Star Sightings

[Beach Runner]

My husband recently was sitting in first class on an international flight a row behind Yo-Yo Ma. Yo-Yo had his cello strapped in its own seat. It's worth, like, 6 million dollars.

I see the ATL rappers all the time at Lenox Square, know what I'm sayin'? Fo' shizzle.

Years ago an old friend (formerly Valerie Voyles, as in daughter of Ed Voyles of the mega auto dealership chain in ATL) and I sat next to Al Gore at Bud & Alley's. It was when he first ran for VP. It was Al, Tipper, 2 hippy-looking people, and 2 Secret-Service-looking guys.

Once on a flight to Rome, the only people in first class were my husband, me, and the actress Susan Sarandon. She and I were both at the same stage of pregnancy. Every time the flight attendants would bring around caviar or something other than bread and mild cheese, we'd get nauseated, look at each other, and hide under our blankets.

I've had other brushes with being "Almost Famous," but I'm tired of typing. Want my autograph?

 

[DD]

I always loved the song Dirty Laundry.

Me too, OL. And all his others also.

 

[Rudyjohn]

My husband recently was sitting in first class on an international flight a row behind Yo-Yo Ma. Yo-Yo had his cello strapped in its own seat. It's worth, like, 6 million dollars.

I see the ATL rappers all the time at Lenox Square, know what I'm sayin'? Fo' shizzle.

Years ago an old friend (formerly Valerie Voyles, as in daughter of Ed Voyles of the mega auto dealership chain in ATL) and I sat next to Al Gore at Bud & Alley's. It was when he first ran for VP. It was Al, Tipper, 2 hippy-looking people, and 2 Secret-Service-looking guys.

Once on a flight to Rome, the only people in first class were my husband, me, and the actress Susan Sarandon. She and I were both at the same stage of pregnancy. Every time the flight attendants would bring around caviar or something other than bread and mild cheese, we'd get nauseated, look at each other, and hide under our blankets.

I've had other brushes with being "Almost Famous," but I'm tired of typing. Want my autograph?

My son and I met Yo Yo Ma, too, about 5 years ago. He was rehearsing for an evening concert at an outdoor festival here called Ravinia. My son plays cello and his teacher made arrangements for her students to meet Yo Yo Ma during a break. He autographed music for these kids but more importantly, he talked and laughed and was a very "regular" guy! Real sweet with no "star" effect. My son and the others could barely speak, they were in such awe.

Then, about 30 (argh!) years ago, I realized I was swimming in a hotel pool with Carlos Santana! He was in Pensacola for a concert and we were there too for the same concert. As teenagers, we were in awe. Of course, no one back home believed any of us. And the really weird thing is, he was wearing a "stars and stripes" knit bikini. It sort of ruined my image I had of him!

 

[bsmart]

Most of my star sightings have been sports stars/athletes like Terry Bradshaw, Chris Chambliss, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Lawrence Taylor and many others. The one that was kinda bizarre was when we saw Steven Tyler (Aerosmith lead singer) at the Lenox Square Mall in the Brookstone store in Atlanta. He had a concert that night and I guess was out doing some browsing. Once everyone recognized him, a bunch of folks started gathering around him and we left the store. Pretty cool though.

In high school I had a friend who worked at J.Crew in Lenox Square, and one night Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown ( I would turn around and run the opposite direction if I saw the two of them) came into the store and asked them to close while they shopped, they closed for about an hour and the two idiots only bought about $200 worth of merchandise--this in a store which I was told is the top grossing store outside of the NYC stores for the entire company.

 

[bsmart]

I saw Andre 3000 at Lenox Square one time, and I saw Butch Walker at the Urban Outfitters store there one time too.

 

[Beach Runner]

My son and I met Yo Yo Ma, too, about 5 years ago. He was rehearsing for an evening concert at an outdoor festival here called Ravinia. My son plays cello and his teacher made arrangements for her students to meet Yo Yo Ma during a break. He autographed music for these kids but more importantly, he talked and laughed and was a very "regular" guy! Real sweet with no "star" effect. My son and the others could barely speak, they were in such awe.

I've heard that about Yo-Yo. He has a relative by marriage (a friend of mine knows the girl) who was getting married, and he offered to play in an ensemble at her wedding. She was an Agnes Scott grad. They called the department chair of music at Scott and asked if he was interested in playing at the wedding - they didn't tell him that he'd be playing with Yo-Yo, who preferred to be anonymous. The department chair was disinterested. Somehow he found out that he'd be playing with Yo-Yo and, like, wet his pants. It's really awesome when someone that renowned is so humble.

 

[Cil]

Seems like most of my star experiences happened awhile back.
Guess I don't get out much anymore.

JFK said hello when I was 8. I helped Leslie West of Mountain (Mississippi Queen) when he was throwing up backstage (it was the altitude) Pete Townshend shook my hand, and so on and so forth. Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull is a very polite and self-deprecating gentleman; he was very nice to my kid. "Hello, little chap."
I think the most recent star sighting was when Warren Zevon gave me a smile and a nod, I was 40-something then.

I've met several local political and entertainment personalities but they would not mean much to anyone outside of Denver.

 

[beachmouse]

I'm boring. It's my family that's got the really good stories.

Entertainment- If you ever see a music video for an obscure Ozzy Osbourne video called "Mr. Tinkertrain" both Mr. Mouse and I are in the crowd shots. We were at an Ozzy concert at Wings Stadium, and I saw a flyer near the restrooms about a video shoot the following day, and we both went back to be in the video.

Spent about three hours sitting around watching Ozzy's kids run around on the covered up hockey floor while they set up for the shoot (they looked very normal back then) and then about an hour on the floor when they did the shots for the video.

They used to get some good bands playing Wings. Mr. Mouse's other good story from there involved befriending a Metallica roadie, and taking him over to campus when the roadie mentioned that he'd never been to an American frat party before. The roadie (okay head sound engineer- way up in that sort of hierarchy) returned the favor by giving Mr. Mouse back stage passes for after the concert.

Mr. Mouse also ended up being an extra for U.S, Marshals when they shot some scenes near where we were living at the time. You can get a glimpse of him in the airplane crash recovery scenes (he's a reporter) but they cut his up-close bit with Tommy Lee Jones.

Government- I was a Hill intern for a semester in college. Much interesting people-watching back then. And one of my old grad school profs is on the Fed Board of Governors.

But I've got kin in the secret service who seem like they've met everyone by now, and even got Clinton to personally autograph a copy of his book for my 94 year old grandmother.

 

[Rudyjohn]

- they didn't tell him that he'd be playing with Yo-Yo, who preferred to be anonymous.

That's a true star to me, one who prefers no recognition.

 

[ktschris]

Once my husband and I stayed in a hotel in Minneapolis and Eric Clapton was in the room next to us. My sister-in-law was getting married, I was trying to get ready, my husband kept running in and giving me updates...like, he hasn't come out of his room yet. Finally, he (Eric) did, my husband was in his tux and followed him to the elevator and rode down with him, like everything was normal -- he dresses in a tux everyday! Said something really clever like, "What's up" with the male head nod (International sign of cool). That night after the reception, I spent most of the night with a glass held to the wall trying to hear anything!!

Oh, and an Oakridge Boy stepped on my toe

And I met the Pink Power Ranger and the guy who drove the chuck wagon in "The Cowboys"