Brush With Fame
Have you
ever met a famous person? Had an
encounter with a celebrity? If you did,
were you all goose-bumpy about the encounter?
Fame is
funny. What makes a person famous, what
makes them special? This cranky old man may not be famous or special, but I have had encounters with celebrities. Why I am practically a celebrity myself just
from these personal contacts with fame.
On my fifth
birthday, I got a radio acknowledgement from the Uncle Bobo show!
Not
impressed. OK I understand…How about:
At the age
of eleven I got a personally autographed copy of the “Mickey Mantle Story” by…that’s
right, The Mick himself!
That book
was stolen in the dead of night by FREDDY DERODA!! The little prick…but no, I
do not hold grudges.
Not
impressed? OK.
In high
school, I played football against Vic Washington, a future all-pro running back
with the SF 49er’s. I almost even
tackled him once…well I got an arm on him anyway…slowed him down a bit.
No big
deal? OK.
In college the president of my fraternity was a member of the rock group “The Cyrcle.” He quit to become a surgeon before the hit single
“Red Rubber Ball” but still…
Yeah, so? OK, I get it.
In college several of my friends and I got in a fight with some local Easton, Pa. kids. I’m pretty sure I got punched in the belly
and almost knocked out by future heavyweight champion of the world Larry Homes!
Well he may just have been a
big black kid from Easton named Larry, but I’m pretty sure it was Larry Homes.
Not impressed?
Not impressed?
OK, how
about this…I was once asked for directions in downtown NYC from Helen Gurley
Brown, the editor of Cosmopolitan and author of “Sex and the Single Girl.”
Well I
though it was a big deal.
In NYC, I
once bumped into Curtis Sliwa. What? The founder of the “Guardian Angles” in NYC…later
a radio personality…never heard of him? OK.
My son played
baseball with Tim Howard’s brother. The US
soccer goalie…star in several World Cups?
I once bought him a hot dog.
OK, not a
big deal.
Wait…Ever
heard of Melissa Gorga from “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” TV fame?
Melissa and Cranky
If that is not
a brush with fame, I don’t know what is!
Anyone else
have a brush with fame to top that of this Cranky Old Man?
I can't top that! And a picture, too! My best brush with fame was when Jim Hart, quarterback of the St. Louis Cardinals, stopped at my childhood home to ask directions to an upholstery business. Strange but true. I've heard of "The Cyrcle" and "Red Rubber Ball." But it might have been related to a conspiracy theory...
ReplyDeleteProbably doesn't top you and Melissa Gorga, but I met the singer/actor Jon English after his comedy stage production of The Mikado and got his autograph too, on my program which then got thrown out accidentally with a pile of other stuff. Years before that there was an Australian singer whose name I can't quite recall, that was out of action for a while and turned up one night, crippled and unable to stand very long, at a Christmas dinner held by whatever military people my hubby was working for at the time, and when he took a break, the singer that is, he sat on the edge of the stage and I got his autograph on a table napkin which I think I still have somewhere. I remember now his name was Ross D. Wylie. Not world-wide famous. I've also seen several celebrities walking around in Adelaide city although haven't actually met them. Sammy Davis Jnr was one and another male actor, I don't remember his name, wandering down our Rundle Mall eating ice cream.
ReplyDeleteMy brush with fame may not top yours, but it is about a great star of cinema and TV from years gone by.
ReplyDeleteYears ago I went to the hairdresser and asked him for a Tony Curtis hairstyle. He shaved my head totally bald. I was livid. Really mad. "You've shaved me totally bald," I cried, "do you even know who Tony Curtis is?"
"Indeed I do," he replied, "I saw him in The King And I fifteen times."
God bless.
I was thinking of doing a similar post, but most of it would be my husband's brush with fame. I still get a kick out of you and Melissa Gorga!!
ReplyDeleteWow, a real Housewife! You look pretty happy there, Joe. :) I was thinking of doing a similar post too, in 1990 a girl I was dating, her mom was a big Heinz executive and gave us tickets to see a big play on its way to Broadway ("Cat on a Hot Tin Roof"). But the tickets included a dinner with the cast & 9 other couples after the show (the cast's 'thank you' for their generous benefactors, Lisa & I were going on behalf of Heinz Foods). We got to have a lare supper with Kathleen Turner, Charles Durning & Polly Holiday (Flo from 'Alice'). It was an amazing evening, I'll never forget it :)
ReplyDeleteYou win! Great picture of you and Melissa! Years ago before the events that happened in 1994, I saw O.J. Simpson driving a car in La Jolla, California. Saw Dustin Hoffman in the hospital where I worked when he was coming to see his mom. That's about my brush with fame :)
ReplyDeletebetty
Cool picture. Think you have me way out done by pure numbers. I was disappointed when having lunch with Jackie Gleason and that arrogant golfer guy but my favorite was meeting Perry Como who was just a prince of a man. You win.
ReplyDeleteBig Bird and Mother Theresa, but not at the same time.
ReplyDeleteMy brushes with fame is confined to meeting a few powerful people - not a film star in sight.
ReplyDeleteNope, only local celebrities. You are a celebrity to me, i celebrate reading your blog!
ReplyDeleteThe only celebrity I've ever met was Diana Gabaldon (of Outlander fame, you know, the books). I went to a book signing ~ here in Albuquerque!! She was, and from what I can tell, still is a very down home person.
ReplyDeleteNope, Nada, I need to get out more. Love the pic though!
ReplyDeleteI’ve heard of most of the celebs. My senior home room teacher was married to Ivy Paul Andrews who pitched for the Yankees.
ReplyDeleteShe had all kinds of memorabilia. Signed baseballs, cards, and pictures. She had. Bat signed by Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron.
wow i am impressed with list of all celebrity you met with :)))
ReplyDeleteyes i know this lovely lady from tv and thank you for sharing image ,i saw you first time :)
i used to go with my sister when she would go for her dramas shooting or was invited in such events where celebrities from media were present
okay believe me or not i never ever rise up or went near any for autograph because i thought it was not necessary I don't know why but i did)
so being as boring is irritating or not ?
It's interesting. In Michigan the brushes with fame were musicians and pro athletes, in Idaho it's the movie stars. - My fave in Michigan would be meeting Bob Seger and my fave in Idaho would be meeting Clint Eastwood.
ReplyDelete