Whatever it takes, Richard Marx is getting his message out to the world! The Grammy winner interrupted A Late Show With Stephen Colbert on Tuesday (May 25) after Kentucky’s Sen. Rand Paul accused the musician of “[calling] for violence against me and my family.”
The Republican lawmaker had spoken out after receiving a suspicious package at his home Monday, days after Marx tweeted, “I’ll say it again: If I ever meet Rand Paul’s neighbor I’m going to hug him and buy him as many drinks as he can consume.” The tweet, which references the 2017 incident in which a neighbor tackled the senator while Paul was doing yard work and broke his ribs, has since been removed by Twitter for violating its rules.
While Colbert was discussing Paul’s accusation during a segment, he noted that though the “Hold On to the Nights” crooner has more than 300,000 followers on Twitter, “To think that Richard Marx is dangerous is just ridiculous.” But before he could finish his next thought, the broadcast went snowy, a villainous laugh started up, and the singer himself appeared.
“How did you break in to my broadcast?!” the late-night host demanded.
“Oh Stevie, wherever you go, whatever you do, I will be right here waiting for you!” he sang from the chorus of his 1989 hit “Right Here Waiting,” which spent 21 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 1 in August 1989.
When Colbert asked whether he was inciting violence, Marx assured — in true evildoer fashion — “Of course not! All I want is world domination! And I will not rest until Richard Marx’s reach is Limitless!”
The comedian played along and asked whether publicly discussing plans for taking over the world might result in leaders thwarting the musician’s schemes. “They’d have to catch me first!” Marx responded, still in character, before once again throwing in a plug for himself and finally admitting his “evil plan.”
Marx’s appearance wasn’t the only time the Late Show addressed Paul’s claims against the singer on Tuesday. During the opening segment, the show aired a piece titled “It’s Not Richard Marx’s Fault That People Hate Rand Paul.” In it, the lyrics to “Right Here Waiting” were replaced, changing the song from a romantic love letter to point out reasons why Paul isn’t exactly beloved.
Watch Marx’s appearance and the video spoof:
