An Encounter with Celebrity & BOTB results

The Question of the Month

The Question of the Month is hosted by Michael G D'Agostino from A Life Examined. The first Monday of each month I answer a question posed by Michael prior to event day. Click on the link to his blog for more participants. 

Here is the question for March:

“Have you ever met an idol/influence/someone you really admire? How did it go?”

       Over the years,  having worked extensively in the world of show business, I've met many widely known celebrities as well as niche celebrities who were notable mostly to a specific group of people.  I've never been one to be overly wowed by the concept of celebrity so I've often tended to avoid too much interaction with well known people.  Also, along with being innately shy, I often feel awkward when given an opportunity to make contact with a celebrity in that I don't want to bother them.

       If there were a purpose in a celebrity wanting to meet with me then that would be one thing.  But for me to reach out for little other purpose than to meet a celebrity in passing or have a photo op or anything of that nature, that's something I'd be likely not to do.

On Time (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

       One of my biggest celebrity encounters (read more about it here) was with rock star Mark Farner.   For those not in touch with the giants of the 1970's rock scene, Farner was lead singer and guitarist for the hugely popular group Grand Funk Railroad.  The meeting happened because I promoted a concert in 1988 with Farner and his band as the headline act.  Of course I met him!  And what a nice guy he was.  

        Farner was working as a solo artist at the time I hired him and his band.  He had embarked upon a new career as a contemporary Christian artist and was successful in that field of music as well, though nowhere like he was with Grand Funk.  He and I had dinner together the night of the show and it was a great time of discussion between us.  I was impressed by his humility and gentle demeanor.  I wish we could have had longer to visit that evening, but he had a set to perform and I had a concert to oversee.   Farner closed the show with a powerful line-up of songs.   His fans, including me, were not disappointed that night.

          After the crowds had gone and the equipment was loaded, Farner said his farewell to me and climbed aboard the tour bus with his band to depart that night.   The meeting was a memorable one for me and my time together with Mark Farner left me with a very favorable impression of a man who had been a rock icon and still wielded the legacy that is his part of music history.

Battle of the Bands Results

       My most recent Battle was centered around the Leonard Cohen song The Future.  Before going in I had sensed that this might be a tough call as Cohen's songs are not always appreciated by everyone.  This song in particular is bleak and strange, but it's song that I happen to like a great deal.

       Either contestant was fine by me.   I thought the driving version presented by the Beggars was outstanding, but I also enjoyed the quirky version done by Glittering Kingdom.   I found myself listening to both versions repeatedly over the past few weeks, enjoying each one for its own merits--I felt the versions both had merit.

        In the end though my preference leaned more toward Glittering Kingdom.  For one thing I thought the live outdoor performance recording was excellent.  It would have been executed in a far more polished fashion if done in the studio, but the way it was done in the video was far more impressive to me.  The ladies are unique and talented.    With a nod of appreciation to Beggars, my vote goes to Glittering Kingdom.

Final Vote Tally:

Beggars                         22

Glittering Kingdom      14

Something Big Ahead!

          My next Battle will be the start of series of Battles related to my Blogging from A to Z April Challenge theme.   On March 15th I will be introducing my April theme with an appropriately themed music Battle.  Later, in April, I will have two more Battles also related to my A to Z theme.  I'll provide more details and the story behind the theme in my March 15th post.  If you haven't signed up for the April event you might want to reconsider if you've decided against doing it.  If you don't know what I'm talking about please visit The A to Z Blog for more information.

         There will be more between now and my next Battle--maybe a bit of controversy along with a lighter post with a musical theme.  Nothing has been written yet so I can't tell you exactly what will happen, but I think something will happen.  And if it doesn't then just be here for my next Battle of the Bands post on March 15th.  

          Were you a fan of Grand Funk Railroad?    Are you a Leonard Cohen fan?   Do you dread when someone uses a Cohen song for a BOTB post?

Brief Brushes With Fame

          By request, I am going to elaborate on something mentioned in passing on my blog about my Honest Scrap Award answers.   As a recipient of this award I was supposed reveal ten honest things about myself.  I don't know that the things I revealed particularly revealed much about my character, but some of you requested more details about some of the things I did reveal and in doing so I guess I will be revealing something more about who I am and who I have been.

          One of the things that I revealed in that post was the following:

        5. In 1978 in Huntington, WV, I ate dinner with Rudy Vallee 
     
      Today's post will look at the incident to which I referred.

          In 1978, my wife at that time and I had joined up with a touring theater production.  We were traveling with our young son who had been born the year before.  It was a busy schedule playing one night engagements with shows scheduled almost daily.  We were young and a bit crazy on tour with others of similar age and craziness.  We all took our job on the show seriously, but always looked forward to some partying back at the hotel after the work was done.  Most days had a similar schedule:  travel in the morning, some down time in the afternoon, start setting up the show around four o'clock with the show at about seven, and afterwards it was party time.

          After the first couple of months on the road, the tour was set up so that we were scheduled to meet up with the show's owner, a well known entertainer and businessman, at Huntington, WV, where he was producing a show at an old vaudeville era theatre that had been restored.  He had assembled some top notch variety acts and had booked Rudy Vallee as the headliner.  The cast members of our show where to assist in the production in various ways.

         This break in our touring schedule was not particularly welcome to me as I enjoyed the routine of our show, but we were obligated to be there since it was our boss that ordered us to be there.  The man who owned the show had known me from an earlier time when I had worked in my family's juggling act and usually invited me to accompany him on special occasions since he considered me to be part of his "inner circle".  After the show in Huntington,  he invited my wife and I, along with our tour managers, to accompany him to dinner with Rudy Vallee.  Once again, I did not feel like his invitation was one that I could turn down--I felt like it was part of my job and I had to go.  Reluctantly we joined them while our friends from the show were back at the room partying and we could hardly wait to get back there with them.

         I had certainly known who Rudy Vallee was because I had grown up hearing his name. He was a iconic figure who was often imitated on TV and in cartoons.  I had seen him on television shows and in old movies.  But at this time I could have cared less because he didn't mean that much to me.  I was not a fan and he just seemed like some old man who was essentially a has been.  Now, after the fact, I regret my attitude at that time.  Rudy Vallee is a legendary figure of twentieth century entertainment.

Rudy Vallee was a multitalented bandleader, singer, musician and actor.

         Having grown up in the entertainment business I often was around many people who had varying degrees of fame.  I really didn't think about them because I was preoccupied with being a kid and wasn't that interested in older people I didn't know.  The concept of famous people really didn't impress me because I guess I felt like I was famous in my own endeavors or at least on the road to fame.  Legend, schmegend is the way I looked at things in the self-centeredness of my youth.

          Now I wish I had been more attentive to Mr. Vallee. The man had once been a huge star and an idol of millions.   He actually seemed like a very nice man and probably had a wealth of wonderful stories to tell.  I know now my boss was treating us to a unique situation of which we did not recognize the value at the time.  I wish I would asked Rudy Vallee questions about some of his experiences in show business and about some of the famous people he had known, and listened to some his anecdotes.

        Sometimes when we are younger, we are so wrapped up in the here and now that we don't take advantage of the circumstances that can be treasures in our future.  A smug know-it-all attitude is a hindrance to learning.  I have learned this over the years, but unfortunately too late in regard to some of the rich opportunities that I have had.  As is often said, "If only I knew then what I know now".  This is such a true aphorism that is invariably spoken with wistfulness.

          Next Wednesday I'll talk about some similar situations that I have had, so I hope you'll check back for that.   Have you had a brush with fame that you wished you had taken more advantage of?   Are you impressed by meeting famous people?    Who is somebody that you wish you could have dinner with?

          Here's an addendum to my post:  On her blog, Corra McFeydon is addressing a question to the women (although I guess men could answer as well).  This is in response to my earlier protest to her review of BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY--      you might want to go over and add your opinion.