I let you know all kinds of stuff about me here on my blog. You know that I redid my whole house a few years ago, you know I have chickens, you even know when I have a yeast or bladder infection and what I do about it.
You know I've made my living as a television host and writer. I've let you know all this.
I'm a sharer. That's what I am. Except food. I *hate* to share my food. Do NOT take a fry from my plate or I'll pluck your eyeball out and shove it up your nostril.
However, no matter how much I share, there will always be things you don't know about me.
Take a listen to this little diddy by The Four Horsemen from the early 90's. If you listen veryyyyy closely at the veryyyyy end of the track ... there I be. Clapping and (in an effort to distinguish myself from the other clappers) whistling. Yup. I'm a whistling fool. Go ahead ... give it a listen.
Now, I realize that it's very difficult to prove that the clapping and whistling is me, so you'll just have to believe me. For one thing if I was going to make something like this up, I'd probably pick a more popular song to attach myself to. Like "Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road". Although, looking back on it, this was the most popular song The Four Horsemen probably ever recorded. The song was recorded in a studio in Hollywood and I happened to be there at the time. The producer needed a bunch of people clapping at the end of the song, so we all stood around and clapped. (with me improvising a little with my whistle)
At one point, many, many years ago when I used to be ... well ... fun, I spent a bit of time in Hollywood with my friend and her fiancé. He was the lead singer in a band that was popular at the time. The band was called The Cult and the singer was Ian Astbury. You may have heard of them. Or not.
I haven't seen or spoken with Ian in years, but I'm still friends with his fiancé. She's the one who does my hair actually! She did his too back in the day. That's why Ian Astbury always had beautiful, flowing, shiny black hair. Because of Renee.
During that trip to Los Angeles I can't even begin to tell you the amount of people I met and went to dinner with and saw in concert. Lemme tell ya, you see a whole different Hollywood when you're there with a rock star. I have it all written down somewhere because I knew I'd probably forget half of who I saw/met later. And I have. Elton John is one I remember. He was sitting on a bench in gymnasium type seating at a party for a band I can't remember. He looked sad.
It was an experience I'm kind of shocked my mother let me take. I was youngish at the time and I'd really just met Ian and Renee. Mind you, this is the same mother who shoved me off to New York City when I was 16 with a friend. I didn't want to go ... she pushed me. So the two of us, 16 years old and stupid, boarded a plane and headed to the Big Apple. It was THERE that I saw a true icon.
I've met countless celebrities through my job. I was an entertainment reporter for 3 years and interviewed a plethora of bands and actors. None of them thrilled me like this random encounter.
My friend and I were in the store Fiorucci with her cousin, an artist ... and there standing over to the right of the store was Andy Warhol. The cousin screamed, I swore because I wasn't wearing my glasses and couldn't see him well and my friend ... she asked who Andy Warhol was. A year later Andy Warhol was dead.
So as we head into this weekend I thought I'd ask "Have you had a brush with celebrity?" And did they give you a yeast infection?
Have a good weekend everyone! Menu posted tomorrow, see you on Monday.
ra
My hubby is a photographer and has been friends with many undergroundish rock bands. Because of this, we rode in a van in Santa Cruz down to the boardwalk with Fantomas. This might make some girls pee their pants, but not so much me, I was sitting across from Mike Patton. And yes, he is really that spazzy, all the time, it seems. Oh yeah, also Dave Lombardo, you know, from Slayer, was in the back with his super blonde, big-breasted lady friend. And this other guy some may have heard of, King Buzzo, aptly named. Lastly, Trevor Dunn, but sadly nobody pees for him ;)
gloria
I hate professional wrestling. So it was really weird when I found out one of my Tampa childhood classmates (Terry Bollea) had grown up to be Hulk Hogan. We lived in the same neighborhood and were in the same classes all through school. You just never know.
And in an unrelated brush with celebrity, boarding a plane for London in 1972, I was asked if I was with the James Taylor party which was also boarding. Must have been my hippie outfit and the guitar case. But duh, I said no. He and his entourage were wisked off to 1st class while we were ushered practically back to the luggage department.
AmieM
YOU WENT TO SCHOOL WITH HULK HOGAN!! AWESOME!
Claudine
Oh, and Karen, nice whistling!
Janelle
K.D. Lang accidentally spilled a drink on my Dad on an airplane once, on account of violent turbulence. He was thrilled; she was very apologetic and bought him a drink!
I dont' really have my own...unless fantasies about being trapped in an elevator with Clooney count.
Trysha
Elisa from season 4 Project Runway almost ran me over with her cart in Target in Santa Fe.
I was about 4 months pregnant and she came around the corner and I didn't realize it was her. My husband is the one who pointed out it was Elisa and told another woman was trying to see if it was her. My husband, who obviously loves me very much, stalked her in the store so I could get a picture.
I guess the best part was that my husband knew who she was. And all that time I thought he was only watching because of Heidi. He even remembered the clothes she made.
Claudine
At a small Mexican restaurant in LA, Rob Lowe was ahead of my son and I, by a several people. Most were getting take out, but the place was full, and when we looked for a place to sit down, the only table was next to Rob Lowe's. I smiled at him as we sat down, but my son acts and I know enough to let celebrities have their space, so we just talked together, essentially ignoring him.
But as he finished eating and stood up to leave, a busboy walked over to the table and said "Hey, I know you from something. Who are you?" We couldn't help watching this unfortunate interchange. He replied, "I'm Rob Lowe." The busboy then said, "Well, what have you been in?" and was told "St. Elmo's Fire?" The busboy said he hadn't seen it, and asked what else. "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me?" Busboy, "Oh, I guess that was it" and walked away.
I think my mouth was hanging open from shock at the way this boob was behaving. I know my son's was. As Rob left, he put his hand on Josh's shoulder, smiled, and said "Thanks for letting me enjoy my lunch."
I'm sure he wouldn't have interacted with us, if there hadn't been such an obvious difference in how we treated him.
carey
Ian Astbury? Are you effing kidding me? Love the Cult and Ian! I have a whole new appreciation for everything Karen now. Oh, btw, did you see him perform with the Doors a few years ago? He was amazing! (wait, is that you clapping in the background?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ-FS0htyxo
KEL
Four years ago my husband & I were in NYC - we walked right past Tony Bennett in manhattan. I stopped dead in my tracks and looked, horrified, at my husband. "I thought Tony Bennett was dead!!". Oops... Apparently he's alive and well ;)
Cindy
I took an elevator in my friend's apartment building in Honolulu with Pat Morita of The Karate Kid. I didn't let on that I recognized him, because he looked like he'd rather avoid the 'fan' thing.
NotRealName
In 1998, Hubby and I were Jackson Square,New Orleans, eating Ben & Jerry's (he had the Wavy Gravy. When they stopped making it, he died a little). It was consolation for Hurricane Mitch ruining our plans for VooDoo Fest. Off to our right, there's a disturbance in the Force. Hubby says, "Look at this dude. Who does he think he is?" It was Lenny Kravitz, headliner for the festival, with his entourage and a wake of hysterical fans. He passed three feet behind us with some drunken white guy screaming, "DUDE, YOU'RE F'IN' AWESOME! I GOTTA SHAKE YOUR HAND!" Lenny obliged. Then, white guy screamed, "YOU'RE THE SH!#, MAH N!@@AH!"
Yup, The 'N' word. You never heard such a deafening silence in a busy city street. Lenny was totally classy about it. Just smiled and waved and kept on walking.
Valerie
The true "clapper's" challenge:
Obtain the "UNSQUARE DANCE" by Dave Brubeck. Start it from the beginning.
See if you can clap, without hesitation or mistakes in rhythm RIGHT to the very end.
Amber
I can, and I have. But, I'm a percussionist, so I have an unfair advantage.
Doug
This morning, I was in the same jury pool as (former NY governor, better known as Client #9) Eliot Spitzer. He did not give me a yeast infection, but I would think twice about sitting in that seat.
Meanwhile, my wife was meeting Paul McCartney. She said he was a doll.
Cora
I don't have any good stories ... or even any stories at all because I'm boring. But my aunt went to a funeral for a guy she'd known and he'd been Phil Collins's roadie or something. There was a bar, she was making a drink (no bartender) and Collins asked for a drink. She mixed it, handed it to him, told him she wasn't the bartender. He took a drink of it and said "Yeah, you aren't."
Julianna
I'm mostly certain I had a mutual stalking with who I think was Steven Weber ('Wings') off the center of the square in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Eveytime I turned around to look for him, he was there. Something he was wearing was Orange (shirt?Hat?) and every time I see him on tv (which, granted, doesn't happen all that often), it reminds me of the color. That may or may not have happened sometime in the mid 1990s. I mean, I think it happened.
Pati
And I even went to the ashtray where he stubbed out his cigarette and STOLE HIS CIGERETTE BUTT !!! He smoked Vantage in case anyone's interested. LMBO !
Pati
That's for REAL,Karen !! I found out he had a flat on the cab they took to L.A. thru the National Enquirer !!! LOLOL !!
misskher
I regularly interact with Karen effing Bertelsen on Twitter! Seriously, I remember you from the Springer days and from MMM!
Karen
Yup. That's the time period when people followed me into bathrooms and popped out of my front bushes to take pictures. ~ karen
Pati
I was in the San Diego airport back in '79 when our plane broke down. In first class was Henry Winkler and his wife,agent and his wife's mom. We all had to get off while arrangements were made for other flights so my husband sat me and the kids next to the Winklers. He was REALLY nice and REALLY CUTE back then and we all talked for about 45 min. He asked me where I was from so I told him my hubby was in the Navy and my mom was flying us home for our anniversary. (It was VERY OBVIOUS we had NO money.) His agent got him a cab to LA (which had a flat on the way !LOL) and so he bid me adieu...but ran back about 5 min. later and pressed a 20 dollar bill into my hand and said Happy Anniversary !! I fed my babies and us on the 20 the next morning. VERY nice guy...
Karen
Are you kidding? Are you making that up? That about brings a tear to my eye. I want to hunt Henry Winkler down and shake his hand. ~ karen
Claudine
That's so sweet. What a great memory.
Jenn
A few years ago I was in San Francisco. As I crossed the street I noticed a man walking in the crowd toward me. He was tall, thin, wore a long leather jacket and leather pants, had massive burgundy dyed hair (it was horrid), and distinctive round glasses.
Then it hit me: holy crapola, that's a famous washed-up rock star!
I must have been staring at him. All of a sudden, a voice rang through my head.
It said, simply, "piss off".
I'd just had a telepathic moment with Alice Cooper.
Jenn
Oh, and John Ratzenberger watched me play with a dog at the airport (our friends had taken the same flight with their dog & asked me to walk the dog while they got their luggage). This was during his Cheers days.
It's odd to know you're being watched by a celebrity who's used to being watched.
Karen
Jenn - It's been a while, but believe me ... it's worse to be the person everyone is watching. I used to have people follow me into the bathroom and try to talk to me while peeing. One guy had me autograph his birth certificate. (not while in the bathroom) I don't think that's even legal. ~ karen
Karen
I love Alice Cooper. He's so ... Alice Cooper. Ironically, my friend Renee who I refer to in this post ... I think her mother is friends with Alice Cooper! ~ karen
Jenn
Every time I've met a celebrity I try WAY too hard and wind up being a jerk. I took a year-long class with Edgar Martinez (former Seattle Mariner, delightful man, and beloved member of the Seattle community). I put my foot in my mouth so many times that I just stopped talking to him. I hate that about myself!
Tanis
The only 'brush' I've had was with Alice Cooper.
You may know he LOVES golfing. I was at my aunt's house in Winnipeg which backs onto the 7th hole of a golf course. He hit his ball into the rough in her back yard. He was decked out in a great golf outfit (picture plaid pants and a beret).
My dad embarrased everyone by getting out his big 'paparazzi' zoom-lens camera.
Cindy
I stalked Tom Selleck once -- just kidding, he filmed Magnum P.I. near my home in Hawaii and I went across the street to get a photo with him. He's the sweetest man. I was about 10 or 12 years old at the time. I still love Tom Selleck.