I’ll Never Work in This Town Again
As some of you know, once I left my job reporting television news, I worked for a while as a writer and producer of television shows, mostly for Nashville-based CMT. That meant I interviewed celebrities. Lots and lots of celebrities. A migraine-inducing amount of celebrities.
As a reporter, if a celeb had given me attitude or tried to feed me a line, I’d have none of it; I was there to get the truth, dammit, at all costs. But as a cable network producer, the game changed. I along with everyone around me, was expected to cater to the celebrity’s every whim, indulge her 2-hour lateness, her 50 wardrobe changes, and her obvious distinterest in anything unrelated to her own self. The amount of ass kissing that took place literally sickened me at times, particularly when the star was behaving badly. Worse, it was understood that you wouldn’t go around telling people about this one’s cocaine habit or that one’s screaming fit, not if you wanted to work in the business again.
I guess I won’t be working in the business again.
I explain it all in this week’s Nashville Scene edition of Suburban Turmoil. Here’s the full text of the column…
The Secrets of the Stars
I’m standing in the tiny hallway of a Nashville production studio, unabashedly eavesdropping on the woman sitting in a makeup chair around the corner. Wearing oversized rollers, a flirty sequined dress and stiletto heels that could easily be used as murder weapons, she drones on about her life with the easy cadence of someone who’s been talking about herself for years.
“…and so now that my kid is playing school sports, practice goes until five every day,” she tells her hairdresser. “Every day,” she continues. “It never ends, does it?”
“No kidding!” I want to tell her. “I have two girls going to school soccer practice in hundred-degree weather, despite the fact that school is letting out at 10:45 every day because of the heat!”
Instead, I stay silent. I’ve interviewed hundreds of celebrities, first as a reporter and later as a writer for CMT, and if there’s one thing that I’ve learned, it’s that the stars don’t want to hear about anyone but themselves. Even, I’m guessing, Martina McBride, who spies me hovering at the door and gives me a quizzical look. I smile and briskly turn back to watch the cameraman set up for the interview with Martina that I’m here to oversee.
I don’t do a whole lot of field producing anymore because having four kids really isn’t conducive to last-minute jobs, but there was a time when I’d fly all over the country, picking up interviews with everyone from Sheryl Crow to Ashley Judd. If you think that most stars are preoccupied with themselves and their image, you’re right. The way I see it, though, they can’t help themselves. I mean, if I had between 3 and 10 assistants running all of my errands, laughing at all of my jokes, and telling me I was wonderful and could do no wrong, after a few years I’d probably start to believe them. So when people ask me what Ashley Judd is like, I can say with all honesty that if she weren’t famous, I’d probably like her a lot. As it was, though, with her yapping lapdogs knocking over our carefully-placed background lighting and her insistence on making us wait 10 hours on a film set for an interview while she spent most of the afternoon and evening sitting in her trailer– Well, I’ll let you draw your own conclusions as to how I felt.
The upside of all the Ashley-induced waiting on that particular shoot was that I ended up befriending one of the film’s producers, who let me sit in her chair and watch the scene that was being shot that day. On the set before me, Ashley Judd and Andy Garcia stood in a morgue, uncovering the details of some dire and frightening mystery. The plot was beyond dull, but I was fascinated by the way they’d abruptly drop their anxious expressions at the end of each take and gaily chat away on their cell phones or with members of their respective entourages until the last possible second before the camera started rolling again. So this is why so many movies suck, I thought to myself, watching them. Somehow, I couldn’t picture Marlon Brando jumping in and out of character on the set of The Godfather like some middle-aged jack-in-the-box.
Still, these kinds of rich-and-famous revelations are marvelous fodder for the most absorbing part of any celebrity shoot: listening to the stories traded like baseball cards among photographers, field producers and make-up artists while waiting for the inevitably late celebrity to show up.
“My ex-boyfriend used to sell this guy blow,” a make-up artist muttered to me as we prepared for one interview with a big shot record executive. “I wonder if he’ll recognize me.”
“You watch,” a photographer told me another time as we set up for a shoot with Garth Brooks. “I met Garth three years ago and talked to him for less than a minute. But I bet he’ll remember me when he sees me again. He remembers everyone. Everyone!”
“Bob!” Garth said, smiling at the photographer when he walked through the door. “How ya been? It’s been, what? Three years, right?”
All this, of course, brings me back to Martina. I needed some dirt, but the former farm girl wasn’t giving me much for the gossip files. Unlike other stars I’d dealt with, she was friendly and talkative and the wardrobe assistants and studio reps filing in through the front door seemed genuinely happy to see her. Bored by their chatter, I quit listening long before she excused herself to go to the ladies room. Once she was finished, I took my own turn, locking the restroom door behind me. Oh well, I thought. I guess I can tell people I sat on the same toilet seat as Martina McBride. I giggled as I looked down, then gasped. There it was, the story I had been waiting for. America’s Country Sweetheart might seem wholesome and pure, but I’ve got news that’s going to blow the lid right off of that idea.
Martina McBride doesn’t flush.
>Oh, I have run-ins with celebrities ALL THE TIME.
>I met Michael Damien once at my hometown mall meetNgreet. I was very nervous (I was 12) but he looked right at me and smiled, said “hi” even…then proceeded to sign my poster and look past me to the next nervous 12 year old girl. HMMPH, I thought we had made a connection 😉
>OMG, that was so funny! At least she didnt try to have sex in a public bathroom with you!! (shameless plug for my blog topic today, sorry.)Im glad to hear she is nice, cause I love her music. You had me rolling with Ashley’s lapdogs, I dont get the whole carrying-around-little-dogs-like-dollies thing, how annoying.love your blog!
>Ewww! Who doesn’t flush?You are bad, very very bad Lindsey! LOLOLOLOLOLOL
>Garth Brooks does indeed remember everyone.
>Gross. Martina poo for the world to see?
>We have run into the (Clint and Lisa Hartman) Black family a few times over the years.A couple of years a go at a restaurant in Franklin, my toddler daughter was bored and my wife took her to the lobby as I finished up and go the check. Lisa Hartman, about 2 minutes later did the same with her little one.The toddlers played together and the moms “mom talked.” They seemed like a genuinely nice family.We’ve run into Wynonna Judd a couple of times (she loves to shop apparently!) The second time my daughter ran into her (I missed that), Wynonna remembered her by name and said hi to her. My wife was floored by that.I figured that celebs that deserve positive public feed back should get it. We tend to leave them to themselves, but if an encounter happens, it happens.
>To be fair…Martina may have flushed, but it might not have taken.
>Before Oprah Winfrey was OPRAH, she and her entourage came blowing through my newsroom about five minutes to air, plunked her ham-hands on my shoulders (for the cameras) and loudly asked, “What’s going on here?””Newroom,” I said, “Deadlines. And obnoxious nobodies.” I guess she showed me.
>When I met Martina McBride at a concert Meet n Greet, I was so surprised by how teeny-tiny she was. Then when she sang I wondered where all that sound came from because she is realy small.
>LOL. I’m passing that one on to my Husband, who loves Martina. He’ll be amused. Word will spread across south-eastern Ohio. You will never work again. LOL.
>That was the funniest thing I have seen, heard or read today!Thanx for the laugh!
>Don’t worry, Martina fans- It wasn’t poo. Everyone knows the stars don’t poo.
>My encounter was not shocking or gross, but I found it interesting.On one of our trips to NYC, the girl and I were on Times Square. She had just spent over an hour picking out ONE Cd in Virgin Records. We then sat down in the center of the median to have a snack..(yes, it was equipped with benches and so forth.) I looked across all the lanes of traffic and see a stretch Navigator painted just like the CD she had just bought. I dragged her over and long story short, we got to meet, get the CD signed, and take pics with Big Boi from Outkast. What was so funny to me is that with all the celeb joints and hoity toity eating places in NYC, he and his entourage had stopped for McDonald’s takeout! Parked at the curb right in front and had a big old sack of greasy burgers and fries and apple pies. And he was totally gracious and attentive to us while blowing off all the brothers who crowded around him. Loved that!
>I’ll give a plug for a celeb I love…a few years ago I met Eddie Izzard. I’m a huge fan of his stand-up and told him so; it was maybe the only time I’ve ever been truly nervous when meeting a celeb.Anyway, he was so gracious and personable. He chatted with my son, joked around with us, asked us about ourselves. Granted he wasn’t famous even close to the level of Martina, but whatever. Super nice guy.
>OMG that ending was classic. Hilarious! I’m glad you clarified whether it was #1, because it was not a good visual I was getting.
>I sold Kim Basinger a dress once, a million years ago. I was in college in Athens, GA, and I worked at a little clothing shop downtown. She came in with a friend and they looked around. It must’ve been a Sunday because I was there by myself. I didn’t know what to do – I didn’t want to be rude but I didn’t want to bother her either. So I held up the counter while they walked around. She found a dress that she said would be perfect for someone she knew and came up and bought it. I was idiotically nervous, but she was very nice.She paid with a credit card and I kept the carbons with her signature on it (why yes, that is how old i am). I’m sure it’s still at my mom’s house somewhere.
>I went to high school with Donny Osmond’s kids and was close friends with his two oldest boys, Don Jr. and Jeremy. One time, Donny hid UNDER his son’s bed and when we all came in he jumped out and scared the crap out of all of us. He did stuff like that all the time. I wish my story was more juicy, but he’s just sort of like a little kid trapped in a grown man’s body!And Christine? SO JEALOUS that you met Eddie! I LOVE HIM!
>There was a short time when I kept running into William Kennedy Smith (this was right after his rape trial). Sitting in the chair next to me at the hair salon, at a table across from me at my favorite restaurant, even at the baggage claim at the airport (turns out we had been on the same flight). Dude was TOTALLY stalking me.As for other celebrity encounters, I worked at the most famous rock club in Chicago for 5 years, so yeah, I could fill a book…
>My dad used to have a restaurant in a little town near Athens, GA and he was usually closed on Sundays. He would often open up just for Kenny Rogers and his entourage to have lunch (this was back when Kenny had a house nearby). Once, when I was in about the third grade I got to meet Kenny and Lionel Richie who was working with him on his albumn. Kenny sang “Lady” to me. I would have preferred “Lucille.”I saw Kenny Rogers and his new wife not that long ago at Chilis in Athens. Can everybody say “just a leetle too much plastic surgery”!
>LMAO!For my old job, I called big-time famous authors regularly to train them on the technology they needed to use to be part of online discussions about their books. Most were incredibly gracious. There were some who were NOT. And there was one who didn’t have an Internet connection — and he refused to use a computer at all! Oh yeah, the assistants are SAINTS. I don’t feel like I’ve been away from it all long enough yet to name names! But man… the stories! 🙂
>Okay, not a long list:Connie Chung at the ATL airport parking deck/terminal. What a snot. As if it wasn’t fairly obvious I wasn’t hanging around the deck for HER, then following her thru security to board a plane. OY the looks I got from her.At former employment got to see ol’ Ted Turner at his “finest.” Good thing he has money, he has the scrawniest little ol’ man legs you can imagine.And Bob Nardelli, the man who tanked my Home Depot stocks. He was nice, but his wife…blech.Almost forgot, Jane Fonda is actually quite nice. I’ve run into her several times, and she seems to remember “me,” but never my name. Who would expect her to, but she’s always very pleasant. It was surreal once, I’d finished watching Klute the night before, then ran into her first thing the next morning.Ali I met at the airport. Very sweet man w/a sweet tooth. Wife is incredible!Oh, and I had the pleasure of living down the street from Pat Conroy. At least once a month, the man would almost run me over as I walked my dogs.Michael McKean on location at my school. That man is HYSTERICAL.Desmond Tutu is shorter than you’d think.Same for the Pope.Looking back on this list, I really should wear makeup more often & try to look less like the frazzled suburban housewife.
>At least we know now that Martina doesn’t poo. But if she did, it would come out as pink bows. THAT I am sure of. Oh, I have met the one, the ONLY Corey Feldman. Yep, that’s right. And I waited in line to meet him and (I was 25) I told him, “Corey, I have waited 10 years for this moment.” And he said, “Awwww, I am so glad you waited.” It was a touching moment, really.
>I scored an eight-ball of cocaine for a very famous old country singer. Ya’ll would recognize his name, a certain Okie from Muskogee…(This was about 20 years ago, mind you. Uh, what’s the statute of limitations?)
>Saw several people while on vacation in LA a couple of years ago but didn’t have the guts to talk to any of them. Wolfgang Puck did ask me if I put lemon on my schnitzel.Saw Ashley Judd (sans makeup and still beautiful) at a Baltimore Orioles game hanging out with Cal Ripken’s family years ago.Saw Naomi Judd and her (now ex) husband at a restaurant in Franklin’s.The strangest encounter belongs to my sister who lives in Nashville. She forgot her VIC card for Harris Teeter once and when she gave the cashier her phone number, we noticed that the name “Gill” showed up on the register. We joked about it being Vince Gill.About a week later, Patty Loveless left a long message on my sister’s voicemail for Vince about wanting to get together with he and Amy.So glad that Martina wasn’t a terrible diva.
>Hmm…celebrity encounters: Shelley Long, Dom DeLuise, Chelsea Clinton, Howard Hesseman. Just off the top of my head; I’m sure there are others. (Gee, can you tell some of them were a while back??) ;^)
>While waiting for a flight to Disney World (my very first, at age 28!), we went to a bar in the airport to get a soft drink. It was only 9:00 a.m. so I wasn’t about to get a drink. As we were sitting there, I noticed someone I thought was famous. Turned out it WAS. Justin Deas, who played (plays? I don’t know, I don’t watch anymore) Buzz Cooper on The Guiding Light. He had 2 young boys with him, and had TWO screwdrivers in front of him. He lifted up his glass and toasted me. I asked for his autograph. First he asked if I watched the show. I told him I did, but in all honesty, the story lines were getting weird and I wasn’t as into GL as I used to be. He said, “yeah…me too. So here’s an idea. I give you the studio address, you write the directors and tell them how much the show sucks. Maybe they’ll listen to the fans, cuz they aren’t listening to us, the actors.”.Blew me away. Oh, and he did sign an autograph for me – Dear Linda, you are BEAUTIFUL, Love Justin Deas.And he kissed me.
>Oh gee, where do I start–Maybe with the best ones:1- Went clubbing with Scott Baio and Anthony Micheal Hall about 15 years ago (friend of friend, of a producer friend…)2- Oh yeah and I went out with Debbie Gibson once (about 12 years ago)
>Hmmm…encountered and took pics with a reality tv star/wannabe celeb (he did star in one National Lampoon Movie)Best encounter : drinks with Gerald and Eddie Levert and their whole posse.
>my grandfather is famous. not saying who he is but I hate walking downtown with him. we get stopped… A LOT.:P
>Actually, I have to say that in general, the stars are very nice during “on the street” encounters, especially around Nashville.Case in point: Sterling Marlin (NASCAR driver) stopped and changed my tire on the side of the road. He even offered to try to fix the tire at his house until we discovered that it had shredded when I was run off the road.And Ronnie Milsap is a VERY nice man. Always willing to meet with his fans and take pictures.I think that it’s really cool that all the stars that live around Nashville can go out without being totally swamped all the time.
>Okay, that was awesome.I worked for a record company in New York for five years. And that’s about all I usually say.
>Whatever… don’t try to flush it away now… it was soooo poo.
>Too funny! LMAO!I haven’t had any celeb encounters. Although Kid Rock is from the very small village my parents live in now (they moved there after I graduated HS) and he was SEVERAL years behind me… And he’s not some “poor kid from Detroit.”
>Never forget, if it’s yellow let it mellow. If it’s brown, send it down.Namaste.
>I once (literally) ran into Stephen King in downtown Bangor, Maine.I was around 15 at the time, and a total FAN. I didn’t say anything, just GAPED AT HIM like a fool. He laughed and said “hello!”That was it.About 15 years ago, his rep contacted my parents……They “bronzed” (it was actually clear coat) a pair of (men’s) pink hightops (with purple laces!) for him. To use as bookends in his study…
>OMG! I totally forgot about meeting Quiet Riot at a Cracker Barrel in OH circa 1997. The lead singer looked like a dork with his HUGE wig…I’m sure I capped it all off by announcing, “I loved you…when I was a kid!”That’s better than my Michael Damien story 🙂
>Funny you should mention Donny. I’ve seen and/or met a lot of celebrities, and he’s one of the ones who impressed me most. Extremely gracious and even more handsome in person. My favorite, however, was Muhammad Ali. He was wonderful–and I regret not hugging him.
>Yah, what Mothergoosemouse said is true for me too. My intern was over the moon that she shared girlie bathroom conversation with Avril Lavigne.
>I worked in a department store when I was in college. Jessica Lange came in with two of her kids. I didn’t even recognize her at first, until one of the other employees pointed her out. They were all too nervous to deal with her, so I rang up her clothes. I try not to be too impressed by celebs, but I couldn’t help telling her that Rob Roy is one of my favorite movies (it is, although her character gets raped, which she might not have wanted to remember, in retrospect). She got all embaressed and put her sunglasses on. She was really nice, though, and seemed pretty normal. I also saw Tom Arnold at a Planet Hollywood. I actually didn’t know who he was (you can tell I keep my finger on the pulse of popular culture), but my then-boyfriend recognized him. Which was funny, becase said bf wasn’t from the US. He came over and said hello and whatnot, but I was still trying to figure why I cared.And I guess that’s it. I suppose that celebs don’t really hang out at, like, you know, the grocery store and Old Navy. In the midwest.
>I have way too many celeb encounters but my two favourite ones are Rod Serling of Twilight Zone fame. He was in line with his kids behind us at Disneyland and refused the courtesy line skip they offered him. He and my dad traded daddy stories for the next thirty minutes or so and he patted my head. My kind of daddy.The other fav. Is actually one of my hubby’s many encounters with Jackie O. There was a flight delay at the little Martha’s Vineyard airport. She loaned the sweater off her back to a stranger’s child.
>Oh, forgot I saw Jason Lee leaving a chicken place outside the Screen Actors Guild in L.A. (across from La Brea Tar Pits — woo-hoo!). He was all Earled out with that bigole mustache and crazy hair, carrying a sack of chicken, and we grinned at each other like we each “got it” and were too cool to make a little scene. Heh. The guy I was with was visiting from Germany and had no idea who Jason Lee was, so I had to call my sister on my cell to tell her. ;^)
>Hey there….long time reader, first time commenter! lolYour blog just makes me giggle…which is why I put it as one of my 5 in celebration of Blog Day!So…happy Blog Day!
>Long time reader as well. I sang with Garth Brooks and Sawyer Brown once in high school. (Many years ago…) They came to play basketball at a benefit game our school was holding with procedes going to the women’s shelter. I was in the chorus and we always sang the National Anthem before ball games. At the time I wasn’t even into country music (silly girl)and so was really not impressed at all when they showed up. Didn’t understand all the hoopla at all. Garth was standing right behind me and as we began to sing he put his arm around me and looked at me like I should be all giddy.For about a month after that, everywhere I went in our little two horse town people would literally stop me and be like ~ you’re the girl Garth put his arm around! You’re so lucky!Yeah, they don’t get out much down there…
>George Clooney is from my hometown (SMALL town in northern Kentucky). His parents still live there and he occasionally visits. I’ve run into him a couple times at some local stores when I’ve been back home. And – yes ladies – he is just as HOT in person. YUMMY!
>I spent a long night in Garth Brooks’ face when we had a whole film crew, lights, and camera equipment shoved into an alley off of Church Street while filming one of his Chris Gaines videos. It was right after his mother had died, and he was visibly sad and seemed exhausted. Even so, at 4 in the morning when we were all irritable and tired, he made it a point to joke with me, a dirty spfx assistant who had been up in his face with a hudson sprayer all night. My only disappointment was him leaving before dawn so I didn’t get to sing ‘ain’t going down til the sun comes up’ while we wrapped.Nice guy.
>Oh here’s a good story. Shania Twain’s kazillionaire husband Mutt is really reclusive and has bought the rights to almost every photo ever taken of him. There are only one or two out there that he hasn’t been able to buy- so when you see any biography of Shania, you’ll see the same picture of Mutt used over and over and over again. It gives editors FITS trying to find creative ways to use the same photo 50 different times!
>oh…I was so excited to tell you I picked your blog for Blog Day, I forgot to tell you my celebrity encounter story.It was back in the mid 90s…not sure the exact year, but well…it’s obviously been a while. I was in NYC…seeing a show, doing some shopping. I usually go with other people, but I was there by myself….and I’ll admit it, I was a little lost. I was trying desperately to figure out which subway I needed to get on to set my lovely self to SoHo.So…as I was heading towards the Subway tunnel and about to find someone to ask…out walks Ethan Hawke. Yes, THE Ethan Hawke.So…I thought, “Ask a perfect stranger who might kill and murder me or Ethan Hawke?” I decided Ethan Hawke was the safe bet. I asked him. He told me that it was the right train…something about switching trains, etc. I thanked him and started down the stairs on my way. And then he said, “Umm…do you know who I am??”Seriously….are you really asking me if I know who you are? Mr. I’m in Reality Bites wanted to know if I knew he wasn’t just a nice pedestrian, but he was Mr. Hollywood Actor. So…kind of surprised and a little put off…I said, “Umm…yeah..you are Ethan Hawke. Thanks for the directions” and I was on my way. So…if you ever see Ethan Hawke…please let him know that you know who he is. Don’t try to be all cool and treat someone just like a normal human being…obviously he’s so NOT into that. *giggles*P.S. Maybe Martina is just trying to save the environment and conserving water!
>I met (and interviewed) Valerie Bertinelli years ago (31) when we were both 16. It was an article for my high school paper, and she was in our small midwestern city doing a telethon. “One Day at a Time” was a big hit at the time, and the male student with me was practically drooling over her. My teenage opinion at the time was that she was sort of stuck-up, but my adult self feels sort of sorry for her. A child/teen actor has to have a pretty hard life in a lot of ways.
>My kid went to pre-school with Steve Young’s kid. Steve was a 49ers QB and Hall of Famer. He does Toyota commercials in N. Cal. and everytime my kid sees one he says, “Why does he get to be on TV when my daddy doesn’t? It’s so not fair.”
>I once ran into Willie Nelson at a rest stop in Texas. He winked as we passed each other on the sidewalk He was coming out and I was going in. I think the wink may have been the result of my double-take.
>I once ran into, or actually ran away from MC Hammer. But that’s not nearly as entertaining as finding out the hard way that Martina McBride doesn’t flush. Classic.
>I once sold Martina McBride a coffee and Reese’s peanut butter cups at a concession stand in my tiny hometown. She was performing there as part of our little town’s “festival.” This was around the time she released her first album, so yeah, a while back. 🙂 I’m waiting for you to score a play date with Jack White and Karen Elson’s children. I think Punky and Bruiser would click with Scarlett and Henry. And then, of course, you could tell your adoring public all about it. PLEASE??? 🙂
>I have more celebrity encounters than I care to think about. Some are gross, some are weird, but some are just great. Talking books with David Byrne, for example, was amazing. But here’s one of my favorites.The Monkees (minus Mike) played a reunion show at the club where I used to work. In the middle of load out after the show, I cut my finger on something and started bleeding pretty badly. Our first aid kit was mounted on a wall, and Mickey Dolenz’s drum kit was parked directly below it. Sadly, I am 5’2″, and the drum kit rendered me unable to reach the first aid kit. While I stood there and pondered how to get a band-aid without bleeding all over the drum kit, Mickey Dolenz himself came up and asked what was wrong.”I’m bleeding,” I said, and showed him my finger. “I need a band-aid, but can’t figure out how to reach one without bleeding all over your kit.”He just smiled, reached over his kit, grabbed me a small fistful of band-aids, and walked away.Oh, and Christine? I would eat my own big toe for the chance to meet Eddie Izzard.
>On our very first date, my husband and I went to a Richard Marx concert (excuse me, I have to take a call from 1989….okay, I’m back). Anyway, years later we met him few years ago at a promotional event. He remembered the concert that went went to so many years ago, because it had been a special event he did with his dad, who has since passed. He was friendly and kind. And……he doesn’t have a mullet anymore.
>Well I was a guest on Oprah, it was so exciting I almost peed my pants..
>I dated Brad Pitt’s little brother when I was in college. It was right before Brad moved to Hollywood. I stayed at their parent’s house for Easter weekend. Brad was into drawing cartoons at that time…Their family was such a kind and loving family.
>I love your story! The perfect ending. I peed next to Liv Tyler in Bliss Soho. She did flush though. Like Mothergoosemouse, I can’t say too much, working in advertising. There are a lot of celebrities, and a lot of celebrities in their own minds. Not sure which is worse.
>lindsay, i waited after a rickie lee jones show recently and talked with her! i told her that “flying cowboys” had gotten me thru some teen angst and she said, “you know, whatever helps”…also i met cs lewis’s stepson, douglas gresham at a conference and chatted with him,also the lead singer of an Irish music group, Iona, thrilling for me…and most of the members of Jackyl, who had the hit single, “Chainsaw song”.
>My husband will be jealous. Ricki Lee Jones is one of his all-time favorite singers. 🙂
>she was very california free-lovin hippiesque…her voice is so amazing, i was stunned during the concert at her range, going from almost a whisper to a perfect pitched yowl. beautiful. she is one of my favorites also.
>wow, this is such a fun list! I saw Elaine from Seinfeld trying on the coat which I couldn’t afford at a banana republic in santa monica. I was not amused when she asked if they had anything smaller than the extra small (of course i had tried on the large).I think I would be more “star-struck” by writers then actors. Although it is strange that I become innately excited when I recognize the local news anchor at the market :)I would love to sit down and have a coffee and a heart to heart with Margaret Atwood for instance. Someone who could inspire me.Although dating Brad Pitt’s little brother is pretty cool too!
[…] The column that I wroteshould have been no big deal. The way I saw it, if Martina even read it, she would either consider it too minor and local (and maybe, dare I say, funny?) to even bother addressing– or she’d have one of her “people” write a sarcastic and humorous letter to the editor assuring Nashvillians that she usually does flush, and that the situation I wrote about was highly unusual. […]