December 15, 2007 Famous People I've Met

Famous people come in all forms of fame-political, sports, entertainment...I was not really thinking of this until I was reading someones page, and the thing they wanted most was to meet William Shatner. OK I guess.

So I started thinking about what is fame and who have I already met. Anybody famous??

Well i met Cary Grant and his wife Barabra while working at the LA Olympics; I also met Richard Crenna and others at the games , not that would know me from anybody, I was "help" and hence unworthy of doing more than serve drinks, and occassionally get slapped on the ass. Jon-Erik Hexum, I met in the same time period, while working at a reception hosted by Warner Brothers in Marina del Rey. He was killed on the set weeks later.

I knew now famous baseball coach and former player Dusty Baker, but I doubt he even remembers me from school. At the 1979 Long Beach Gran Prix I met Giles Villeneuve, who went on to win the race. At the post race party( where for once I was a guest and not a server) he came over to be interviewed by some reporters, he looked at me smiled and winked. (He died in 1982 in a crash)

At the race at Laguna Seca the next year, I met Paul Newman (actor and racing nut) and Clint Eastwood, although again it was nothing either of them would remember I'm sure.

I met Governor Pete Wilson (California) when he was in office, and before that I met Jerry Brown and former California Assembly Leader Willie Brown. I shook hands with Arnold when he was running for Governator, and also met his predecessor Gray Davis.

I would have to say that meeting Cary Grant was a big deal, because he was extremely well known, was very wealthy...and spend several minutes talking to me. Imagine if you can, we are all there in parking lot in Beverly Hills, and the company I work for has been assigned by the Olympic Committee to handle transporation for these people from this location to the stadium. We have all received two way radios to stay in touch with the coordinators, and my mission is to greet each person, offer refreshments and assist them getting on the bus. My Grant was the first in line with his wife, and as we waited, he asked for some water, which I served from a pitcher of ice water. As he drank, and thanked me, he asked about some pins I was wearing- Warner Brothers had asked us to wear their logo shirts or label pins, and additionally other companies had asked we wear their pins-Xerox, etc, all appropriately Olympic themed..he asked about the pins, and we just exchanged small talk. I heard the sirens coming, an indication that the buses under police escort were near, and soon my radio cackled for me to get ready; we had to load them up and head the buses out quickly. As I helped Mr. Grant on the bus, he squeezed my hand and said" Thank you miss, for a most enjoyable conversation" As the door closed and the bus roared away, i noticed an envelope on the ground, and picked it up: turning it over I saw it had the Olympic rings at the top and was an invitation to the ceremonies they had just left for " The Organizing Committee of the Los Angeles Olympic Games cordially invites Mr Cary Grant and Mrs. Barabra Grant to ..." I have it in a keepsake box somewhere around here...gee, that was 23 years ago...