'm celebrating with my mom, who has dealt with some tragedy. But she taught me how to live, how to be resilient. She gave me the best advice ever that I have ever had in the world when I worry about things.
She said 90 percent of the S-H-I-you-know-what that I worried about ...
CLARK: What happens?
LEMON: -- never came to fruition.
CLARK: Right.
LEMON: That's why -- how I live my life, not worrying about anything. So when you guys see me all gregarious on New Year's Eve and you think I'm lit, I'm having a good time.
CLARK: Thank you.
LEMON: But.
CLARK: We're only here for so long and enjoy it while you're here.
LEMON: She is the best. She is the best.
So listen, Mom, turn around because we want to see you on camera.
So Mom, how long have you been on this Earth?
CLARK: Eighty years.
LEMON: I gave her a surprise 80th birthday party for her birthday in October.
And everyone said, are you going to give an 80-year-old a surprise party?
CLARK: Of course.
LEMON: And what happened?
CLARK: It was a big surprise.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: So my mom doesn't go anywhere without her own glam squad.
I said, Mom, CNN is going to hire a glam squad for you.
She said, that's OK, I'm bringing my own glam squad.
Come here, Beverly (ph).
How long have you been doing my mom's hair?
BEVERLY (PH), KATHERINE CLARK'S HAIRDRESSER: Over 30 years.
LEMON: Thirty years?
BEVERLY (PH): Over 30 years.
LEMON: So she takes her glam squad everywhere.
CLARK: And she comes to my house and does my hair.
BEVERLY (PH): Absolutely.
CLARK: Thirty years.
What is this character like, Beverly (ph)?
BEVERLY (PH): Oh, my God. No words can explain how spoiled she is.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: Does it make you understand why I am the way I am?
BEVERLY (PH): It does.
LEMON: Why?
CLARK: Yes, absolutely.
LEMON: Because? BEVERLY (PH): Because she's spoiled, you're spoiled.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: I'm not spoiled.
BEVERLY (PH): She spoiled you.
CLARK: Yes.
LEMON: Did you spoil me?
CLARK: Yes.
LEMON: Mom, you look really cute tonight.
What happened?
CLARK: I'm always cute.
(LAUGHTER)
BEVERLY (PH): Always.
CLARK: Excuse me?
(LAUGHTER)
CLARK: Oh, my God.
LEMON: Yes.
CLARK: It took something to come down here though, it really did.
LEMON: Yes.
CLARK: It has kind of helped me out, it really has.
LEMON: Yes.
What do you say to the folks at home?
You and I talked about, you know, Anderson is doing this series on grief and how to be resilient.
CLARK: Yes.
LEMON: And has that helped you?
CLARK: By you talking and encouraging me to come here it has really helped. But of course, I have flashes of times we had together. It goes and comes. Sometimes I'm up, sometimes I'm down.
LEMON: So my mom and I have dealt with a lot over the last couple of years. My sister passed.
CLARK: Yes.
LEMON: And we dealt with that. And then her boyfriend passed and we dealt with that.
CLARK: Right.
LEMON: But guess what?
You got to keep moving, right?
No matter what happens.
CLARK: I'm still alive.
LEMON: Yes.
My mom knows every single thing about me.
CLARK: Everything. No secrets.
LEMON: Yes.
CLARK: You will call me and ask me anything.
LEMON: Yes.
CLARK: And I've always advised you and you will ask me what should you do.
[00:50:00]
CLARK: I'm like, you know what you're supposed to do better than I do.
(LAUGHTER)
LEMON: One of the best times that we've ever had -- I think you guys saw it play out here on CNN -- there's a drone going up.
You see the drone right there?
Playing out on CNN is when you and I went to Ghana.
Do you remember that?
CLARK: Oh, yes.
LEMON: We traced our roots.
CLARK: Yes.
LEMON: Was that beautiful?
CLARK: That was beautiful. I'll never forget that.
LEMON: I remember we were sitting by the sea. My mom said to me, which was really moving, she said, you have -- I'm the mom and I'm supposed to show you things.
CLARK: Right. But you're showing me things now, I'm learning from you.
LEMON: What was that like?
CLARK: It was amazing.
LEMON: You think you're grown and you know everything.
CLARK: I tell you guys, you try to rule me. I'm like, I've been here 80 years.
And you think you know more than I do?
Never.
LEMON: So Mom, I love you.
CLARK: I love you.
LEMON: I'm glad you're co-anchoring with me.
CLARK: Oh, my God, I was like, what am I supposed to say?
LEMON: You're supposed to say whatever you want to say --
CLARK: No, I can't say whatever I want to say.
LEMON: I know you want to say a lot. You have a lot to say to a lot of people who -- I might get fired.
(LAUGHTER)
CLARK: Exactly.
LEMON: I love you.
Weekend Excursion is performing in New York City and we love them, let's listen to them now.
Thanks, Mom, I love you.
CLARK: Love you, too, baby.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[00:55:00]
(MUSIC PLAYING)
LEMON: And we're back live from New Orleans. The only place to be.
Hey, everybody. So I have been asking the crowd if anybody knows the words to "Auld Lang Syne."
You do?
All right. We have a few minutes until midnight in the Central time zone that we always celebrate.
Do you know the words to "Auld Lang Syne"?
Are you going to sing it anyways?
This is my little nephew, Tyrell (ph), great nephew.
Are you going to sing it anyways?
No?
[00:55:00]
OK.
Mannie Fresh.
FRESH: Yes, sir.
LEMON: Do you know the words to "Auld Lang Syne"?
FRESH: Hell, no.
LEMON: Hell, no. Mannie Fresh.
Can you talk to me about these two?
As we get ready for New Year's Eve to kick in here, the 50th anniversary of hip-hop is when?
FRESH: Right now, tomorrow. We're celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.
LEMON: The 50th anniversary of hip-hop, plan to be a part of it.
Mannie Fresh, you helped start the hip-hop movement.
FRESH: Yes, sir, here in New Orleans. Hey, it's your boy, man, it's Fresh.
LEMON: It's your boy, man, Fresh. Mannie Fresh is a big deal, a Grammy Award-winning artist, right?
FRESH: Yes, sir.
LEMON: What is so special about New Orleans?
FRESH: I mean, the people. The people. There's no place like New Orleans. Ain't no party like a New Orleans party, because the New Orleans party don't end.
LEMON: Give us a hit before we go. Give us something before we go into the New Year here, Mannie. Give us a little something-something.
FRESH: Happy birthday, Mother.
My mom's birthday is today, y'all.
Happy birthday.
You guys ready to party into the New Year?
(MUSIC PLAYING)
[01:00:00]
