Over the years, Joan Rivers has been a guest on my show at least eight times. Yes, she sometimes said outrageous things, but what I remember best is just how funny she was no matter what we were talking about. And how well informed she was (which came in handy when she subbed for me as a guest host earlier this year). And at 81, she remained as quick and as sharp as ever.

In talking about her, most people have focused on her celebrity put-downs, but some of my fondest memories—other than her incredibly quick wit—were of stories she told about her years in show business. One particularly memorable one was about how she and Barbra Streisand had appeared as lesbian lovers in an off-Broadway show when they were just beginning their acting careers. Many years later, she told me, they bumped into each other at a Hollywood party and Streisand asked, “You still in the business?”                                                   

Joan often said things others were thinking, but were afraid to say out loud. I have no idea why some people got more upset with her than when others—like Howard Stern and Don Rickles—did it.

She was always a welcome guest on our show and I already miss her greatly.