Your stories of an encounter with a celebrity who unexpectedly enters your world.
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On a small LAN Chile flight from Santiago to Arica, for someone slightly nervous about flying, really the only two things on one's mind are: Where would be the worst place in this incredibly dry desert to crash an airplane? And: Would it be worse to crash or to bear the incredible panic attack I will most likely have when the turbulence begins? As I boarded the plane that … Read more »
I was waiting for a plane to Buffalo, New York. He was standing in a circular area where the escalators ran into and out of the tiled floor. He was waiting and watching for someone. People were moving around him, parting around him, flowing around him. Many passed by without a glance. Somebody stopped and said something to him. He continued to wait and watch. Finally, he said something in … Read more »
So my sister and I and my boyfriend at the time were in a Peabody Hotel elevator in Memphis when my sister decided to hit every elevator button on the way down. We were stopping at every floor, and on the 12th in walked Robert Plant.
I froze up for a minute and then said, "You look familiar—are you in a band?" He said, "Yes, I play with Lawrence Welk," at … Read more »
I must be clear: I'm a Dennis fan—saw him do stand-up in college, bought a few of his shows on CD, and have even tried to quote him when his intellectual sarcasm seemed to fit. I'm one of the scant few who liked his tenure on Monday Night Football.
I have not one but two Dennis Miller encounters, both in Santa Barbara, California, where I think he still lives … Read more »
Working as a waiter for ten years, I had met a few celebrities—none more memorable than Eddie Mekka, the Big Ragoo of Laverne and Shirley fame. He was working dinner theater at our hotel, and I happened to serve him almost every day.
You get to know people pretty quickly. He found out from someone that our wedding anniversary was fast approaching, and I remember him asking me what my wife … Read more »
It was 20 years ago. We were working the day shift out of Homicide downtown....Oops!
It was 20 years ago. I was working the night shift at a convention center in Texas, in charge of dinner for 2,000 7-Eleven employees at their annual rah-rah Christmas party. Guest speaker: Jerry Lewis. The banquet was set up with a stage on the west end of the room. There were any number of ways … Read more »
Milwaukee, July 1989. My dad, mom, and I were staying at Milwaukee’s nicest hotel, the Pfister, in search of Minnesota Twins. We were baseball nuts. Our yearly vacations took us to Major League Midwestern ballparks. We always stayed in the same hotel as the Twins, and Dad and I collected autographs. I rode in elevators with Kirby Puckett, Kent Hrbek, Frank Viola. But they are not the celebrities of this … Read more »
In high school, I worked part-time at a miniature-golf course on La Cienega Boulevard in West Los Angeles. One winter evening, an aspiring young actress named Kim Novak, accompanied by the Ritz Brothers, arrived. Without question, the most beautiful woman I had ever seen close up.
We had indoor Ping-Pong tables and mechanical coin-operated games available. Ms. Novak wanted to play Ping-Pong but couldn’t get either of the men … Read more »
In 1995, I was in Chicago visiting a friend's child who was dying from cancer. While I was in town, I stopped in at Steppenwolf to see Buried Child, which was directed by Gary Sinise.
The next day, I'm in the airport, and Gary Sinise sits next to me in the waiting area. I get him to sign my program. We talk about the play, and we board the plane. When … Read more »
Is there a name for a brush with fame in the distant past? Would you call it an antique brush, or a vintage brush, or maybe just a piece of history? What if the encounter is through telephone wires? This is how an ordinary response to the ringing of the phone left an indelible impression on the auditory cortex of my brain that has stayed fresh for 42 years.
In … Read more »
I spent the last seven years in Virginia, a heart's beat off the Appalachian Trail, where "Dave Stories" are standard fare. I'd hear a friend let on in a casual tone that her best friend from elementary school just happened to be related to Dave Matthews, and so she'd seen him on many occasions; I'd listen to people debating where, exactly, his hometown is—is he a South African or an … Read more »
"Hey, Bob."
"Hello, how are you?"
"Care for a toke?"
"Sure. We're about to go on. Where are you from?"
"Maine—same as the weed."
"Great, thanks. Catch ya 'round."
"See ya later, Bob. Thank you for all the music!"
A brush with the famous singer Toni Braxton made my wedding day extra special.
I live in Houston, and decided to have a destination wedding in Las Vegas. I have always wanted to get married in fabulous Las Vegas.
I selected the Little Church of the West for our ceremony because of the history that chapel holds. It was built in 1943, is quaint and romantic, has rustic charm, many celebrities wed … Read more »
A most memorable day in my life involving a brush with fame started as a very ordinary Sunday at Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston. Now, this story happened in February of 1993. That was before Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell became the spiritual adviser to President Bush and was suddenly thrust into the national spotlight.
Houston has nice weather the majority of the time, and this particular day was no different. … Read more »
The stunning black woman at the next table at the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association dinner was unmistakably Lieutenant Uhura of the starship Enterprise. I never recognize celebrities (except Joe DiMaggio once, on the street in Los Angeles), but Nichelle Nichols I know.
At the SCIBA convention, writers change tables between courses, so as to push one's book to the maximum number of mom-and-pop bookstore owners. When we changed tables … Read more »
I was so lucky to be in the right town on the right day. A doctor's appointment in St. Louis allowed me to be present for a book signing by—yes, sigh—Emeril Lagasse.
I waited for hours—he was so sweet and encouraging to the children among the throngs of people wanting to speak to him. He had a wonderfully kind and nice aura.
To my embarrassment, I lost most of my higher … Read more »
It was getting late, almost 3:00 a.m. Cody and I were still hard at work editing. Our workspace was an old school bus that had been converted into a mobile studio with room enough for three workstations. We were parked in a dark alley just east of Abbot-Kinney Boulevard in Venice Beach, California.
"Hey, Tao's back," Cody said.
"Huh. He doesn't usually drop by this late."
Tao was our boss, sort of, and … Read more »
I was eating with friends at Chaya Venice. As I came inside after a cigarette, I held the door open and let an older couple exit. I entered and looked back through the etched glass to the street. I turned forward, eyes looking down. All I saw were brown shoes and the cuffs of crisp slacks.
Startled, I stopped, gasped, and shuffled to the side. My eyes followed the pleat up … Read more »
It was my 16th birthday, and I stood in a Philadelphia alley with my middle-aged mother and aunt waiting for Patti Scialfa (known mostly for being Bruce Springsteen's wife) to come out to her tour bus. I was not thrilled to be spending my 16th birthday at a Patti Scialfa concert.
My aunt was looking for Patti, most likely so she could put a curse on her that would cause her … Read more »
Back in 2002, I was at my favorite watering hole, The Yale/—a famous blues club in Vancouver, Canada—when Jim Belushi walked in. He was standing behind the bar across from me, waiting to do a few numbers with the band, so I struck up a conversation with him.
He was in town for the filming of K-9: P.I., and coincidently he had been walking his dog that afternoon in … Read more »
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