After watching her rehearsal in Vegas ( you could do that in the 70's), I was invited to coffee with Connie Stevens- we spent about an hour together. She showed me pictures of her daughters, who were babies at the time. I met a number of performers that way.
I attended to a number of celebrities (over the years) in a barber shop I first worked in. They would come in when visiting or performing in Chicago:
My favorites:
Cesar Romero was a most gracious man- quite charismatic!
Ann Margaret and her husband, Roger Smith were warm and friendly. Roger has Myasthenia Gravis- I had experience cutting hair for those who suffered that affliction.
An old vaudevillian named Gimpy Gaits was a hoot- he was the uncle of David Brenner and still performing in clubs at age 70.
There was one who was difficult. A famous (La Scala) operatic diva - who has now passed away. The woman was a nightmare.
Once, while traveling to a Wisconsin summer rental cabin, hubby and I drove into a downpour. We stopped at a little log cabin restaurant/bar to wait it out.
The place was empty, save for the owner, 2 fellows playing guitar on a little stage and a couple more guys at one table.
One of the guys was Bill Medley (Righteous Brothers) who was there for the weekend, to visit a buddy.
With the weather so bad, no one else came in- we all ended up at one table together, eating, listening to stories and guitar, singing and making the best of the storm.
What a beautiful voice that man has.
I met a number of celebrities as a youngster- some of my family were in the production end of the Movie/Television Industry in California. Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were neighbors when they lived in Hollywood during their early years.
Lucy invited me in for milk and cookies when I was a kid, (visiting family)
They were always ready with a big smile and wave.
My family knew Jackie Gleason too. He took me to lunch lunch at his favorite diner once, when I was a kid. (It was a real railroad car diner) He wore a white coat and white fedora and read the racing forms, while i ate. He never said much, but treated me as he would an elegant lady and gave me a wink of approval for my manners.
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