FROM THE ARCHIVES: Joan Rivers (2000) interview with Darren Paltrowitz

Joan Rivers was an innovative comedian, actress, television host, entrepreneur and author whose career first took off in the mid-1950s, remaining at a high level internationally through her untimely passing in 2014. Somewhere around 2000 or 2001, I had the opportunity to speak with Joan by phone in advance of an appearance at Long Island, New York's Westbury Music Fair. We spoke about her various projects of the moment, career aspirations and plenty more.

Were my interviewer skills as an 18 or 19-year-old great? Nope.

Did the phone call drop mid-interview on my end? Yes.

And did I evade journalistic integrity and ask her to tape a voicemail greeting for me? I sure did.

But Joan Rivers was indeed patient with me, and it was an honor to speak with the iconic performer prior to her mainstream resurgence via the documentary "A Piece Of Work," as released in 2010.