Hello, Carol
Sunday, July 31st, 2011
The name Carol Channing is well-known to me, as my friend David is perhaps her biggest fan. So it was incredibly appropriate that I finally got my own chance to meet her in his presenCe. In fact, he snapped the picture of us! But for those of you who don’t know much about her résumé, I’ll tell you a bit. As an actress/singer/comedienne, she is the recipient of three Tony Awards (including a Special Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award, and as Best Actress in a Musical for her part in Hello, Dolly – for which she is perhaps best known). She even received an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe win for Best Supporting Actress in Thoroughly Modern Millie. And she has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for the cast album of Hello, Dolly. Good stuff, indeed. Read the rest of this entry »
The handler spoke with a heavy accent, so I naturally thought I had heard her incorrectly when she gave me the price of Mary Wilson’s autographed photos, when she made her appearance at the Hollywood Show on Saturday, October 9, 2010. Mary Wilson, if you didn’t know, was not only one of the three founding members of The Supremes (along with Diana Ross and Florence Ballard), but the only member to stay for the entire duration of the group from 1959-77. Now you might be guessing that the price was some overblown, outrageous amount, and typically I’d second that emotion – but you’d be wrong. 
What an odd way to get famous. Come to Hollywood to pursue a career in acting. Wind up with the worst director on the planet. Star in a handful of the worst films ever made. Take a break from acting for 25 years. End up starring in another 70 movies, all of which have titles as captivating as Fart: The Movie, Test Tube Teens From the Year 2000, Hell Comes To Frogtown III, and Zeppo: Sinners from Beyond the Moon! I could go on. Then amidst all of this, make appearances at celebrity shows selling your autograph. It’s like Conrad Brooks had a plan. Let’s call it “Plan 8”.