Encounters With Celebrities

On Saturday, Dec 5, 2009, this blogger added a huge name to his list of celebrity encounters. Braving the snow and freezing temperatures, this determined writer waited his turn to get two copies of Going Rogue: An American Life signed by Sarah Palin in Fairfax, VA. Read the story here.

On October 13, 2008, this blogger battled a thick crowd at the front of the stage where Sarah Palin had just given a campaign rally speech in Richmond, VA. Although I had been within three feet of her, the pushing and shoving combined with the fact that she kept moving along the stage to sign autographs and shake hands, I came up short, prompting me to make a mental note that there would be another occasion, another time where I could try again.

And that time came.

At the rally, I wore a t-shirt that had a picture of Sarah Palin on it and the words "Say it ain't so, Joe." I also wore it to her book signing. When she saw the shirt, she lit up and said "I love your shirt. That's so great." It's official: Sarah Palin loves my shirt!

Let's look at the list of celebrity encounters to date:

-I spilled Ritchie Blackmore's (guitarist for Deep Purple) beer on a foosball table at a rock club on Long Island. It was my most embarrassing moment. Blackmore was very cool about it though. I offered to buy him a beer, but he insisted against it and told me not to worry about it.

-I met Billy Smith (goaltender for Stanley Cup NY Islanders) and teammates Clarke Gillies and JP Perise at the Nassau colliseum and got their autographs. I later met another teammate and Stanley Cup winner Bryan Trottier at a memorabilia signing. I got a signed hockey puck from him.

-The only other book signing I ever attended was on Long Island where I got John Densmore's (drummer for the Doors) autograph on his book Riders On The Storm.

-I got Rusty Wallace's (1989 NASCAR Champion) autograph at a signing in Richmond, VA.

-I met Kiran Chetry as she finished up the final segment of her show outside the Fox News building when she was anchor of Fox and Friends Weekend. She signed the blue card that she used for the show (blue card is notes about the topic she was covering, Deborah Gibson and Jordan Knight's duet "Say Goodbye"). Gibson and Knight performed the song. I also got Deborah Gibson's autograph on the CD single that same day.

-I met and got signed autographs from Bob Turley (NY Yankees pitcher).

-I also met and got autographs from Geoff Downes (keyboard player for Asia) and John Payne (singer for Asia during the time when John Wetton wasn't with the group).

-I met Pete Dawkins (Heismann trophy winner) and got his autograph.

My only regret is that I never met Ronald Reagan. But I consider Sarah Palin's book signing the closest I ever got.