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Brush with fame....


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Ever meet someone famous... or at least, well-known?

The first person I remember meeting whose name I *recognized* was... (please don't laugh...)

Gavin McLoed

You'd know him as the captain of the Love Boat.

It was 1987, I was a junior in high school and working a summer job at a Bass shoe outlet in Wells, ME when he and his wife came in to buy some shoes. I remember having one of those "don't-I-know-you?..." feelings but knew exactly who he was when they passed me a credit card "Ah-HA!" I didn't say anything about knowing his name... but remember he wore a size 10.5D in bucs.

When I was living in Nashville I met several people who were household names. There was a couple members of the Statler Brothers, Wynonna, k.d. lang, and some others. But, as someone who really isn't into country music, it didn't really rock my world. They were all pretty nice or pretty aloof (k.d. was the worst - Wynonna wasn't much better)...

A couple of summers ago, in my little hic town in NH (which doubles in size in the summer because it's on the biggest lake in the north-east) I was getting ice cream at a local stand... There were a couple of a long-haired, heavily tatooed guys in front of me and they had *chicks* (read: lots of flesh showing)hanging on them. The guys and the gals were both wearing some serious bling-bling. They were seriously out of place in a town where denim and flannel are worn all four seasons.

After he got his strawberry double scoop, I recognized one of them as Sully of Godsmack. The others... well... they got chocolate.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I was in hawaii, my husband and i had just finished dinner, he had gone to the bathroom and i walked over to the bar and sat down, there was a gentleman sitting next to me, i glanced over and he looked like Sly Stallone,

so I say "Hey anyone ever tell u that you look like Slyvester Stallone" he says.."I am",

me I say, "No, you arent!" he says, "yes as a matter of fact I am"

and in one of more brilliant moments I say "Listen, Sylvester Stallone can pick me up, throw me over his shoulder and carry me into the sunset, and you couldn't pick up me up if you, tried!" then I see this woman walk in, and I hear out of my mouth "Oh my G-d there's Jennifer Flavin" the gentleman sitting next to me says "yea, my wife"

apparently..if sly and i are going to have a torrid event, i am doing the carrying4_13_12v.gif

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I don't know if you would call him a celebrity, but I did meet with Mexican President Vicente Fox about three years ago.

I was having dinner at a restaurant in NYC in the early 90s. Al Pacino was about two, three tables away.

My job gives me a chance to interview quite a few famous folks from time to time. Most recently, I think, was John Edwards. I was in the same room as Clay Aiken last Saturday, but didn't meet him or talk to him.

I've met Geraldo Rivera, a founding member and major donor of NAHJ, several times. I don't know how many of you know Ray Suarez from Jim Lehrer's Newshour, but he helps out at NAHJ from time to time. So does Soledad O'Brien and, of course, Maria Elena Salinas. Oh, and I knew Macarena Hernandez before she became a footnote in journalism history as the person who blew the whistle on Jayson Blair.

Interviews:

Jerry Maren, the Lollipop Guild Munchkin.

David Cassidy of the Partridge Family.

Paul Sorvino (Mira's dad, and a damn good actor).

Spike Lee.

Danny Glover.

Martin Sheen.

Rudy Giuliani.

Al Sharpton.

Jesse Jackson.

Emilio Estefan.

Jon Secada.

Herman Boone (Denzel Washington played him in Remember the Titans).

And I interviewed James "The Amazing" Randi a couple of weeks ago.

A couple of Malcolm X's children.

Those are the only ones I can think of for now, but there have been others.

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George Pataki.

Janet Reno.

Jeb Bush.

In a room with Al Gore, but no intro or interview.

In a room with Bill Clinton (twice) but no intro or interview.

In a room with George W. Bush, no intro or interview.

In a room with John Kerry, no intro or interview.

Barbara Bush (prez' mom, not his daughter): threw a question at her during a press conference.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Betty Ford. I was a WOW in D.C. and gave her my PFAL book while she was shopping in Georgetown.

I now like to joke that that's what led to the substance abuse. icon_biggrin.gif:D-->

While working for a car-rental agency, I rented a car to one of the Hudson brothers. Even then in the 70's, hardly anyone knew who they were, but he would now be known as Kate Hudson's father or uncle...right now I can't remember which one.

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I've met people, but never out in a "real life" setting... it's always been because I went to a convention or event. But I have chatted with several voice actors, sci-fi actors, and radio personalities. And I kissed James Doohan (Scotty of Star Trek)... it was the price I had to pay for taking his picture.

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When I worked at an airport, celebrities were seen very often. The airport wasn't in some big metropolis. So many celebrities...so little time:

Alec Baldwin and all his brothers, Kim Basinger, Bob Goldthwait, Richard Gere, Chyna Phillips, Cindy Crawford, All wrestlers and promoters, Nikki Cox, Sherman Hemsley, Mark Goddard, Marta Kristen, Angela Cartright, Tim Conway, Don Rickles, Russel Simmons, Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, Geddy Lee, Ted Nugget, Melissa Ethridge, Elton John, Don King, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazer, Micky Rooney, and some I've forgotten.

When I worked as a dishwasher at a dive: Tony Curtis, Paul Newman, J Geils Band and crew, VanHalen and Bertinelli.

Saw in a mall: Kirk Cameron and Chelsea Noble, Bob Dylan, Steve Tyler.

Then I have a friend in entertainment who is an autograph hound and he fills me in on inside info you can't get in tabloids, news, and anything with info about every and any celebrity you can think of. Many times it was him looking for a celeb and saying 'look, it's so-so. Experiences are better than the 'dolled up' PR you are fed.

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Funny you all should bring this up.

I just went to a small barbecue and bonfire on the beach with my friend who "discovered" that her dad, who had adopted her out as an infant was none other than "Wojohoeski" or "Wojo" from the sitcom Barney Miller. His real name is Max Gale.

Our friend wanted us to meet her Dad, and so over we came, me, the wife, and our two little boys. He was very engaging, and seemed really interested in my "regular type family". Loved my kids and spent a good deal of time teasing and talking to my boys, ages nine and twelve. They teased him back. I think he liked it that they treated him as a "regular Joe", although they knew he was a "Hollywood Guy".

He was very engaging and he liked me alot. We talked and talked and talked. We exchanged addresses and e-mail addresses, and he wants to stay in touch. He was recently in some movie like Armageddon, but I think it was called "Judgement Day".

He also has a new sitcom in the works. We talked at length about how he'd created a daughter through a one night stand, and just flat out marvels at how his daughter and grandson look so much like himself, and how they have been "living a life" totally unbeknownst to him all of these years. I think that he is really really humbled by the whole thing...

Nice guy that "Wojo"...

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As far as Hollywood types go, I met Rick Flair once, and I hit the lead singer of the band Staind (not extremely hard as I was in a mosh pit and just trying to get people away) one time.

As far as politics go, I met the governor of a state in a funny situation once, but I won't go too much into that story because it is too easily traceable to me.

Oh, and as far as Mexican famous people go, I've got a few stories but I doubt anyone here other than possibly Raf would know who they are, and even then it's not too likely. The funniest was when I was in a hotel and saw a famous Mexican pop star (I want to say Paulina Rubio, but it wasn't her, but someone similar) who I said looked like a prostitute. I also got movie tickets in a VIP theater down there (VIP theaters are basically in big recliners in stadium seating where you can order food and drinks, plus they have a special waiting room prior to the movies where you can order drinks and such) where my wife and I were the only other people in the theater besides Jorge Vergara, a famous businessman, and his two kids. I don't know if it would be a really apt comparison, but he's become sort of like a Donald Trump of Mexico.

Other than that, I might get to go meet the members of the Gypsy Kings soon, but we'll see if I have time to go or not.

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How about some gossip or signals tabloid? Sure I can't prove it so take it with a grain of salt.

When my entertainer/autograph hound friend was sitting with Marta Kristen(Lost In Space) she was speaking to him abouther daughter. Btw, I tend to shy away from celebrities, so I kind of observed from afar but close enough to hear things. When I see a celebrity my jaw drops and I freeze. Except for the wrestler's because they're all really buddies. Except for The Grave Digger or whatever his name is. He's like over 6 feet and has that 'don't f**k with me'face. Hulk Hogan can't shut-up. I drove Rick Flair to his car. Macho Man was on steroids...or drugs that sometimes mellow you other times make you forget that the bus is not the ring!

Now back to the story(yeah, I rant and blame TWI!): Marta mentions that her daughter is on a show called 3rd Rock, which my friend never heard of and that's another story. She also said she works as a make-up artist. I once saw a sitcom that had that name under Make-up Artist at the end(don't know because I was bored or something. Guess who her daughter is? Look at the mother's name and look at the daughter's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Don't believe that all celebrities actually marry! Many in Hollywood(and if you can afford it it goes on in real life, too) have 'contract marriages' and have only to appear together. See image is everything, especially in Hollywood. I came across a confirmation of this at another discussion board long ago, where someone basically admitted to doing it and describing various details. Such as:She(I assumed)had a sex life(or secrets) she didn't want known about in an intimate relationship. In other words she would never be honest. Also she loved her freedom. She talked how this was a 5 year marriage where they just made appearences and it was the greatest thing she could do. After 5 years they seperate for irreconcileable differences or whatever. Others enter 1, 3, or whatever. You can even rent-a-family. Although she didn't say specifically what she did, she said she was part of that Hollywood circuit! Note: If you want me to link to the discussion boards you have to give me awhile because they are buried at that site and involve 2 different threads. Then you can judge for yourself...so stay tuned

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Peace be to TWI! I think in my day we still adressed the blessed name as The Way Ministry, but hey, if I only had a brain! confused.gifWhile I was still a WOW, we had a big shindig in Philadelphia. We were at the Sheraton next to porn shops, hookers, drug addicts, and such. The protesters were out in force yelling through their megaphones early in the morning. "What are they yelling?" I asked. "Damned if I know. We're on the 18th floor!" said my roommate.

In a greasy spoon or dive, me and another cool WOW were sitting getting something to eat. When a gentleman walks in. My friend looks and says, "Is that Chuck Berry?" "Ahh don know!" I replied with a mouth full of food. He goes up and asks him. He denied it and said that others make the same mistake. My opinion: It was. The guy did look like him and was dressed better than Weirwille at this Philly gig.

Timeline:USA hockey team won gold at the olympics because all the revs and mrs' ranted and raved about it. Funny(believer kinda thing): When the lights failed during Weirwille's sermon, he remarked that he should take out his gun and shoot it, or something to that affect, but like trained seals, we ate it up!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Circa 1992 When Alec Baldwin called a rent a car company to confirm his reservation, he asked if he could have the car on the tarmac near the plane. Sorry, that was a security no-no back then, too. As he went to the counter, wife Kim looked like a statuesque goddess. She was gorgeous. A sister got married and the entire family and their dates/spouses came in. That's where I saw Chyna Philips. Richard came with Cindi. And there were models(trust me) arriving presumably to the wedding. I know the photographer so got other tidbits.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I worked in a greasy spoon, known as a dive, people would come in and all faces looked alike at 3am when you are the only one busting your hump. So a waitress asks who a certain person looks like. I look and say John Wayne. He was old and gray(I should talk now)but he had a wide brim hat and was dressed to the nines. I mean his shoes shined and well you can tell he was rich. The waitress kept insisting that he was an 'I can't place you celebrity'. Eventually the gentleman was leaving and said if she promised not to look until he was in the cab, he'd sign the bill with his name. OK...Tony Curtis strikes again sign Tony Curtis. The dude looked like John Wayne(bless be his soul) Prayer to John Wayne by Anonymous. Hey, John, you kicked everybodys foot on earth. How about kicking VP Weirwille's. Me and 100000 are pulling for you. We know you can do it! Sanctify his name(bronx raspberry)

This has been Tabloid entertainment and is submitted for those purposes. The truth you heard you may choose to deny, and if you choose not to decide you still have made a choice!

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Johnny Carson almost ran me as I entered a crosswalk in Burbank.

I rode an elevator with Garry Owens (from Laughin)

I knew a guy that peed in the urinal next to George Harrison at Warner Bros Records.

Robin Williams came up to me at the Improv in LA once shaking my hand and asking how I was doing. (Obviously thought I was someone else)

I gave Al Jarreau a ride once.

I had to pick up Parker Stevenson's Jaguar once.

I interviewed Melanie(when her hit brand new key was hot)

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I went to school with Robert Smiegel (Triumph the insult dog), we used to eat lunch,sing songs

and draw comics.

Steve Buscemi came to my pawn shop to find a set for a Sopranos episode, he didn't use my store, but he bought me a drink.

I met Tony Bennett in Atlantic City, Sharon some how managed to get him to buy us dinner.

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