“With fame I became more and more stupid, which of course is a very common phenomenon.”
- Albert Einstein
Remember when late night talk shows were funny and entertaining and not repellant? Boy, those were the days. David Letterman used to have a segment called “Brush With Greatness.” Dave would go out into the studio audience and interview various members about their brief and random encounters with celebrities. It was pure Letterman.
I sometimes use the brush with greatness idea as an ice breaker or conversation starter. It rarely fails to get something going. Almost everyone has some tale to tell. Fun.
I'm not a person that would EVER bother a famous person out in public. I don't care a thing about autographs and even if it was someone I greatly admired, what would I say to them? (there's one exception)
Here's my big three if the subject ever comes up.
Robert Duvall: In 2008, I was flying on a tiny commuter plane (30 seats) from Albuquerque to Houston. Two seats on one side, one on the other. I was one of the last ones on, doing the slow shuffle down the isle while people ahead got settled. Standing still for a minute I glanced down at the passenger sitting in the seat by my left arm. Without any doubt whatsoever, it was one of my all-time favorite actors, Robert Duvall. I kind of wanted to shake my head vigorously and make that noise like in a cartoon. Was I seeing things? It was time for me to move on and take my seat which was a couple back and on the opposite side of Mr. Duvall. I rode all the way to Houston thinking what a great story this was going to be. I never said a word to the great man, but as we were de-boarding the plane somebody had him cornered on the jet bridge.
Bob Newhart: A friend in Memphis was a significant donor to the arts around town which included the Germantown Performing Arts Center. She always had tickets to the events held there and if it was something she thought Kendra and I would enjoy, she'd give us the seats. Bob Newhart was doing a show there one evening and being long-time fans, she invited us to go. Given her prominence with the organization, our friend had passes to the post-show meet and greet, wine and cheese thing. It was cool to go to the greenroom and shake Bob's hand and have a picture taken with him. He's a tiny man, by the way.
Daryl Strawberry: Strawberry was a great baseball player for the New York Mets in the 1980s. Being a St. Louis Cardinal fan, I hated those Mets teams. Strawberry was a prolific home run hitter and I dreaded seeing him come to the plate, knowing that with one swing he could break my heart. Drug problems and legal issues ruined his playing career but after a long substance abuse battle, he found sobriety and is now a Christian minister. I had recently watched a beautiful documentary called The Saint of Second Chances. It's not about him specifically but it does include part of his redemption story. Kendra and I were in the American Airline Lounge in Philadelphia airport on a quiet Sunday morning earlier this year. I was carrying a cup of coffee back to where we were seated when I rounded a corner and there sat Daryl Strawberry. There was no mistake about it. This is where I broke my rule. Because he had been such a part of my baseball life and because of his inspiring recovery, I reflexively stuck out my hand and said, “I'm a big fan, sir. God bless you.” He smiled appreciatively and shook my hand and said, “Thank you very much." It made my day.
Those are the major ones. I've had many brushes with various musicians. I'll save those for another day. What about your brushes with greatness? I'd love to know.
Birthdays in Music: Natalie Maines (1974) Dixie Chicks
Name That Movie: “No one really runs away from anything.”
RP