Tracy Morgan signing my painting

It was last Saturday, April 10, 2011, when I was more prepared than I've ever been before. It was the premiere of the movie Rio and I had 7 paintings that I took with me to get signed. I got to the Chinese Theatre at 10:30am to grab my favorite spot on the sidewalk. It was a beautiful day and I was ready to wait for hours.

I had paintings of Anne Hathaway, George Lopez, Will I Am, Tracy Morgan, Jane Lynch and Jamie Foxx, although he had already signed his a couple months earlier at the Tonight Show. Soon after I arrived, I had heard a buzz on the street that Johnny Depp was going to make a surprise appearance even though he wasn't in the movie.

I immediately called Connie to see if she had left the house yet because it just so happened that I had a half completed Johnny Depp painting hanging on her wall. It turned out that she had already left her house and was on her way down to the premiere and I told her we'll just try to get Depp at a future premiere. I had 6 paintings and that was sure be enough to keep me more than busy.

There were only about 20 people there, mostly regular autograph seekers, by 11:30. I was busy answering questions of the people that were passing by; "What's going on here today?"... "What stars are going to be here?"... "What time is the event?"

The crowd was growing at an unusually slow pace and the few of us that had gathered were hoping they would start the event now because we were sure to our stuff signed.

Hunter, Connie's son called me and said they were on their way back home to get the Depp painting since they were still in their neighborhood. They got to the theatre at about 12:30. The crowd was still very small and there was plenty of room for Connie and Hunter when they arrived. They were just getting out there cameras when a group of about 6 or 7 Japanese students recognized me. One of the students said, "Hey, I know you!" I assumed I knew where he knew me from and he said, "I've seen you on TV in Japan!"

These students were all so nice, friendly and polite. I gave each of them a starpaintershow business card and told them to "friend" me on facebook. One of the guys handed me my card back and wanted me to autograph it for him. How funny is that? The autograph seeker signs an autograph! Yuki was the only girl in the group of students. She was as nice as the rest of them and I showed her my portfolio with most of my older paintings in it.. I really need to update that book and get my newer paintings in it.

It was now close to 2:00 and the first car was just arriving. I was so excited, surely I'd get most, if not ALL of these paintings signed. When the first SUV pulled up, I saw the disaster that was going to ruin the whole day. The premiere-event-planning company for the first time ever had built a solid wall for the backdrop that the stars were going to take their pics against. This wall was about 100 to 150 feet long and it was set up on the sidewalk blocking our view of the courtyard of the theatre. When the first car arrived, one of the security guards had the driver stop their vehicle right next to the wall so the car and the wall completely blocked our view from seeing who was getting out of the limos. Now add the normal Sunday afternoon traffic, including about a billion busses stopping in front of the parked limos, and we were sunk.

Limos and SUV's continued to pull up, unload their passengers and we were constantly being blocked by the traffic, the limo and the wall.. and there was nothing we could do about it. This wall was genius for the security guards needs. For a split second, Will I Am looked across the street at me through the traffic as i was waving my painting at him but he was then blocked out by another bus stopping in the traffic. When the bus finally moved, Will had disappeared behind that wall.

Anne Hathaway arrived and just waved from across the street and it was clear that she had no intention of crossing Hollywood Blvd. to sign anything. I never saw George Lopez, he was obviously one that was completely blocked out by the all the obstacles. Jane Lynch never showed up and Jamie Foxx was the only celebrity to cross the street and sign things for his fans. He was signing everything that they were waving at him. He signed this portrait that I had of him at the Tonight Show on Jan 5, but he signed it from in his limo and we never got any clear footage that it was actually him signing it so I brought the painting with me here to see if he'd sign the same painting again. He was making his way toward me, signing things, and when he was a couple feet away, he saw that this painting was the same one that he signed a few months earlier so he quit signing at that point and just walked down the street, "high fiving" people's hands that were outstretched.

That story about Depp showing up turned out to be just a rumor.

The afterparty was at the Roosevelt Hotel, kiddy-corner from the theatre. The premiere started around 2:00 and that gave us until about 3:30 when the stars would leave the theatre and make their way to the party across the street. I heard from someone on the street that Will I Am was already inside the Roosevelt, he must have got in his limo and drove across the street because. Jessie Eisenberg walked across the street with his entourage but kept his hands in his pockets and kept his head down as they all walked down the sidewalk. He didn't sign a thing.

I had thought about leaving several times figuring that I missed everyone and the day turned out to be a total blowout. I had no reason to hurry home so I continued to wait.. and wait. It was somewhere between 4:30 and 5:00 when Tracy Morgan appeared in the crowd. He was late getting out of the theatre and he was still on the other side of the street signing things for the fans. I was hoping that he wouldn't be getting tired of all the signing he was doing. There always comes a time when they get "signed out" and they just say, "That's it, I'm done!"

The light turned green and he crossed Hollywood Blvd. I was clearly in his path and he'd have to walk right past me to get to the door of the Roosevelt and now I was just hoping for the best. The light at Orange Ave. turned green and he was crossing the street, walking right toward me. I held my portrait of him up over my head and his pointed at it and said, "Did you paint that?" in his great Tracy Morgan voice. I told him I did and I asked him if he'd sign it for me. He stepped up on the curb, took the painting and signed it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvnyCXS9VVU

Tracy Morgan saved the day. If it wasn't for him, the day would have been a total waste.

Thank you Tracy Morgan. Also thanks to LACURLS 93 for getting the footage of Tracy signing.

Elizabeth Taylor and my portrait

In mid January 2000, I read the news that said Carole Bayer Sager was going to be presented with her star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. Carole Bayer Sager has written a long list of hits over the years including, "That's What Friends Are For" and "Nobody Does It Better," but personally, what I was most excited about was the announcement that Elizabeth Taylor was going to be in attendance at the Walk of Fame ceremony on Feb. 14, 2000.... Valentine's Day, of course.

Wow, I couldn't believe it. Was I really going to have the rare opportunity to maybe have Elizabeth Taylor sign my painting??? Sure, I didn't know if it was going to happen or not but just the mere mention of her name got me to drop everything else and get to work on painting her portrait... just in case. The shot I chose to paint was from her White Diamonds perfume ad that I had found in a magazine. It was a beautiful shot of her and it was time to get busy.

My schedule at work at that time had me working Sunday and Monday nights, this event was scheduled for the morning of Monday, Feb. 14 so there was no need for me to take a day off of work for this.

I finished the painting in plenty of time and I even got to take a pic of my daughter, Lindsey, who was 4 at the time, sitting next to the painting and smiling at Ms. Taylor.

I go to most of the events alone since I'm the only one with the interest and determination to stand in a crowd on the street for what could be hours for just a possible chance to accomplish what I was going down there for, and this time was no different.

It was a cold February morning and it was overcast but thankfully it wasn't raining. There were plenty of stars there to congratulate Ms. Sager on her big day including; Carol King, David Foster, Kenneth Babyface Edmonds, and Henry Winkler... but sad to say there was no sign of Elizabeth Taylor. I remember Johnny Grant, the honorary Mayor of Hollywood who emceed these events for years was trying to stall the ceremony, waiting and hoping for the day's biggest star to arrive. In one sense I felt bad for Carole Bayer Sager, this was her day and yet everyone there was waiting for someone else. Of course this was not just any ordinary someone else and I'm sure she understood everyone's anticipation. Johnny Grant did the sound check to make sure that the sound system was up and running and all the levels were good. I remember he used to half jokingly ask the cameramen if all their needles were jumping because he always wanted to make sure that everything was as good as it could be for these ceremonies.

Still no Elizabeth Taylor and Johnny Grant even made mention that he was stalling for a very special guest.. as he leaned forward and looked down the block one more time before starting the ceremony. Obviously everyone in attendance knew who he was talking about and everyone was just as excited as he was, but it was past time and he decided to start now without any further delays.

The ceremony went off without a hitch and a few of her friends stepped up to mic to say a few words to Ms. Sager and to congratulate her on her big day. Elizabeth Taylor hadn't missed it completely, but somewhere near the end of the ceremony, a big, long, black limo pulled up in a space that was specially reserved for this super star. Her driver walked around the car, opened her door, offered his hand and out steps this radiant vision, Elizabeth Taylor. I swear she was glowing. Her driver escorted her from the car to the stage and I remember thinking to myself, she looks absolutely flawless. She was perfect in her every move. She had that gorgeous smile and she waved that old time Hollywood starlet wave just as the women probably did back in the 30's and 40's. It was very royal looking. She was very much in control of her every movement as she smiled and waved, turning her entire body slightly to the left and then slightly to the right as she faced all the cameras that were snapping away. Time seemed to stand still for me for awhile, I was just soaking in the moment, visually recording what I was witnessing and also being aware of the emotion I was feeling, it was quite a moving experience. I mean she has to be the biggest movie star on the planet. I guess that's what being a super star is all about.... when they have this magnetic charm about themselves that just commands attention. I also remember that she seemed genuinely appreciative about all the attention she was getting and that was so refreshing to see.

The day started out honoring Carole Bayer Sager, but I think she pretty much handed over the torch when Elizabeth Taylor showed up.. and now the day seemed to be more about her. Every time Ms. Taylor would smile and wave, I'd raise my painting of her in the air over everyone's head so she could hopefully get a look at it. That part is always a challenge for me, getting the star to see my painting but also not making everyone behind me mad because the painting that I'm trying to show her is just a 22' x 28" placard that's now in their way. I kept raising it up whenever her head was turned my way and I could tell by watching her eyes that she saw my portrait at least a couple times, if not more.

The ceremony concluded and it was now photo time. All the Press Photographers no doubt wanted to get pictures of Elizabeth Taylor and Carole Bayer Sager and her other guests and this is the time when it's always more free form, it's the time when all the stars are standing around and all the photographers are yelling their names, trying to get their attention so the stars will be looking at their cameras. It's very competitive because each photographer wants to be the loudest one there so the stars look directly at them. The problem is that there are probably somewhere between 20 and 40 photographers all doing this at the same time. 

This is actually a good time for me because I'm able to yell right along with them, the only difference is that when I get her attention, I'm going to ask her to sign my painting. 


I yelled, she looked, I asked, she turned away. She didn't say yes and she didn't say no. I'm still fine with that kind of response, one reason is that she now definitely knows what I want and the other reason is that she's still here. I always figure that as long as she's still in sight, the game is still on. Again, I yelled, she looked, I asked, she turned away.

A few minutes had passed and by this time, the photo sessions were winding up. It was clear that event was nearly over and people were going to be leaving very soon. Elizabeth Taylor was leaving the photo area and she began walking in the direction of her car. I held my painting up and I kept yelling, asking her to sign my painting while I was also heading in the direction of her car. My only problem was that there's a barricade between me and her and I know there's no way I can walk up to her and hand it to her. My other problem was that she kept herself about 10 feet on the other side of the barricade and if she wouldn't come any closer, there would be no way I could get it to her. Her limo was parked to the west of where we were standing and we were both heading in that direction but soon I was going to hit another barricade that kept me from getting any closer to her car. I was getting a little more anxious now because I'm running out of options... and now I'm at the barricade... fenced in with no where to go. Her driver/escort/body guard took her hand again and walked her back to the car. He saw me yelling and he knew what I was after but he was very professional and did his job without letting anyone interrupt his task. I watched them walk further and further away from me and there was nothing I could do at this point. The car was parked curbside, maybe 70 feet from me and I was standing in the barricaded street, looking at the back of the car as they walked toward it. Funny, although my chances were now looking more than bleak, I somehow still had a little glimmer of hope. They were now at the car and he reached down and opened the door. Again he offered her his hand and she took it as she disappeared from my sight as she got in the limo. She's way over there and I'm way over here, stuck behind this barricade. He stepped off the sidewalk and into the street and he bent over a bit so he could be as much support for her as possible. 


Something just told me to do it now! This was my moment, it was going to be now or never. As she took her seat and let go of his hand, with all my might, I yelled as loud as I could, "HEY BUDDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

He looked at me. I couldn't freakin' believe it, he actually looked at me... and raised his head. I had his attention and he was waiting for me to say something, "CAN YOU GET HER TO SIGN THIS????" I shouted at the top of my lungs. He very calmly bent back down toward the limo and had a few words with Ms. Taylor, obviously relaying my request to her. He then stood up straight and began walking toward me. There are plenty of events where I can't, for whatever reason, put my portrait directly into the star's hand myself, in which case I'm waiting for an angel. As this man got closer to me, I remember thinking, "This might really happen. I might actually get Elizabeth Taylor to sign my painting of her." Of course there's a chance that he might get to me and say something like "She said no but thanks for painting her." or something like that. He came up to me and asked me what my name was. I told him "Randy" and he took my painting and walked back to the car with it. He handed the painting into the car and a few moments later it came back out, signed!

He walked back to me, handed me the painting and he could see how grateful I was as I thanked him repeatedly. He smiled, nodded and went back to the car and they drove away. That man was definitely the "Angel" that I was hoping for. There was absolutely no way I could have gotten her to sign it if it weren't for him.

She signed it, "To Randy    Best Wishes     Elizabeth Taylor"

Thank you Elizabeth Taylor and Rest In Peace. Thank you also Mr. Driver/Escort/Bodyguard and Carole Bayer Sager.

The day Salma Hayek signed my painting

It was mid June in 1999 and Wild, Wild West. starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline and Salma Hayek was due out in a couple weeks. I already had some really bad luck with a beautiful portrait of Will Smith but I'll get into that story another time.

I loved Kevin Kline in the movie, "Love You To Death," where he played an Italian-American-Gigolo-Cheater, but my decision for this premiere was to paint Salma Hayek. Of course as we all know, she is one of the world's most striking women, and that in itself, puts an additional pressure on me because my style of painting. I can paint a man's face with broad strokes of the brush and it just makes him look more rugged... but if I do that to a woman's face, she'd probably want to slap mine. So I had to take extra care in not giving her face any harsh lines and with the way I paint, this was going to be something relatively new for me.

I looked and looked for a picture of Salma Hayek at the shops down in Hollywood that sold celebrity head shots but I just wasn't able to find one that struck me. I finally came across a magazine cover that I really liked and chose that for my painting. I spent a week painting her portrait and that still left me about a week before the Monday, June 28, 1999 premiere at my favorite theatre in Westwood. The Bruin Theatre, located at 961 Broxton was in the heart of Westwood and just a block away from the UCLA campus. The reason the Bruin Theatre was my favorite is that everything just seemed to great for me there. At that one location over the years, I was able to get Steve Martin, Harrison Ford, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner, and Hilary Duff, all to sign my portraits there.

I was happy enough with the way my painting of Salma came out but still a bit nervous to meet her, as always.. but that's part of the fun. The premiere was to be on Monday, but she was now scheduled to be on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on the previous Friday, June 25. I thought, What the heck? I'll go there and that will give me an additional chance to get this autographed, just in case she ends up not signing at the premiere. I started work at 6am so that gave me plenty of time in the afternoon to head down to Burbank to try to catch her at the Tonight Show. The foreman that I worked for at the newspaper, Buck Davis, was always very supportive of my hobby so if the end of the workday wasn't loaded down with all kinds of pressing business, he'd let me slide out of the door maybe a half hour early or so, whenever needed, to get me to my destination in time and this day was no exception.

I got down to Burbank a couple hours before showtime and I was hoping that I hadn't missed Salma's arrival, but getting there in the middle of the day, I just never know. I always work with security and I know where they like me stand and where they don't like me stand, so I always work within their rules to keep from being asked to leave. After a few years, the security staff got to know the guy with the paintings and they knew that I stayed out of their way and didn't cause them to have to come tell me not to do this or that, so by this time, they pretty much left me alone, knowing I'd stay within their rules. It was getting to be late afternoon and the limos were starting to arrive for the several shows that were taping on the lot at the time. Of course when they come up with their heavily smoked or blacked out windows, I have no idea if Ms. Hayek is in this car or the next one, or the one after that... so I just treat all the cars the same and act as if she's in each one of them. I have my little "zone" that I was stand in and it works out well for me and the security. The limos are starting to pour in and I hold up my painting to the window and yell, "SALMA!!! WILL YOU SIGN MY PAINTING?" not knowing if she's even this car or not... but that limo just continued on it's way. Here comes another car and here I go yelling the same line again at the new car's blacked out windows.. and it doesn't stop either. A third limo pulls in, a fourth and sometimes a fifth. I can't recall now how many limos pulled in that day and I yelled my line at each one of them, only to have them keep driving past me.. so I wait patiently for the next one. As each limo pulls in past me, I turn my attention back to the street so I'm ready for when the next  

one pulls in.

With my attention now back on the street, I can hear a woman's voice screaming something way off in the distant background somewhere. At first I didn't think anything of it because the sound was so far away from me, but her insistant yelling made me finally turn around to see what all the commotion was about. I was beyond stunned when I saw that it was none other than the gorgeous Ms. Salma Hayek, standing up in her stopped limo with the top half of her body sticking out of the opened sunroof, waving her arms at me to get my attention as she kept yelling, "HEY!!! I'M SORRY I DIDN'T SEE YOU WHEN I PULLED IN. WAIT FOR ME THERE AND I'LL SIGN IT FOR WHEN I LEAVE!!!" in that beautiful, ever so dreamy, ever so perfect Mexican-American voice of hers. I don't want to be politically insensitive, and I'm not sure if the correct term this week is Hispanic, or Latina, or Latin American, or whatever else I'm maybe supposed to call it but let's face it, someone with an accent from Mexico is probably different than someone from Spain, or Cuba or any other Spanish speaking country.. and whatever she has going for her.. well it just works out perfect.. and it's no news to anyone that that's another thing about her that makes her so charming.

Huh???? Salma Hayek told me to wait for her??????? I'm never leaving this spot. "OK, I'll WAIT RIGHT HERE!!!" I shouted back to her. Looking around, left and right, and smiling from ear to ear... I was  looking for anyone that might have witnessed me just having a conversation with Salma Hayek.

Figures... there was no one there, but that's ok, I know it was for real and I'm waiting here for her until the show finishes taping.

It's usually about another hour and 45 minutes before they come back out after taping the show; they arrive about a half hour before the show, tape for an hour, then another 15 minutes will pass before they leave. When Salma's limo arrived, I was the only one there which would have made it very easy for her to sign my painting if she had only seen me a few seconds earlier, but since she didn't, I knew there was going to be a much bigger autograph seeking crowd of people waiting for her when she leaves the show.

Now by the time that previously mentioned hour and 45 minutes had passed, there was no doubt a lot more autograph seekers than when she arrived. As promised though, her limo exited the gate and she had her limo driver pull over so she could sign for her fans. Being that my paintings are 22" x 28"  and surrounded with a wooden stretcher bar framework that holds the canvas, it is almost a weapon when it comes to standing in a crowd of people that are pushing and shoving each other. That being the case, I usually try to stand back a bit for a short period of time to let some of the people that only want one autograph to get to her window, get her signature and then get on their way. This is usually my plan but the problem is; the bigger the star, the longer the crowd stays there and it never seems to dwindle. Salam Hayek being such a big star, there were lots of professional auograph guys there. They are called "pro's" because that's what they do for a living. They will have a stack of 20 pics or so of the star and when she signs one, they just slide it underneath the bottom of the pile, exposing a new pic waiting to be autographed. They then take these newly signed pics to the souvigneer shops in Hollywood and sell them to the stores. If they get $30 for each celebrity signed pic and they just got 20 of them autographed, that's an easy $600 for a few minutes work. Then they are off to the next event of the day to get more. I'm not a "pro" and I don't sell my paintings, but most of the time standing in the same bunch, waiting for the signature.

Salma was busy signing and signing. She had only rolled her backseat driver's side window down maybe maybe half way and the pro's just kept feeding her their stack of never ending Hayek pics.. and she kept signing them. Because she was so busy signing, it's my guess that she didn't realize that the same 4 or 5 pro's were there feeding her their pics and they weren't runing out of Salma Hayek pics anytime soon.. so she kept signing and signing. Finally she yelled out of the window, "Where's the guy with the painting?" Stunned again, I replied, "I'm right here Salma and I'm not going anywhere!" I still wasn't able to step up to the car becuase the crowd of pro's and fans all jockeying for their best position was still too unruley and if I'm in that mix and someone on my left bumps my painting, it gets pushed to the right and no doubt into someone's head.. so that's why I stand back a bit. Ms. Hayek kept signing away and the crowd still wasn't thinning out any so after a few more minutes, she yelled out again, "I WANT THE GUY WITH THE PAINTING!!" One of the pro's being a funny guy asked in return, "Do you want the guy... or the painting?" He gave the perfect thing to respond to him with, I answered him back with, "What did she say, buddy? She wants The GUY... WITH the painting!!!" we all got our due laughs and that was fun but the crowd still wasn't getting any smaller.

The limo driver obviously listening to all that was being said, quietly got out of his car, walked back to the rear of the car where the crowd around Salma's window was and he tapped me on the shoulder, and without saying a word, he was giving me that "follow me" motion with his index finger as he kept walking toward the back of his limo. I followed his example and didn't say a word back to him, I quickly left the back of the pack of autograph seekers and immediately followed her chauffer. He got to the back of the limo, made a left turn and kept walking, looking back to make sure I was following him, He then walked across the back of the limo and was now on the passenger side of the car and he turned left again. I quickly caught up to him and he now had his hand on the passenger side rear door. I looked at what he doing and I couldn't believe it. He opened the door for me and with a wave of his open palm, he motioned for me to enter the car, as if to say without words, "There you go, my friend, here she is!" Wow, another one of my very lucky moments was taking place this instant and I certainly knew it. Sometimes I'll look back at the events day and realize later what a lucky moment I had.. but not this time.. I knew it right when it was happening. Everyone else was busy trying to force their items to be signed in her window, not realizing that I'm now just on the other side of the car with her door wide open and waiting for me. I handed her my painting and she thought for a few moments about what to write. You can see the crowd on the other side of the car, still sticking their pics of Salma in her window, completely oblivious to what was now taking place on the passenger side of the car. She was amazingly sweet, she wrote, "Randy, you are very talented and I thank you for thinking of me   Love, Salma Hayek." As she was signing my painting, I took my little instamatic camera from my pocket and snapped this pic. She immediately looked up and said, "No pictures please"  I apologized and asked her if she wanted the film from my camera and she said No. She was so nice to sign it for me and with so much thought about what she wanted to write on it, I sure didn't want to upset her by taking a photograph.. but I only took the one pic and it was left at that. She handed me back the paining and we both thanked each other and I also thanked her driver. He undoubtedly knows what a huge favor he just did for me. Now I have a newly signed autograph from the one and only Salma Hayek!!!! Oh yeah, and I shouldn't fail to mention that I WAS IN HER LIMO!!!! Well, I never actually got into her car but the offer was there and the moment there was special enough for me as it was.

I left the Tonight Show with a super cool autograph. Not many stars take the time to say something so thoughtful like that in an autograph... and when I say not many, I mean I can count them on one finger.   :)

That was Friday evening and the premiere for Wild, Wild West was on the following Monday, June 28. I decided to go to the premiere to see if I could get Salma to pose with my painting for a quick pic. I got there hours before the event and waited all day until the movie ended.. then it was time for the stars to walk down the street to go to the after party. I didn't need to be near the front of the pack this time because she had already signed it for me so I just positioned myself along side the red carpet somewhere between the theatre and the party, a short block away. The stars were taking their stroll down the street on their way to the party and some were signing autographs along the way. Salma Hayek was on the red carpet and walking toward me. When she approached where I was standing, I held up the painting again which she of course recognized from the other night. Neither of us had said a word yet and she looked at the painting and then at me with a puzzled look on her face that said, "But I already signed this." I asked her, "Can I take a picture of you holding my painting?" She took the painting from me and she absolutely olbiged me again. This is sort of thing that stars can do to win over fans for life.

Thank you Salma Hayek and thank you Mr. Limo Driver

The day Michael Jackson and Rod Stewart signed my paintings

It was early 1997 when I was at the Tonight Show with my portrait of Rod Stewart, hoping he would sign it for me. As usual in those days, I got there about an hour before the show finished taping. I was talking  with a couple young ladies while we were waiting for the stars to exit the show. I struck up the conversation by asking them if they were hoping to see Rod Stewart or Pierce Brosnan, Jay's other guest that evening. It turned out that Helen and Beth were from England and they said that they were there hoping to meet Jay Leno. I assumed that they were fans of the show and wanted to meet the friendly host.

Helen asked me if I was a big Rod Stewart fan and I told her I was and I also went on to tell her about my collection of signed portraits. She then asked me if I've ever painted Michael Jackson. I laughed and I told her that I have a painting of him. I laughed because Michael Jackson is the only portrait I had ever painted without having some near event planned to try to get the autograph. I have him painted just in case I might have the opportunity someday to get it signed without the week's notice that it normally takes me to complete a painting. The 2 ladies smiled at each other and said that they know him and he's going to be in town in a few weeks.

Stunned, and of course a bit skeptical, I told them to call me when he comes into town. They both smiled and said "No." Still doubting their claims of knowing Jackson, but not wanting to shoot myself in the foot in case they really do know him, I continued with my questioning. Oh, he's going to be here in a few weeks, is he?" "Yes he is," they restated. "And how do you know this?" I asked. They said that they are fans of his and they follow him around the globe at his events and appearances.. and this event that he'll be in town for is what brought them to America. They went on to tell me that they use their homeland as a springboard for their globetrotting adventures when following Michael. They go home to England, get some part time or short term job to save up enough money to fly to Michael's next scheduled appearance and for their hotel stay while they are in town. After his appearance, they return to England to start a new job to save up for their next planned event to see Michael again. I saw shocked and amazed by their story. This was the first time I had ever encountered real "fans" .. as in the word... "FANATICAL!!!!"  They seemed like 2 ordinary, sweet young ladies and certainly not the kind of stalkers that I would have associated with this kind of story. Nevertheless, I'm still engaging them in conversation just in case any shred of what they are claiming is true and maybe, just maybe, they really do know him.

Helen and Beth went on to say that they are there to hopefully talk to Jay, not to talk to him as fans, but to stand up for Michael and to tell Jay to cool it on the Michael jokes. They weren't there in any mean capacity but just to remind Jay that Michael is loved and that they appreciate him for all that he is. I told them that Jay is very nice to any fans that want to say hi to him and that he would most likely pull over and chat with them.

Two limos exited the Tonight Show and neither one of them stopped... so I'm left holding my UN-autographed portrait of Rod Stewart. Jay normally doesn't leave before his guests have left and this day was no exception. Jay finally came out in one of his early model, convertible, sports cars.. something similar to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I stepped out toward Jay as he was leaving the property and told him that there are two young ladies that want to say hi to him. He pulled over and Helen and Beth both stepped up to Jay to have their few words with him. I stepped back a few steps to give them their privacy.. and that's when I had my brainstorm. I had an Instamatic camera in my pocket and I stepped back up to the girls and told them to turn around and that I would take their picture with Jay. Jay is always very accommodating and he smiled his beaming smile as they each took their place around Jay, Helen on the left and Beth on the right. I took one pic and that was it.... this pic would be my hostage, and hopefully it'll be my golden ticket  :)

They finished their chat with Jay and he drove off. They turned to me and I said, "OK, you want this pic????? I'll give it to you if you'll tell me when and where Michael is going to be. They looked at each other again and smiled again. They agreed!!!!!. Now I still don't know if a single word of their story has any truth to it but I'll still take the chance. I told them that I'll go get a couple enlargements made for them and they'll tell me where he's going to be. They gave me their phone number of where they were staying and we said our goodbyes.

I immediately rushed to the one hour film developing store that I was a very regular customer of at the time. I dropped the film off, and walked around the mall for nearly an hour for my very important pics. Anxious, I returned to the store after 50 minutes so I could get them as soon as they came out of the printer. Chris was the guy that was helping me that day. He told me that nothing came out on that roll. "WHAT??? That's impossible!!! I have a picture on there that is sooo important.. it HAS to be there!" He just shook his head and said, "Sorry, there was nothing on the roll." He told me that he threw the roll away and he reached into the trash can to show me the negatives so I could see that there was in deed nothing on their to be developed. He pulled the film out of the trash and held one end of it up in the air, letting the entire roll dangle beneath it. He stepped closer to me and I looked at the whole roll. As I looked down the roll, I saw one image in the center of the otherwise unexposed roll of film. I said, "WAIT, there's something there!!! What is that? Let me see it!!!!" He looked where I was pointing at the film and he saw just one image in the middle of the roll that he of course hadn't noticed when he developed the negatives earlier. He handed me the roll and I held it up to the light and I could Jay and the 2 Brits... "That's it!!! That's the one!!!!! I need one 4x 6 and two, 8 x10's. He said he'd print them tomorrow because it was too close to closing time. I rushed to the mall the next morning and got all 3 prints, They looked beautiful!!!!!



I called Helen and Beth and told them that I have fulfilled my end of the bargain and that I have their enlargements and asked where I could meet them so I could deliver on my promise. They said that wasn't necessary and I could just hold on to them until Michael made his appearance and I could just give their prints then. Even better I thought. I still have the hostage prints in my possession. They told me that he was coming to town to rehearse for Elizabeth Taylor's 65th birthday party. It will be at the Pantages Theatre on Feb 15. It was to be a televised event and a fund raiser for her Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Beth went on to say that on this particular rehearsal day, Rod Stewart will also be rehearsing.

I'll can tell you so many times during these stories about how extremely lucky I am at all this and this is definitely another one of those times. Rod Stewart is the painting I had when I met them at the Tonight Show and he drove off without signing it.. so now I have another chance!

A few weeks went by and the big day was here. I arrived at the Pantages Theatre at about 7am where I saw they had already had all their security up and running.

I worked at the Grammy's from 1995 to 2005 and the job I had was called Talent Credentials. I had all the backstage passes and I would give them to the stars so they could get inside the Grammy's. The Grammy's are so big that not just a star's famous face could get them inside the door, they had to come to me to get their pass or otherwise there was no entrance for them. I had 4 or 5 people working with me ever year and Feb of 96, there was a lady named Jill working with me. I was waiting for Rod Stewart to arrive and the door to the theatre was close to the table where they had the credentials. While waiting for Rod, I looked over and saw Jill sitting behind the table... (another amazing stroke of luck for me). People would come up to us at the Grammy's and ask/plead/beg for a credential so they could get inside to see the show. We know that this will happen and the ONLY way that anyone ever gets a pass is if their name is on the list... otherwise, NO CREDENTIAL!!

Security at the Pantages for Elizabeth Taylor's party was tight, but not as tight as the Grammy's and I asked Jill if she could give me a pass to get inside the theatre so I could see the rehearsal. Jill knew me and knew that I was no threat to security so she slid me a daily stick-on pass. A short while later, a limo pulled up to the curb to the closest spot possible to the theatre door and out jumped Rod Stewart. The crowd of about 30 people all shouted for him as he lept from the limo and was making a beeline toward the door. I could see his eyes caught a glimpse of my portrait and that's when I shouted, "ROD, will you sign my painting?" He stopped in his tracks and turned back around and came to me and signed it. He also signed a few other things that people had for him. The morning was off to a good start for me. One down. one to go!

Michael's first son, Prince, was just 2 days prior to this event and there was a story on the street that the first paparazzi that could come up with a pic of Michael with his baby would earn a whopping, one million dollars. I don't know the truth to that story but I can tell you that the paparazzi there was going crazy. They were even more gutsy than normal. Security for Michael was always high so they built a tent, approximately 30 x 30 and it was connected to the Pantages, of course with an entrance door to the theatre inside the tent. Michael's van pulled into the driveway past the crowd and into the newly constructed temporary garage. Once his van was in the tent, they closed the entrance to the tent and sealed it up tightly so no onlookers could get a peek inside. He went from his van to the theatre without anyone ever getting a glimpse of him.

At some point in the morning, I remember looking up the street and seeing a guy come walking toward the crowd. This guy looked familiar. He reminded me of a kid that I went to elementary school with. He looked like the older brother of a boy that was in my grade and that I shared plenty of classes with. As this guy came closer, I saw that it was in fact the same guy. "Cesar?" I asked, "How are you?" We chatted during the next few hours that morning, only interrupted with news about Michael coming form the crowd. The crowd was shifting, as crowds do, and I lost my spot next to Helen and Beth.. but that was OK because I was now more focused on my newly found old friend. Cesar and I talked about his brother that was my age and my brother that was closer to his age. We talked about the old neighborhood and our elementary school and our teachers. We must have been talking for about 20 minutes or so when I don't know what caused me to turn around, but I saw Helen and Beth inside the fenced lot, about 20 feet away from me and walking away. I yelled their names as loud as I could.. and they heard me. They hurried back to the fence and reached through the chained gate and took my painting. They explained that Michael's personal assistant came and met them at the gate and he is escorting them in to see Michael. They also said that forgot about my painting in all their excitement... Sheesh!!!!

Helen and Beth made a huge embroidered work of art that they had framed and under glass. It was beautiful. The two of them hand made it. It was Michael surrounded by about 10 to 15 cartoon characters.. and it was fantastic.. and they were there to present it to Michael. One of the perks that comes along with following a pop star around the globe is that they learn who his staff is.. and they knew just who to ask for and that he would most likely escort them to see Michael, which he was now doing. They were now inside and I was left outside with all the other waiting fans. I was told that the rehearsal was closed while Michael was performing and that I had to wait outside. I continued talking with Cesar and catching up on the old days. After a half hour or so, Helen and Beth came back out, thanked the man that escorted them back to the gate and they said their thank yous and goodbyes. They handed me my freshly autographed Michael Jackson portrait and they were beaming about having the chance to meet him and give him their gift that made for him. They told me that they know Bobby Jones, that's the name of Michael's assistant that let them in the gate and took them to meet Michael. They know him from seeing him at other Jackson events around the world. I got a look at this Mr. Jones and I would figure him to be in his mid to late 50's, taller than me but not too much taller, maybe around 6 feet tall and he was wearing a beret.

They were just excited as you'd imagine but at the same time, there was also a dejected sense about their story. They said how great it was to meet him but they didn't feel the love they had hoped for from him. I guess this is something that might be common from "Fanatical" fans when they meet their idols and when that idol doesn't return all their love and affection. It was sad for me to see them sad, but it would be impossible for anyone to be as loving as they had hoped for. They said that this was the last time they were going to follow Michael anywhere. They were so sad and now there day was done.. and they went back to their hotel where they were staying.

Now I can have my own little private celebration with my Michael Jackson autographed portrait!! I was beyond ecstatic but I couldn't act so happy when they were so sad. But they had left so now it's my time to show off. I was running around showing anyone and everyone my newest, hottest possession. I showed the crowd that was still there milling around outside on the sidewalk and I also showed Jill and her staff at the credential table. This was the first day that I had 2 paintings signed in the same day and I was going crazy about that too. It was definitely a great day for me. I got both my Rod Stewart and my Michael Jackson portraits autographed... and I still had my daily stick on pass so I could go watch the rehearsal.

I went inside the Pantages and as I was making my way through the lobby toward the theatre when I saw Mr. Bobby Jones walking ahead of me. I ran a few steps so I could get a bit closer to him and I blurted out, "MR. JONES!" He turned back to see me waving my painting at him but he never stopped his stride. I said, "I just want to say thank you for getting my painting autographed." He smiled and waved and said "You're welcome" as he kept up his pace without even slowing. I found the theatre door and went inside, took a seat and watched Rod Stewart rehearse. I left the Pantages a short time later and said goodbye to Jill.

Here's a side note this story which I find as astonishing as anything else.....

I went to work the next day and told all my friends at work about my latest adventure with all the details. When I got to the part in the story where I mentioned the name Bobby Jones, the old timers all looked at each other and began laughing hysterically. I didn't know what was so funny. He wasn't the comedian of my story, he was the hero!!!! They caught their breath and dried their eyes and proceeded to tell me that Bobby Jones used to work for the same company that now employed me and where I had been working for the last 17 years. I told them that they were crazy but they all assured me that it was the absolute truth. Bobby Jones used to work at this newspaper, before I had ever started working there and he used to go to a club in Los Angeles where he used hang out. This same club was also the club where all the biggest names from Motown would hang out and eventually Bobby Jones found his way into that trusted circle and he became the personal assistant to Diana Ross as well as Michael Jackson and so many of the Motown greats. The old timers at work also told me that Bobby Jones' nephews work with us. I told them they are out of their minds and they are making all this up. I saw Martin and Tony that night, Jones' supposed nephews and they confirmed the whole Motown/ Uncle Bobby story, but they added that there was a rift in the family and they hadn't spoken to him in several years. I never got a second chance to thank Bobby Jones but I was happy that I got to thank him that day at the Pantages. I looked him up online recently and saw that he passed away on Sept. 20, 2008.

Thank you Bobby Jones, Helen, Beth, Jill, Jay Leno, Rod Stewart and of course Michael Jackson!!!

Mel Gibson and my portrait of him.

It was announced that Mel Gibson would be honored with setting his hands and feet in cement at the famous Grauman's Chinese Theatre on August 23, 1993.

I looked for a picture of Gibson and the one I found to suit my needs most was the cover for the movie, "Forever Young."

I painted the shot on the cover of that movie and wasn't too happy with what I had done, but by that time, the day was fast approaching and there was no time to to try to start and complete another painting. I've always referred to this portrait as Mel Gibstone, seeing how much it resembled a Flintstone's version of Mel Gibson. I was a little embarrassed but I had to just grin and bare it... and go with what I had.

August 23 came and I was down there early in the morning, knowing that this crowd was going to be even bigger than the usual crowd at a Walk of Fame event because the Chinese Theatre footprint ceremony takes place a lot less often and it's usually reserved for the biggest stars. This was at the heyday of Gibson's career, long before his controversial arrest with the his drunken Anti-Semite display and subsequent domestic situation with his former girlfriend.

Being there early always puts me in the front of the crowd and as close to the actual event as I can possibly be. I learn things as I go and what I found out this day is that Mel Gibson has close ties with Warner Bros. In fact his production company, ICON Productions in on the Warner Bros. lot .All the security guards there that day were all wearing Warner Bros. pins on the lapels of their well tailored blazers. A couple hours before the event, all nerves are still at a low and the security was nice and friendly with the crowd, making conversation with the people that happened to be near by their positions that they were assigned to guard. One of the guards asked me what I was going to do with my portrait and I told him that I want Mel Gibson to autograph it. He just laughed at me and said "That will never happen, Mr Gibson won't get anywhere near you." I thanked him for his insight but told him that I was still going to try regardless and he wished me luck.. but still laughed that same laugh.

Mel Gibson arrived a short time later and he was really working his fans into a frenzy. He strategically walked out to the crowds that were yelling and cheering for him and he kind of urged them on to get the them to scream even louder. I was leaning over the rail that separated the crowd from Gibson as far as I could lean. I had my painting in one outstretched hand and my paint pen in the other. I couldn't believe it, he was coming right toward me. I kept thinking about that security and how wrong he was.. hahahahaha. Mel Gibson was coming right at me with his hand reaching out and he was going to sign my portrait right there in front of everyone. He was smiling as he was walking right toward me and I was holding my painting and pen out for him to grab. He kept walking toward me, closing the gap and had only about 2 feet to go when he suddenly turned sharply to the left and walked away from me. "AAAAAAGGGHHH!!

Oh no, that security was right after all.

The celebration took place and he put his hands and feet in the already drying cement under the hot August sun. He made his speech, cracked a few jokes and then he disappeared into the back of the theatre courtyard, no longer to be seen.

Oh well, you win some, you lose some. He was gone and I didn't get this one signed. I was in no hurry to go anywhere and I just kept going over the events of the day in my mind, wondering if there was something I could have done different. As I was waiting, another WB security guard holding a large, empty trash bag was ready to make an announcement. Standing just a few feet away from me, he yelled out to the crowd, If there's anyone that has any gifts they brought for Mr. Gibson, give them to me and I'll be sure that he gets them!!!" Another golden opportunity just found it's way to me. I asked him what he was talking about. He explained to me that some women had flowers for him and some girls have teddy bears as gifts and that he told these girls earlier that he would collect the gifts from them and deliver them to Gibson. I told him that I wanted him to get my painting to him. He asked me if I wanted to give it to Gibson and I said no, I want it autographed but I just need him to deliver it for me. He said there's no way he could say that it would be signed and I told him not to worry about that, I would be totally responsible to retrieve it but I just need him to deliver it. He kind of had that same kind of laugh as that earlier security guard and he asked me again just to make sure, "Oh, it's going to be YOUR responsibility to get it back??" and I said yes, as long as you can get it to him, that's all I ask. He said that he would and I handed him the painting , shook his hand and introduced myself. He didn't offer his name so I asked. Still shaking hands, he said his name was Ed. I said "Thank you very much Ed,.. and what's your last name?" He paused for just a second. That kind of pause that's only for a split second but long enough to wonder.. "Hmmm, why did he pause like that?"  "Carlos, he said" I shook his hand again and said "Thank you very much Ed Carlos, I really appreciate it, Have a great day."

I handed Ed Carlos my painting and left Hollywood to return home to my VCR to get ready to record all the entertainment news programs and to see if this painting ended up on TV. I got home, turned the TV on and the VCR and began recording. I got on the phone and called Warner Bros. Studios to see about getting my painting signed. I asked to speak with Ed Carlos and was put on hold. The receptionist came back and told me that there was no Ed Carlos working there. I told her that wasn't possible and that I had just met him an hour earlier. He was wearing a WB security jacket and he knew all the other guards there and he was definitely working the Gibson event. She told me that she'd connect with Mr. Gibson's office at ICON Productions and possibly they'd be able to help me. I got a little worked up when she said there was no one there by that name but when she connected with me ICON, that gladly diffused me. ICON answered their phone and with a little less patience this time, I asked for Ed Carlos. She said that she doesn't know anyone by that name and I proceeded to tell her the whole story, from the very beginning. She sympathized with me but again told me the same thing again but she also said that she would connect me with the WB security office.

A little more hot after telling that story for the second time now and a little less diffused when she connected me with security.. but here goes again. "Can I speak to Ed Carlos please?" "We have no one here by that name".. Oh nooooo, somebody working for Warner Bros. stole my painting from me. He gave me a fake name so I couldn't track him down. And he knew that I wouldn't even be able to describe him. He was wearing a WB jacket. They all wear WB jackets. He was a big guy. They are all big guys. He was in his late 20's and he was about 6'1" and weighed about 220 lbs. OK that only describes about 50 of them. I could hear it all now. I was furious!!! But he didn't really steal it, did he?? No, I gave it to him and told him to take it. How could I be so stupid, I didn't even ask him for his card. I didn't know where to turn next. While these phone calls were taking place, I was flipping around the TV, recording all the news programs with footage from the event on the news. I couldn't believe it, there was my painting, right on the news, it was quick but it was there. That made me happy.. for a bit.

I kept recording the other news programs as the evening went on, hoping to catch my painting on TV again.. and guess who I saw.. plain as day... it was quick but there he was.. ED CARLOS... the guard that stole my painting. Now I was even more irate but at least I have some firepower now. My first thought was to take my tape to WB tomorrow and show them their so called security force and how this WB employee stole my painting from me. No, what if they wouldn't hear from me? What if they say there's nothing they can do about it. Hmmm, what else can I do. I kept thinking all kinds of crazy thoughts and knew I'd just better calm down, get some sleep and go at it again tomorrow.

I woke up the next day, still all charged up, like not a second had gone by, still just as hot as I was the day before. I called up ICON productions again and started to tell her my story again. Before I could get my blood to a full boil, she interrupted and asked if she had talked to me yesterday about this painting and I told her I was that same guy. She said she has the painting right there in her office next to her.

I didn't know what to say. I knew I had to go from irate.... to "thank you very much'' in the same sentence. I immediately calmed down and asked her how I could get my painting back.. and this lovely woman asked.. "Well don't you want Mr. Gibson to sign it for you?" WOW, who is this angel on the phone??? "Yes," I said, "I would love that" She said that he would do that but he's out of the country filming a movie. He just flew yesterday to do receive the honor at the Chinese Theatre. I told her I'd love to wait and thanked her again. She told me her name and I told her I'd call her back in a few months.

A few months past and I didn't call her back. I didn't want to hear some excuse of why he hasn't signed it and I probably didn't call his office back for close to a year. I finally called his office back and asked to speak with the same woman. She got to the phone and I started in again about my painting.. this time she had no recollection of what I was talking about.. Here we go again. I started to recall all the gory details of that August 23 an 24 conversation with her on the phone and I could feel myself starting to get all worked up again. She asked me to hold the line for a minute and she put me on hold. She came back about a minute later and she said found the painting and that it was behind a desk, leaning up against the wall in another office. Whew once again. I asked her again how I can get it back and she said that Mr. Gibson would sign it for me today and I can pick it up at his office tomorrow. She gave me an 11:00 appointment and gave me directions to their office. I arrived at the guard's gate at 10:50 and he had no record of my name in his paperwork that would have me allowed onto the property. I told him my story and he called ICON productions, they confirmed my story and he gave me directions to the office once he let me in the gate.

Now nervous as can be, I was on my way to possibly meet Mel Gibson. What would I say after creating such a fuss to his staff?? How could I apologize and where would I find the right words? I followed the guard's directions as I thought of possible things to say. I pulled up to his office which had a little patio in the front, as if you were walking up to someone's house. I stepped up to the door and found my painting in a bag, leaning up against the door. Hmm? Should I knock and say thank you? No. They left it out here intentionally. They obviously meant for me to get my painting without bothering them.. and so that's exactly what I did. I still wish I could have thanked them personally but I know that they know how truly grateful I really am.

Thank you Mel Gibson, Ed "Carlos," ICON Productions staff and WB Security.

The day Kevin Costner signed my painting

One of my top 5 favorite movies is No Way Out, starring Kevin Costner and it's always an extra special treat when I paint and then try to get my portrait signed from one of my favorites.

On August 1, 1996, Tin Cup was set to have it's premiere at the Bruin Theatre in Westwood, one of my favorite theatres. It's one of my favorite because great things just seem to happen there for me.

I had made plans with a friend named Kenny to take him to the premiere with me. I met Kenny a few years earlier at The Tonight Show and I know he's a real autograph enthusiast like me. When someone says they want to go to a premiere with me, I let them know that it can be up to 12 hours, or more, and we may come home empty handed. That kind of long day is too much for most people to commit to and I completely understand that... but not Kenny. I didn't have to warn him of the long day and the fact that we may be leaving there without a thing at the end of the night, Kenny was up for it regardless.

This was an extra special day for me for another reason too. Not only was this the star of one of my favorite movies, but this was one of my favorite paintings. I had gone down to the head shot shops in Hollywood and found a Costner shot that I liked and I painted it. I wish they all came out as good as this Costner painting. Not being formally trained, I can't always produce portraits that I'm crazy about, but this one I just absolutely loved.

The only thing I had heard on the streets is Kevin Costner sometimes signs... IF... he doesn't have his kids with him. The story goes that if his kids are there, he's a very protective father and he doesn't waste their time on signing autographs. Of course I have no idea whether or not he plans on bringing his children to the premiere so I just have to paint it and hope that he doesn't bring them.

I picked up Kenny at 10am and we went down to Westwood and hung out the Starbuck's next to the Bruin. There were some others gathered around for the premiere and we were all just hanging out, talking, and getting to know the people that we are going to be squished together with later that evening. Everyone has their stories of star meetings and we had all day to pass them around. It was a hot summer day and Kenny was getting a bit restless and he told me he was going to take a walk. I told him that I was very happy with my spot and I was not leaving. Kenny was on a mission to try to sneak into the after party so he set out to see what he could do.

I was there sharing stories with some of the other people that I was sharing the Starbuck's patio with, when I heard someone from a distance calling my name. I knew that voice, it was Kenny. I looked around and he said, "Up here" I looked up and he was on the roof of the Bruin. Laughing, I asked him what he doing up there? He told me that he stuck up there, someone had locked the access door that led him onto the roof. He said he has to figure out a way down and he disappeared from sight. Kenny was a resourceful young 20 something year old and since there was nothing I could do anyway, I didn't worry too much about it.

As the day went on, the guys that set up for the premieres were busy at work. We watched them set up the barricades that were there to keep us fans away from the stars and we watched them lay down the GREEN carpet, after all, it was the premiere for Tin Cup, a movie about golfers. The green carpet was laid out in front of the theatre and it then rolled all the way down the the street, a block away.

While Kenny was out trying to snag a couple tickets to the after party, he saw where the green carpet led and followed it... oh yeah, after he pounded on that access door and was let back inside the theatre so he could get back outside.

Kenny would come back to where I was sitting on the patio and check back in with me every couple hours to let me know of his progress. He kept asking me if I wanted to join him but I told him I wasn't leaving.

Sometime in the late afternoon, I'm guessing it was about 4:00, Kenny came running back to the patio with a huge grin on his face like he was ready to burst with some big news. He told me that he followed the green carpet down the street and it leads to the after party where the caterers are setting up for the party. He had met this catering company at another premiere at Universal so they recognized him when he showed up at Tin Cup. He was able to get a wristband from the caterers, but they could only part with one. He begged and pleaded for a second wristband for me but they wouldn't give him one. But being resourceful, he still wasn't finished.

Back at the theatre, it was getting closer to arrival time and the crowd had grown a lot. We were all inside the barricade and I was at the very front of the rail. That's why I get there so early in the morning, to insure my best possible spot among the crowd of thousands that will eventually be there by the time of the premiere.

The afternoon sun had set and it was now early evening when the first of the limos started dropping off the movie execs. That's the normal order of things. First is the execs and the supporting cast, then as it gets closer to showtime, the big stars start arriving.

Rene Russo and Don Johnson had already arrived and now I was just waiting for my big moment when Costner pulls up. His limo pulls up and the chauffeur runs around to open up the curbside rear door. The door opens up and I see little shoes. Then another pair of little shoes. Then finally another pair of little shoes.. and my heart sank.  The Costner kids were of course adorable as can be, all dressed up for their daddy's big premiere, but these kids were my toughest obstacle, so I had been warned.

Just as the talk on the streets had warned me, Kevin Costner did not stop to sign a single thing. Oh well, again, you win some, you lose some. It's what I keep having to say to myself to keep me going at this. I get enough signed, that it keeps me coming back for more. I had invested this entire day for this evening's chance to get Costner to sign my painting and he was now inside the theatre.. so what's another hour and a half, really? I know he's in there and I know he has to come out. Of course I don't know whether he'll be coming out of the same front door that he went in through, but it's all I can do to just relax and wait for the movie to end. That time goes by pretty quickly and the doors open up the crowd of execs, staff, their guests and the stars all start to emerge from the theatre. Costner and his 3 kids are among the last to leave the theatre and here's my last chance. Just as when he arrived. I was leaning out over the rail with my portrait in one hand and my paint pen in the other. I was trying to be like quarterback in the hand off. Here comes Costner, my receiver, smiling and waving and walking right toward me. I'm stretched out as far as I can and he knew that there was no way I could reach an inch further.. so he stayed just beyond my outstretched reach.. and smiled as he walked right on by without stopping. The crowds were all screaming "KEVIN!!!".... "MR. COSTNER!!!!" but he never stopped. He just walked past me and walked away. There was nothing I could do at this point because I'm squished up against the front end of the barricade corral that's there to keep us fenced in, with 1,000 behind me that I have to wait for them to leave before I can leave. I Couldn't see Costner anymore because he had turned the corner and was on his way to the after party.. but I could still hear all the fans, lined up down the block, screaming his name. Not only did I not get the autograph, but now I have to wait for Kenny to finish with the party. This night sure didn't turn out as I had hoped.

Of course I couldn't see anything because I had 1,000 people in the way but I could hear that Costner was making his way down the street because the roar from the crowd was growing more distant as he got further and further from my position. he was now about half a block away, from my best guess from the roaring fans.. when something began to change. As I listened, the crowds were still chanting, screaming and begging just as they had been... but they were getting louder again. It's not that they were getting louder but the yelling people were getting closer to me again. I wondered what was going on because I couldn't see anything, I could only hear the cheers that were now back up to a full pitch and I could see arms waving with their magazines and head shots again. I still had no idea what was happening but the crowd, amazingly deafening, with their cheers of "KEVIN"........ "PLEASE SIGN FOR ME!!!  .......

"MR. COSTNER, OVER HERE!!!" and the yelling was very close to me. I looked over to the corner where he had turned down the street... and he once again emerged from that same street, stepped up on the sidewalk and was walking back toward the theatre that he just left a few minutes earlier. Hysteria was back on and everyone was screaming, yelling and waving their memorabilia at him, trying to get him to take it so he would sign it, just like had done earlier... it's really the only thing we can do..... just wave, cheer and hope. No one knows why he's returning, maybe he lost his wallet in the theatre, maybe he left his publicist in there.. who knows?? The only thing for certain is that this is definitely something unusual.. they never leave and then come back. Costner keeps just out of everyone's outstretched reach just as he had done earlier, as he was making his way toward me on the way back to the theatre. When he was directly in front of me, he stopped, turned toward me and took the painting from me.. and then he took my gold paint pen. He smiled and signed his name and handed it back to me... and then turned back around and made his way back to the party. He wasn't coming back to the theatre, he was coming back to me!!!! He didn't sign anything for anyone else. I was the only one in that crowd in front of that theatre that night out of several thousand people that had amassed on all four corners of the intersection. I was the only one that got a Costner signature and I felt that it nothing short of a miracle. I was glowing from my big moment and some of the regular autograph seekers that I know from other events were all hitting me and telling me how lucky I am. I know I'm lucky and I love it. What were the chances of him coming back to me, and only me.. and how in the world did this happen????

Again, the crowd has to leave the corral before I can, the only doorway is at the back end of this thing so everyone in front has to wait for everyone in back to leave first.

Just then, Kenny comes bounding in with great news, he has a way to sneak me into the party. I don't really care about the party much at all and I was showing off my new Costner autographed painting. While I was waiting for the crowd to empty out, a security guard came up to me and in a calm, quiet voice said, "If you ever get a chance, thank his son." I had no idea what this guy was talking about so he went on to explain. He knew about me and my painting because he had seen me there throughout the evening but when the premiere let out, he was assigned to a post somewhere down the block en route to the party. When Costner and kids left the premiere with all the fans screaming at him, they got to where this guard was standing and could hear the exchange. Costner's six year old son, Joey, stopped and said, "Dad, did you see that painting back there?" "Yes I did" Kevin responded. With that, little Joey reached up, grabbed his dad's jacket and began pulling him back down the street so his dad could sign my painting.

I told you I was lucky at this and I meant it.

To make an even longer story shorter, we snuck into the party and I saw Joey there and thanked him I told him how much I appreciated what he had done for me and I told him that I would send him a picture of it to his dad's office.  I mailed it off to his office but I never heard if it was received. I hope that one day I'll be able to get Joey a copy of my painting.

Thanks a million Joey, I owe you!...... and thank you Kevin Costner.

The day Bob Hope signed my painting

Dolores Hope was announced to receive her star on the Walk Of Fame on May 1, 1997. The announcement probably came a few weeks early as most of them do. Of course I knew this was a golden opportunity to try to get Bob Hope to sign a painting so I set all my sights on getting this portrait painted.

At my first opportunity, I raced down to my favorite shops in Hollywood that sold celebrity head shots. This was in the days before I had my first computer so going down to Hollywood was about the only way I had to get an image to paint a portrait from.

I had 3 favorite shops that carried a pretty large variety of head shots and I found the perfect shot of Bob Hope to paint. I always know the right shot when I see it. I look for a combination of elements that make up a complete picture. I always prefer to have them looking directly at the camera. I look for any expression that says, "This is me!" It's easy to find pictures of stars but it's not always easy for me to find the right picture to paint a portrait from. When I found this particular head shot of Bob Hope, I knew it was exactly the one I had been hoping to find. It was soooo Bob Hope. I usually like to give myself about a week or so to paint a portrait and I had plenty of time to paint this one. Once I saw how the progress was coming along on his painting, I arranged to get the day off of work.

I got to the site where the event was going to take place a couple hours early, just like I always do. Getting there before the crowd is the only way to insure that I'll be able to get my spot of choice, standing in the crowd.

Being that Mr. and Mrs. Hope were now getting up there in age, the press and the photographers were there in force. There was a 3 tier platform set up just for all the photographers to shoot from and everyone was getting in place. Johnny Grant tested the mic to make sure everyone could hear him, just as he always did. The media was all set to go and it was now just before ceremony time.

The Hopes arrived and they took their seats that had been set up for them on the sidewalk. Bob Hope was a bit frail and he needed help sitting in his chair and also getting back up again. The ceremony got underway and it was another speech by Honorary Mayor of Hollywood, Johnny Grant. I kept listening as Johnny made his announcements. He introduced the Mrs.Dolores Hope, Mr. Bob Hope and also their children that showed up for their mother's celebration. The only child that I can recall by name was their daughter Linda. Johnny Grant went on to announce some of the Hope grandchildren that were also there for that special day, among them was their grandson, Zachary.

AHA!!!!! This young man was going to be my link that I was so desperately looking for. I'm guessing Zachary was about 18 to 20 years old and he was not used to this kind of event. The celebrities are of course used to hearing their names shouted out from strangers trying to get their attention. They have dealt with this for years so it makes no sense at all for me to yell out, "Mr. Hope!!!" thinking I'm going to get his attention so he might see that I want him to sign my painting. I don't mean to say that stars are rude but they just can't turn their heads to see who's calling every time someone yells out their name, it would be virtually impossible. Their daughter Linda had been around the limelight enough to also be prepared for people calling out her name...... but Zachary hadn't.... :)

The ceremony went off perfectly and lasted for the usual 20 to 25 minutes and after that, the family and friends that gathered were just milling around congratulation Dolores Hope. I was standing there watching the Hopes and waiting for my moment of opportunity to reveal itself to me. Linda Hope was now standing very close to me, maybe about 15 feet away or so and I thought about it for a split second but then thought to myself, "No, she's too seasoned."  I waited patiently as the family kept walking around saying their congrats... when  Zachary was now coming close to where I was standing. I kept watching him and waiting. He got to where Linda was, about 15 feet away and he wasn't talking to anyone... and my moment was just about here. The noise of the crowd died down enough to where I was comfortable knowing that he'd definitely hear me when I call out his name. He was in the right spot and he didn't have his back toward me. He was looking down the street and I was looking at his profile. This is important because it's easier for his head to react in my direction when he doesn't have to turn all the way around, 180 degrees. I kept watching as he stared down the street, his head at a 90 degree angle to me. His gaze came a little bit more in my favor when he started moving his head in my direction and now it was less than a 90 degree turn for him and the crowd was quiet enough, "Now was the time."

"Zack!" I blurted out, loud and clear. Not being used to people calling out his name, he looked at me instantly and I asked him if he could get his grandpa to sign my painting for me. He looked at me with an "Oh yeah, sure, I'll try" kind of look. He came to me and he took my painting to Ward Grant who then took it Mr. Hope. 

Bob Hope was too old and too feeble to sign my painting while standing there on the sidewalk. Bob Hope had my painting in his hands and he kept looking at it. He was standing facing the press and they were looking at him and seeing the back of my painting. They wanted a picture of him holding my portrait so they began to chant,"Turn it around. Wow, I couldn't believe it. The chant grew, "Turn it around, TURN IT AROUND!" But it was no use, it was just too much for him to try to turn the painting around and show them so they could snap a pic of it. 

Bob Hope's publicist, Ward Grant, came up to me and asked if I was the artist. I told him I was and he said that Mr. Hope just isn't able to sign it right here and he asked me if I could go to the reception across the street where Bob would be able to sign it over there. Of course I could and I did.. gladly. They took my painting in the reception where Bob Hope was now sitting at a table, waiting for my painting. He signed it as he sat there and one of his family members brought it out to me in the lobby, signed. He wrote, "My best    Bob Hope"
... TA DAAAA!!!!!