Encounters With Celebrities/Billy Preston

This is one of the more intimate encounters that I've had because I was in a limo with Billy Preston when I met him. I spent a little time with him and he showed me his favorite places like the Toi restaurant in Hollywooooood..... as well as some nightclub that is....or was.....I don't know if it's still there... stuck in some corner of a mini-mall. I got to know him a little but.... he didn't sing! He didn't ask me to sing either.... which disappointed me a bit but I had a good time nevertheless.

He recently passed away in Arizona but his career was primarily as a songwriter and his most prominent song was...yup...you guessed it...called You Are So Beautiful which was made famous by Joe Cocker. What a name that is....huh? Anyway.... an interesting fact is that Billy Preston was known as the fifth Beatle. He left the quirky group to make his own music..... now that's what I'm talking about! I never got to see him again but it was cool to sit with him in a limo nevertheless...... know what I'm sayin'?

Encounters With Celebrities/Diana Ross

Diana Ross is one of the most svelte performers out there. She always performs while wearing dresses with long trains attached.... but I had an encounter with her while I was working in the Scandinavian Ski And Sport Shop which is no longer there due to the length of the lease expiring.... too bad. The shop had pretty much every one working there from Norway....with names like Boo and Lars as well as Oslo. It had two levels and sold high-end ski-wear with equipment to boot..... it was a chic place. My job was to organize everything in the stockroom so that when a diva like Diana Ross needed a size of something then I could run into the stockroom to get it.

She was there to purchase a few items which did not require me to run like crazy but I had only found out that she was there when I saw her impeccably dressed body guard at the top of the stairs...so.... something was up! When I went over to the cash register to pick up some hangers then I saw her with her flowing black and semi-curly hair along with her coco-brown skin. I was surprised about her height.... which was at about 5' 7"... because she does appear as taller..... or maybe it was the admiration that I had for her that made her seem taller.

It was a funny moment because there was a french woman who worked there and when Diana Ross pulled out $1,000 in cash to pay for the clothing then the french cashier backed away because she had never had to deal with that amount of cash before. Diana Ross is currently on tour in smaller venues....so I guess that means that she is taking easy. She could easily do a show in Las Vegas..... right? Who wouldn't want to see Diana Ross in Las Vegas? They would be nuts not too. She was Michael Jackson's mentor before they split apart....for some reason... and they lived together while she sported him on how to perform. I guess that she
mothered him somehow.

Encounters With Celebrities/Macaulay Culkin

Everyone knows who this celebrity is. If you don't..... then you must have your head in the sand to look for water...like an ostrich would. I met Macaulay in New York City a few years back when he was still with his wife. He has one of the most fascinating lives of any celebrity and is extraordinarily bow-legged..... I mean.... extraordinarily. I can only imagine how many pairs of shoes that he goes through.

He was walking down the street with his wife on Broadway in the East Village and I asked him for a quarter.... to no avail...... while briskly walking past me. I knew who he was but was more interested in the quarter than anything else! New York City is a tough place to live in.... .mind you. I'm sure that he's a nice person nevertheless.

After garnering success from his childhood films then he pretty much stayed out of the spotlight to focus on his personal life. He's been in a few films since then..... but he primarily focuses on writing. An interesting fact that a lot of people don't know is that he is the godfather to Michael Joseph "Prince" Jackson Jr. and Paris Michael Katherine Jackson.

I thoroughly enjoyed his work in the Home Alone movies. What fun movies those were...but whatever happened to films of that nature? The simple answer would be that those types of films have evolved into animated films....but I could be wrong. I thought about that possibility this morning after seeing an advertisement for the new Kung-fu Panda movie....which should be a spectacle. One of the things that I admire about Hollywood production companies is the creative aspect...... which seems tantalizing to me.

Encounters With Celebrities/Jennifer Hudson

She stands at about six feet and...uh.... maybe... four inches...with high heels... about the same height as Whitney Houston. She was in a Starbucks coffee shop in Beverly Hills when I met her....but I had to ask her if she was who she was! How hilarious! She then confirmed who she was and I congratulated her for her success. I.... then went on to purchase my....uh.... delicious cup of coffee..... and sat down at a table that was in front of the store. She then walked out and looked at me for a second before walking away with her friend..... or.... assistant.... I think..... but it was an interesting look because she cocked her head sideways when she looked at me. I guess it was her way of saying that it was good to meet me..... or something like that.

What a woman this person is. The challenges that she has gone through have been enormous and yet she has gone on to win an Oscar award and has been casted in numerous movie roles. One of the greatest challenges was when her mother and brother along with her nephew were killed in a shooting. That must have been one of the darkest moments of her life. She is currently being cast in the movie rendition of the Three Stooges. One of her mentors is Andre Leon Talley. He must have been doing....or perhaps still is.... doing a good job.

Encounters With Celebrities/Eli Davidson

Eli Davidson is a blogger for the Huffington Post as well as a motivational speaker. I met her yesterday while walking in the Grove mall and while she was looking for a Michael Kors store. I thought that I would be helpful so I directed her towards the store while discovering who she was for I failed to recognize her. It was one of those moments when you are caught with your pants down..... so to speak.

She has a book out called Funky To Fabulous that has won numerous awards and has sold quite a few copies. It's a book about helping yourself in times when everything has come to pass and the challenges seem evident. That's the kind of thinking that I encompass. I'll take on a challenge at any time and I'm the type of person who turns a bad situation into a good one....if you know what I mean....but with perspective as well as a good perception of what is going on around me.

Part of success is being prepared with the tools as well as the information that a person might need while taking on the task at hand. I've always like to be organized so that when things are flipped around then I can stand up to the challenge...but sometimes it's good to just become neutral....sort of like being in a meditative state.....as things just might be a bit out your control....and then a storm of ideas or whatever it is that the person is waiting for....comes through. I guess it's like quieting your mind.

Her blog features helpful tips for women and is fun to read. It can be a ruthless world out there if you're not prepared and people most certainly have to take the bull by the horns only to swing it around a few times so that it becomes dizzy. I absolutely love it when people take charge but loathe when people use that ability to make other people's lives nearly impossible to live.....but that's part of the process of evolution.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eli-davidson/why-women-dont-get-what-t_b_847656.html

Encounters With Celebrities/Andre' Leon Talley

Andre' Leon Talley is a contributing editor for Vogue magazine and I met him when he was going to Joan's On Third in Southern California. He was with his tennis coach and as soon as I saw him was when I rushed over to say hi. I recognized him because I do follow fashion and he is well-known in the fashion industry.

He is currently a judge on America's Top Model...which is a talent show featuring women who compete against each other for a lucrative modeling contract. I was excited to meet him because he always is seen as dressing in top form..... which is something that I admire in someone....style is important.

Fashion is important to me and I adore people in fashion for their tenacity as well as scrutiny. Some people in fashion can be ruthless but it is an extraordinarily competitive industry where emotions run high like water rushing through a city to flood everything.

I would sometimes crash parties and shows that were being put on during the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City. It is put on twice a year there as well as other metropolitan places throughout the world where fashion is prevalent.

I did attend fashion school for two weeks after being dropped from a culinary arts program and after losing my job at a brassiere due to the World Trade Center Tragedy but I quickly found out that going to that fashion school was not for me.  It takes a tremendous amount of skill with good eye and hand coordination. It's kind of like cooking.

Encounters With Celebrities/Will Smith

Will Smith was filming a movie when I met him.... although...I forget which one he was doing. It was in the Meat-packing District in New York City a few years ago and he was pretty much by himself with one bodyguard with him.

He was approachable and nice while sitting in front of his two story trailer that he takes with him everywhere whenever he is shooting. The trailer is huge! I have no idea how they lug it around when necessary. I said hi to him as he was taking a break from shooting the movie that he was doing.

I had forgotten to ask him what movie it was that he was doing but I guess it was because I was a bit starstruck. I grew up watching him on television as the Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air which was a great show. I am also a fan of him movies as well. My favorite is Six Degrees Of Separation in which he plays a hustler or con man-type who needles his way into people's homes. I also liked watching Men In Black and the sequel to it as well.

He seems to be the quintessential movie star who everybody likes because he does have huge box-office draw. Independence Day was another fantastic movie in which he plays someone from the military who is assigned to go after the aliens after they have attacked the world and want to take it over.

He is currently working on the third sequel for Men In Black.... which will be filmed in 3-D. His daughter is garnering success now as a performer and is known as Willow Smith as well as his son who is Jaden Smith. He starred in the revision of the Karate Kid and I am sure that there will be sequels to come.

Encounters With Celebrities/Robert Downey Junior

Robert Downey Jr. is one of my more favorite celebrities...partly because of his enigmatic screen presence ....but also because he one of those people who rocked out in the '90's. I met him a few years ago in Santa Monica while he was talking on his cell phone.....so it was a bit weird because I got excited when I saw him and he didn't want to be disturbed while he was on his phone. I was surprised that he was tall because the screen makes him seem short. My favorite film of his is the Oliver Stone movie called Natural Born Killers that came out in the '90's when he played a spastic journalist who was covering the antics of Mickey and Mallory Knox.

The scenes were hilarious because here was a journalist who was in the midst of a riot and chugging along while dodging the two emphatic serial killers. Robert Downey Jr. was going through a difficult time in the '90's when he was arrested numerous times for his rebellious attitude which was well publicized.....along with Johnny Depp's. The '90's were a time for trashing hotel rooms and being the rock star or any type of star....for that matter. It seems as if those days have lingered away. Where are those rebellious people?

Encounters With Celebrities/Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman recorded in the Sony Music Studios as well....and along with Jennifer Lopez...among others. The clients who recorded there were high-profile so I had to do my best to cater to them.....but all that Tracy Chapman wanted was some popcorn.

That was easy to come up with. I guess that she was there to work on a new album and this was back in 2000. I just simply heated up the popcorn in a microwave oven and placed the bag unopened into a black container so that it would still be hot when she got it. I wouldn't want her to eat cold popcorn!

She eventually left.... but the limo driver was not prepared for her because he was not in front of the building when it was raining outside! She refused to leave the building until the limo was parked directly in front of it. I wouldn't have either....know what I'm sayin'? The facility had numerous recording studios along with a sound stage as well as mastering rooms. It was a huge place!

Encounters With Celebrities/Domenico Dolce

He had a private party once in a place called the Whiskey Bar.... which is in New York City .... and I crashed the place by expressing to the gorgeous doorman that I was already inside. The staff inside didn't seem to notice that I was an outsider....in fact.... they seemed to have loved it.

It was a great experience for me to be able to get inside because I do admire Domenico Dolce's work.... but I had no idea that he was inside.....which made the experience even better.....know what I'm sayin'? It's always cool to be surprised....uh... no...wait a minute...it's not.... because it could be a surprise like the police showing up at your door step with a search warrant while you're taking a shit on the toilet in your bathroom. Ewwww.

I got to meet Domenico once I was inside and once I received a bottle of beer from the open bar...but I was wearing a Junior Versace jacket! Oy! How funny is that?! It was insanely fucken funny! I was dancing right in front of the DJ while Domenico was watching me....sans bodyguards....and I showed him the patch that was on the jacket with the Junior Versace insignia on it. He did not seem disappointed though.... because I guess that he was a fan of Gianni Versace as well.

He didn't stay for long...though... and eventually made it into his Turtle Top....which is a plush vehicle that is customized.....know what I'm sayin'? It's the only way to ride. I stayed for a bit longer but eventually got thrown out when the manager chick realized that I wasn't invited. I have no idea what she meant when she asked me if I needed anything..... except maybe that she was referring to coke..... which is popular at those types of parties.

Encounters With Celebrities/Benicio Del Toro

I was sitting on a bench that was in front of the Mercer Hotel which is on Mercer Street in New York City so that I could rest my feet when I see a man who is sitting in this Lincoln Town car. I instantly recognized him because Benicio Del Toro has a distinctive face but what was funny was that he was looking at me too. What was also funny was the way he was looking at me... as if he was concentrating on my face. Isn't that funny? One of my favorite movies that featured him is Traffic. It's about drugs and cops in Mexico.

I didn't want to say anything to him while he was looking at me because I just wasn't in the mood but I guess that I could've. I guess that it was another encounter that would be similar to Lauryn Hill's encounter... and I do catch people while they are staring at me from time to time. It doesn't bother me but what I find funny is the fact that some girls seem annoyed when I'm staring at them. I'll always look at a woman if I find her attractive. I'll look at her body from the front to the back and from head to toe...... know what I'm sayin'?

Encounters With Celebrities/Elliot Smith And Rick Allen Of Def Leppard

Yes... you read it right... I've had encounters with members of Def Leppard...... but on two separate occasions! Rock stars seem to like Santa Monica because I've met or have seen a lot of them there.... maybe it's because they were on their way to Malibu. I was sitting on a bench in Santa Monica that was along side a street on Santa Monica Boulevard when I met Joe Elliot.

He's the lead singer and was driving a gorgeous metallic-colored Ferrari convertible.... which is what I would be driving if I had that kind of money.... but what struck me as odd was the fact that some dude was sitting in the passenger seat with him. He looked kind of gay... perhaps like a twink... but with a beard. Joe Elliot looked at me and I was looking at the both of them while trying to sum things up.... because it was kind of weird. I guess that rock stars have their quirks... I mean... they have to... since they lead such interesting lives.

The other member of Def Leppard was Rick Allen. He had an unfortunate motorcycle accident ....a few years back...that left him with just one arm and it's amazing that he can still play the drums! They designed a special drum kit for him that would allow him to use the snare drum... but I don't know how he does it. I met him on Wishire Boulevard in Santa Monica when he was with his girlfriend and I think that his girlfriend plays guitar because she was carrying one. I can't imagine Rick Allen playing one.

Encounters With Celebrities/Howard Stern/Robin Quivers

Howard Stern always does things to the maximum.... so to speak... so a few years ago... he had a promotion for his new show. His idea was....uh.... to give a way...... ten.... thousand..... radios... of good quality...mind you...with one year of Sirius service... for free! Wow! It was all done in Union Square which is in New York City. I think that about 15,000 people showed up instead so not everyone got a radio but....... I got one! 

It was a fantastic radio and I absolutely love Sirius... which is now SiriusXm. I didn't like Xm radio for some reason. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the different channels that were available. The encounter only lasted for about two minutes and I was grateful for receiving such a gift.... how generous of him... but the actual reason why I showed up to get the radio was because.... I absolutely love his show! 

I've listened to his show every morning for a few years when he was on terrestrial radio.... how hilarious it is! I would simply laugh myself into a tizzy. The crowd was fairly tame despite the frenzy. It seemed like the give-a-way was organized well. Howard Stern stood on a stage and quipped with the crowd as his staff helped to hand out the radios. I'm sure that people were thankful and that the promotion garnered numerous subscriptions.... know what I'm sayin'?

Encounters With Celebrities/David Duchovny

I met him back a few years ago when he had just started doing Californication on HBO which they are filming all over Hollywood now. I needed a cup of coffee so I asked him for seventy-five cents and he said no! Ugh.... it sucks when people with money don't help out but I was mad for just a minute. Besides..... he wasn't obligated to help me out. He was with some guy and they were both waiting outside on a bench for a table. Can you believe that? What celebrity do you know who waits for a table? I'm not a celebrity and I wouldn't wait for a fucken table.... fuck that! I guess that he was pissed about waiting and maybe that's why he wouldn't give me seventy-five cents..... who knows. I got the coffee anyway.... so pooh!

Encounters With Celebrities/Ron Welty

Ron Welty was the drummer for the Offspring for a few years before starting his own band called Steady Ground after being booted by the other members of the Offspring. I've actually met all the members of the band when someone invited me to one of their concerts in San Francisco back when they were steaming hot. I got to meet them backstage after the show. The singer is tall and the show was fantastic.

Little did I know that I would be auditioning for Steady Ground a few years later. I got an email response to my craigslist.org ad that expressed their interest in bringing me in to audition but the audition went bust when I was attacked three weeks prior and left with a sprained knee. The song that I had to sing was alright but it was difficult to sing with all the pain that I was feeling which made me feel rather insecure in front of one of the biggest drummers in the world. The Offspring have sold millions of records.

I did not get to join the band called Steady Ground but I did get to meet the drummer. It was cool to stand in front of him as he pounded away on his drum set. I think back about that audition and think about the oddities of life. Part of the reason why I'm mentioning these encounters is because of how I think of life and happenstances of it. I just love it when two and two go together.

Encounters With Celebrities/Bryan Singer

This one happened in West Hollywood a few years back. I had a great night out and was leaving someone's apartment when I see a plant that's on the street without a pot. My first instinct is to rescue it so I pick it up while attempting to keep it intact. I make a pit stop at a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf cafe and sit down at an outside table with a cup of coffee as well as the plant to think about what I should do with the poor plant when I realize that Bryan Singer is one table away from me with his staff of people.

At first I want to go to his table to say hello but feel like it's not a good idea to disturb him so I just sit at the table with the plant and cup of coffee to listen in on the conversation instead. It was hard to hear anything and I kept on glancing at him so I guess that I kind of freaked him out. Here's a guy who can make someone famous overnight..... know what I mean? They love to watch people and if they see someone who they think that they can turn into a star.... then believe me.... they'll approach you. It's usually not a good idea to approach them. I get the impression that they don't appreciate that..... but some successful people in the industry have done exactly that.

I guess that the group of people at the other table were kind of curious about the plant since it didn't have  a pot and I kept on pouring water onto it to keep it from drying up. Bryan Singer finally got up to get into his car when I hear one of his staff telling him that he has a new stalker and I had no idea of what they were talking about but I guess that's how some of those industry type think. I then got up and took the plant over to a supermarket that sold plants to give it to them. I told them to take care of it. Isn't that nice?

Encounters With Celebrities/Brian May

This encounter occurred a few years ago in Book Soup after a book discussion and signing. The signing was over by the time I had arrived but I still got to meet Brian May.......... while he was haggling with the store's employees about getting paid for the sales from the books. How funny is that? He stands at about six feet and three inches. He's also thin or waif-like and he still has those long curls.

Brian May recently obtained a degree in astrophysics and is a chancellor for a university in England. How cool is that? Most musicians have a high I.Q. because it's not easy to play the guitar so a high I.Q. is basically essential to the musician. I love Queen's music but it took me a while to warm up to them and it is unfortunate that Freddy Mercury did die but the man did live his life to the fullest extent. I'm sure that the band was devastated by the death.

Encounters With Celebrities/Benjamin Bratt

I walked into a store called R.E.I. a few years ago that is located in Santa Monica and the first thing that I see is this tall man who was dressed in synthetic fibers so I asked him if he worked there. I then realized that the tall man was Benjamin Bratt! He looked a bit annoyed when I asked him the question so I then apologized after realizing who he was. He was with his wife and kids.

How funny is that? I've had funny encounters like that before and sometimes I like to just play around with people. I'll ask a guy who works for UPS if he likes working for Fed Ex and vice versa. People can be touchy so I'm careful at times when talking to people on the street because you never know but they just might blow off their top on you. Ouch! I certainly don't want to be attacked by some crazed person.

Encounters With Celebrities/Heidi Fleiss

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Encounters With Celebrities/Erykah Badu

This particular encounter was exciting because of the way that I approached her.... which was from behind. The minute that I saw the wrap on her head was when I knew that it was her. She was sitting at a bar in West Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard and having a drink with a friend. I walked in and saw her and placed my arms around her waist while whispering her name softly to her into her ear. She didn't resist because she didn't sense any danger. I didn't think twice about approaching her and walked away after giving her a hug from behind.

Maybe I should have stayed.... who knows what might have happened .....but I figured that the hug was good enough. I go to the Sunset Strip from time to time but it's not what it used to be. There's the Viper Room which was bought from Johnny Depp and it kind of sucks now. Back then was when the place was alive and well with drum and bass nights that were attended by a snazzy crowd while the nights are filled with indie crowds now. They just don't excite me because to me me they seem contrived.

That sounds harsh but it's true. I was kicked out of the House Of Blues that's on the Sunset Strip for head banging. Someone complained because they thought that it was out of place when there was a rock band playing and I was enjoying myself to the fullest extent. Why should I hold myself back? Those types of instances are the reasons why I won't go to the Sunset Strip anymore but it was cool back in the '90's... before the World Trade Center tragedy.

Everything has changed since that day but maybe things will go back to the way they were now that the Al Qaeda leader has been assassinated. It seems to me that people are content with that military action and they also seem relieved. Maybe it's the music scene that's being micro-managed and causing people to act guarded in public but who knows. All I know is that I got to meet Erykah Badu in a sensual way. How many people can do that?