But I’m not sure what blew my mind more: the fact that the ever-so-simplistic song Mickey lives on in our hearts and continues to conjure up images of valley girls in the early 1980’s, or the fact that thirty years after the fact, I was able to meet the performer of this classic song. It must evoke a rather mind-blowing experience for Toni Basil as well. Afterall, she didn’t write the song, nor does her performance of it stand out as anything that would blow the minds of the American Idol judges – and yet we are still willing to shell out $20 for an autographed photo, based solely on the success of this #1 Billboard song 30 years earlier.
But there was little question that I would pass up meeting a somewhat iconic figure and have her sign that iconic cheerleader image when she made an appearance at the Hollywood Show on April 21, 2012. She was nice enough to pose for a photo for free, but other than that the encounter was mostly unmemorable. In fact, she said so little that I was unsure if she even spoke english!
Incidentally, some fascinating facts I learned when researching Toni Basil and the song Mickey include the fact that she was approaching 40 when Mickey was released and she was portrayed as a cheerleader, that the song was actually written three years earlier and entitled Kitty, and that Toni also appeared in a handful of sixties movies including Easy Rider, Five Easy Pieces, and Head, and continued her career into the 1990’s, including roles in Baywatch and Laverne & Shirley.
Now you know everything you need to know about Toni Basil, including the fact that I met her.
Celebrities of the Spring 2012 Hollywood Show will continue…
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