Close Encounters of Famous Kind
Nope, I’ve never met E.T. But I can definitely say I have had some close encounters, if not actual face-to-face contacts, with people who have seen their time in the limelight.
First off, there’s our very own hometown hero, Steve Wariner. I have vague, but memorable morsels of meetings with Steve, who was a few years ahead of me in school. I even bought one of Steve’s guitars through Vic Zinn, who many of you remember owned a music shop in Noblesville where I took guitar lessons. I didn’t know Steve well at all, but I enjoyed many years strumming the six string of a future superstar!
Then came Michel Dion. He was an up-and-coming French Canadian goalie for the Indianapolis Ice. Just prior to going to the NHL, I met Michel as a teenager while working at Fox Prairie golf course. My heart skipped many a beat when he asked me out on a date! It was just one dinner and a dream ago, but I swooned about that swan song moment for years to come!
In November 1975, (as a sophomore in high school and unbeknownst to my parents), I attended a fraternity party with some friends at Indiana University, when Todd Rundgren came to the frat’s front door. He had just finished his concert on campus and came calling to the Sigma Phi house. When he got there, the first thing he said was “Hello, it’s me!” Yes, he really did say the very same words from his hit song. Consider me delighted and dumbfounded.
Now it’s a few years later, when I’m actually SUPPOSED to be on a college campus – and the one opposite of IU (Go Boilers!). Enter the humble Harry Chapin. I was a groupie extraordinaire. I went (as I did at all of Harry’s concerts I attended) after the concert to give all of the money I had collected between concerts for WhyHunger – Harry’s charity of choice. After that particular concert at Elliott Hall of Music, I somehow missed the chance to personally hand over my “fan funds” at the band’s meet & greet. So what did I do? I traipsed out to the now non-existent hotel where Harry was staying to hand in my opulent offering. Much to my dismay, I missed my hero, Harry. However, I WAS able to hand it to his band member, Big John Wallace, with whom I was almost equally enamored!
Leaving the land of music, I enter the realm of sports figures. First there was my next-door neighbor, Jim “Jimmy” Givens, in Findlay, Ohio.
A shortstop and second baseman at Kent State, he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1991. We watched Jimmy as a Toledo Mud Hen, turned Tiger for several years. It was a privilege to watch our sweet young neighbor grow into to an accomplished athlete.
Speaking of Findlay’s finest, you may have heard of Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger? No, I didn’t know him personally. However, Ben’s baby sister, Carlee, was a kindergarten classmate with my daughter Callie and an occasional visitor at our Beecher Street home. As it turns out, Carlee had her own claim to fame as an accomplished basketball phenom-turned-volleyball-star at the University of Oklahoma.
Remember the 1992 Rodney King riots? I sure do, because Rodney and I shared the same attorney – at least initially – Steve Lerman. Several months earlier, I had been vacationing in Los Angeles when I was the victim of a bad car accident on the Hollywood Freeway. Since I lived in Ohio, I needed to hire a local L.A. attorney to represent me. Much to my dismay, the Lerman law firm dropped my case to focus on their new client. But as karma would have it, King canned Steve Lerman as his counsel and opted for new representation by attorney Milton Grimes.
Now this next one is a bit of a stretch, so bear with me – Major League Baseball star Clayton Richard. I know him vicariously as one of my son-in-law Cory’s lifelong best friends and former McCutcheon High teammate. Also, Clayton’s sweet wife Ashley threw a baby shower for my daughter Erin.
As time rolled on, I had my very own brush with fleeting fame. From 2013-2015, Angie’s List ran a national ad campaign featuring my precious Great Pyrenees pup, Riley, and I. It aired throughout the 50 states. What fun it was hearing from people in various ages and stages of my life, claiming to have seen me on TV. You can check it out at: https://youtu.be/exkPP1eKNuM
We now return to our regularly scheduled show of REAL celebrities – Hunter “Patch” Adams. I met this intriguing fellow as a keynote speaker at the National Wellness Conference at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where I also was a presenter. The truth is, he was nothing whatsoever alike his alter-ego Robin Williams in the movie version “Patch Adams” which premiered in theaters in 1998. Unlike the teddy-bearish, playful and engaging Robin Williams we all knew and loved, Patch was, in reality, 6-4, weighing less than 160 pounds, with waist-length gray braided hair and a handlebar mustache! He was a staunch political activist, as well as a medical doctor, author and even a professional clown. A silly side note – he actually inspired me to consider going to clown school to supplement my social work practice with injured and abused children. But, believe it or not, it was too expensive a venture. Who knew?!
My tenure at Purdue produced so many wonderful career opportunities, including my chance meeting with Dr. Will Miller. Known by many for his comedic fame, he was a semi-regular on the syndicated Bob and Tom radio show. I met Dr. Will when I enlisted him as a keynote speaker for the National WorkLife Wellness symposium. When Purdue women’s basketball coach Kristy Curry, who I had originally contracted as the keynote speaker at the symposium, unexpectedly left for Texas Tech, I reached out to Dr. Will, to take her place. He readily accepted and was a huge hit as our headliner! I have since been a fan of this man of many talents – an ordained minister, former stand-up comedian, keynote speaker, teacher and full-time therapist. He was also known for being Nick at Nite‘s resident television therapist. My hero!
In addition to my full-time position as the Purdue WorkLife Specialist, I also toyed with several other part-time gigs, including working the football stadium’s press elevator, where I encountered my favorite Purdue icon – Gene Keady. I ushered him up the elevator at every home game. I felt so honored when I saw him at campus and alumni events or just out in the community. He always called me by my first name (well, close, Brianna). Working at Ross-Ade stadium, I also rubbed shoulders with other Purdue greats, such as Joe Barry Carol and Bob Griese. Those were the days!
When you get to my age, there have been endless opportunities for copious encounters of all kinds. There may be more that my frail mind may fail to recall, but there you have it – my memorable moments of regal recollections. What about you? Who were your own close encounters with those of fame, fortune or other preponderant personas?
Branna (McCarty) Shores believes that “HOME is where your story begins.” A Noblesville native and proud graduate of NHS and Purdue University, she is a professional speaker, advocate for mental health and work / family balance and retired social worker. Branna is the mother of two grown daughters, six precious grandchildren and wife of one brave husband! Her passions include singing, writing and sharing the lighter side of life through lessons learned, both personally and professionally. She can be contacted at [email protected]