Stumped by a song, contestant wins $1K

A Safety Harbor man was 8 questions away from the $1-million question when he answered incorrectly.

By ED QUIOCO

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 1, 2000

SAFETY HARBOR -- Gus Papadopoulos figures he will be swamped today by comments about who recorded the 1972 hit song My Ding A Ling.

That's the question that stumped the Safety Harbor resident and kept him from winning big in the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? game show. The taped episode where Papadopoulos was quizzed by host Regis Philbin aired on ABC at 7 p.m. Sunday.

"By tomorrow night, I will bet you that there will be thousands of people who come up to me and say, "Hey, I knew that,' " Papadopoulos said after the show Sunday. "I didn't know it and I still have never heard the song. That's the way it goes."

Despite using two of his three "lifelines" -- opportunities when contestants can seek advice on a question -- Papadopoulos incorrectly answered that James Brown recorded the song. The correct answer is Chuck Berry.

It was the seventh question. Papadopoulos was eight away from the $1-million question, so he won only $1,000. He even used a lifeline to call a friend for advice. He called David Murto of Sebring.

"If you don't know and you phone a friend and he doesn't know, shoot, what are you supposed to do?" Papadopoulos said.

Still, he got further than another Tampa Bay resident, Joel Melvin of Clearwater. Melvin was selected for the pool of 10 contestants who compete for the seat at the center stage with Philbin, but he did not make it.

Papadopoulos watched the show Sunday with his family, which gathered at his home for the Greek Orthodox celebration of Easter and Papadopoulos's 40th birthday, which was Friday.

His wife, Virginia, didn't find out the outcome until Saturday night. The couple brought their 6-year-old son, Teddy, to New York where the show is taped, but minors are not allowed in the tapings, so Mrs. Papadopoulos spent the day touring the city.

Also, ABC executives ask contestants not to reveal the show's outcome.

"In my case, I have a very big mouth and I can't keep a secret, so I chose not to know," said Mrs. Papadopoulos, 36. "But it was eating me up not knowing."

Asked if she was disappointed her husband did not win $1-million, Mrs. Papadopoulos said, "I already have everything that I want. We are not millionaires, but we are fortunate that we have each other, and we have a happy family and everyone gets along and we have wonderful friends. In that respect, we are millionaires."

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