Today’s column will be an experiment for me to see how many people read on Sunday. My good friend Mikki brought up an interesting thought on the message board, “Stories.” Let’s see how many interesting stories appear on the message board. Please post on the message board your story of a brush with someone famous. You know, a musician, actor, sports figure, etc…
This fascinates me because of the culture shock I came upon when I experienced The Father’s Day Festival. Coming from playing bars all of my life, staying out until 3 A.M., driving home in the fog & rain. Going to my fill of concerts and never once meeting the “Star” of the show. Not once! Even when I opened for them.
My very first Father’s Day Festival, I volunteered as a “stage sleeper.” Oh yea, this was the gig for me. Sleep on the stage two nights, run rampant during the day. My new bluegrass Journey was underway, being able to see the operations of the festival at full throttle. Being new to this environment, I didn’t want to abuse my privilege of having a back stage pass. But I would have to report to my assignment one set prior to the end of the night. One of my fond remembrances from back stage was when The Anderson Family Kids sang a song to Del McCoury. I’m sure this can be found on youtube someplace. I don’t claim any on screen credits, oh no. I was well out of the way, back behind one of the flaps. But what an experience to see this.
The point being that, at the Bluegrass Festivals, the opening acts through to the headliner’s all show up at the record table selling cd’s, hats & mugs. Mostly pressing the flesh with every person in line waiting patiently just to talk with these amazing musician’s. Watching this at each festival that I’ve attended, has really warmed me up. No matter how good, how slick of a musician they are, there they are talking with just anybody that walks up. How cool is that?
I digress. I’m sure that we have all met our hero’s at that Father’s Day Festival. I’m talking about that accidental bump, up against someone with such fame. That it’s just mind boggling!
Well, in my youth, just prior to turning thirty. I decided to go “find” myself working at a ski resort for two season’s, while the construction industry was in slow motion. I had one of those special customer service jobs, parking cars at a ski resort. Oh this was an exciting job. Really I was hired as a shuttle bus driver. Before the upper parking lot was full, I’d get a flatbed truck warmed up ready to roll down the boulevard. Picking up customer’s and dropping them off at the ticket booth.
I had two situations while working at this ski resort. As the flow of traffic slowed down, coming into the parking lot. The outflow of traffic would pickup, from mid-day on into the afternoon, going out of the resort. I’m telling you, he denied it, he denied it, he denied it! But I really did have Rod Stewart on the back of my truck. Everybody riding on the back of the truck with him was in shock! But really, it was him.
Also one afternoon when things were sort of slow. I noticed a young lady over in-between two of the resort’s buildings. Sort of an unusual place for a skier to just be standing around. Most skier’s will be all bundled up on a cold day. But this was in the afternoon and it wasn’t all that cold. So as a customer representative of the resort, being one of the parking lot attendants, I decided to go over and ask this young lady if she was in need of any assistance. I was single in those days, so I thought, what the heck. Might as well talk to the pretty girls too. She seemed ever so proper and polite. As I approached her, she pulled out her mace and down on the ground I went! Ha! Just checking to see if you were awake. I asked her if she needed anything. She kindly informed me that she was waiting for a ride to pick her up. She thanked me for asking and I went on my way. So I stumbled back into the Parking Lot Shack where all of the outside employees would go to get warm. Of course, they were all hanging their head’s out of the window and doorway as I went over to speak with this nice young lady. As I come up the steps to the shack, these guys were hitting me, pushing me around, just giving me the raspberries. Do you know who you were talking to? Do yo know who that was? Who are you to go over there and talk with her? That is Olivia Newton-John! I looked back and said to them, “Yea, I guess she is Olivia Newton-John, so what!”
Well, as my Dad would say, “No matter how big they are, they still pull their pants on one leg at a time.” With that said, please tell us your story of bumping into someone famous.
Thanks for Listening
Bruce
