I've met lots of celebrities, but usually at concerts, and meet-and-greets. In other words, when I left the house, I expected I was going to meet a celebrity, and probably had my camera and something for them to sign for me.
I met Randy Bachman that way about 12 years back. He had just written his book "Takin' Care of Business" and was doing a bookstore tour to promote it. I selected a couple of Guess Who albums, a BTO album, and one of his solo albums for him to sign, and I bought a copy of his book. I didn't have a camera with me, as this was before cell phones (for me anyway) or a digital camera that fit in my pocket. He came off a little bit grouchy during the signing, but he had his guitar and spoke and sang for about an hour, telling stories and singing tidbits of songs. And this was before he toured doing the same thing, and got the CBC show "Vinyl Tap".
I met Adam West (yes, Batman!) at the opening of a mall somewhere in the west end of Toronto, or Mississauga back in the mid 70's. I, unfortunately, don't remember a lot of details but my younger brother Dave was a big fan of the Batman series in reruns, and I had been a big fan when it originally ran in the 60's. I still didn't drive but we somehow talked Dad and the family into driving all the way to this new mall to meet Adam West. I stupidly didn't get an autograph, and didn't even own a camera at the time, but I met him and shook his hand. He admired my brother's t-shirt, which I had painted, in the days before you could easily buy superhero shirts in any Walmart. He even said that next time he needed a new outfit, he'd give me a call. He was in full Batman costume and I was shocked at how it limited his vision and hearing. Not very good for a crime-fighter, I wouldn't think.
My best story is about William Shatner. In the mid-seventies Mr Shatner was doing commercials for Loblaws ("More than the price is right but by gosh...") and he was, apparently, doing an appearance at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. I say apparently because I had no idea. I was at the Exhibition with my two sisters who had gone into the Loblaws display to pose with a cardboard cutout of the Bay City Rollers. While they were doing that I looked around and noticed Shatner standing there, watching my sisters as well. I went over to talk with him, mostly about Twilight Zone, as I wasn't much of a Star Trek fan at the time. He seemed quite happy to have someone to talk to, and reminisced about how much fun Twilight Zone episodes had been to make. When my sisters were finished Shatner asked me if I wanted an autographed photo and I said, sure. He signed it "Hi Mike, William Shatner". I still have it, somewhere in the house...
I met Emilie-Claire Barlow (look her up on YouTube if you've never heard of her) a couple of times, once just before a meet-and-greet at Toronto City Hall during the 2012 Toronto Jazz Festival. I guess I kind of stalked her--I had heard that she would be interviewed by Jazz FM, which was broadcasting live from Nathan Phillips Square, so my daughter and I went and hung around. When the interview was finished I asked if she would pose for a picture with me, and she was happy to. After, my daughter and I borrowed *ahem* a Toronto Star with an article about her in it, and we found her again and got her to sign it. I had to work that night so I couldn't wait until the actual meet-and-greet, but she was very sweet about it. Two months later we drove to Picton to see her in concert and we met her again after the show. I showed her the photo of us in Nathan Phillips Square, and she signed it for me. She didn't really remember me, but she remembered my daughter, the photographer of two pictures of Emilie and me.
More to come in part two, whenever I feel like writing it...
Michael
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