Brush with Fame

Paul in Prague

In the business, journalists call it a “get.” Barbara Walters got Anwar Sadat, Oprah Winfrey got Michael Jackson–one of those famous, charismatic individuals who have achieved iconic status.

Early in my career, I almost got Paul McCartney. Almost.

I had just moved to Santa Barbara County to work for the CBS affiliate. On my first day, the chief editor says, “You should have been here last week. You probably would have interviewed  Paul.”

I didn’t need to ask, “Paul Who?”

The editor told me how Paul and Linda had flown in to shoot the SAY SAY SAY video at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch outside Los Olivos. Paul gave a few interviews. The editor showed me the unedited video. I wanted to sob like a teenage girl who had just missed The Beatles’ Limousine.

Had I started work just a few days earlier.

Since then, I’ve interviewed governors and  senators, astronauts and ocean explorers, presidential candidates, Hollywood celebrities, and a couple in Lompoc, California who loved purple so much everything they owned was purple (including their house, car, and clothing). But the Purple People and most of my other “gets” pale at the thought of getting the chance to interview Paul. It would have been the quintessential OMG to shake hands, question, and hob-nob with one of  the Fab Four, my heroes growing up–and to this day.

I’m gushing, aren’t I? Are journalists permitted to gush?

I suspect my interview with Sir Paul would have gone quite similar to the classic SNL skit with Chris Farley.

Now I did have lunch with Ricky Nelson when I worked at Disneyland, but that’s another story.

So SAY SAY SAY. Who’s the most famous person you’ve ever met? Share your Brush With Fame in the comment section below (a lot of people have been posting their brushes with fame on the KNDU Facebook page. Check them out, too.).