- A brief "brush with greatness" for Steve! Can you name this current "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" star, pictured here with Steve?
Give-up yet? Well, it just happens to be one of my favorite people in this whole world, Maya Rudolph!!!
I have been friends with her dear father, Richard Rudolph(or, as he sometimes refers to himself, Ricardo Rudolph) for decades now, and Maya has been a part of my life as well. I have always felt like her adopted "uncle" or something. I cannot begin to tell you all how very proud I am of her talents and her current success. I am just overjoyed that this is happening for her, and for her father, and her dear brother, Mark as well. The photo was taken, to the best of my foggy memory, in '85 when I was in Los Angeles to play a concert with singer/songwriter Michael Franks, and we were rehearsing to add a duet song with the fantastic, Brenda Russell.
Of course, on a side note, the outrageous looking Strat in the photo is the very same one which was stolen in Chicago, along with our truck, which had been parked in front of the Lake Shore Drive Holiday Inn, just one year later, while on tour with Weather Update!!! Hey Steve, what's up with those shoes?
- On a side note, but still in the "brush with greatness" category, I am here to report the following, only in New York, recent and not so recent sightings and/or encounters!
[1] Actress Tamara Tunie filming something on location in the neighborhood. Wow! She's beautiful!!!
[2] Former New York Giants LB, Carl Banks on the subway. We had a great conversation, and he was a totally terrific person.
[3] Tino Martinez, Yankee 1B, walking down Madison Ave. during baseball season.
[4] CBS news anchor, Russ Mitchell, leaving an early morning showing of the wonderful film, "CRASH." We had a great conversation too, and have become friendly since then.
[5] Actress Kate Mulgrew with a group of friends having lunch at French Roast on the Upper West Side.
[6] Wynton Marsalis having dinner with his sons at a Japanese restaurant on Amsterdam Ave.!
[7] Actor Bob Balaban shopping in the local Korean Market.
[8] Economist Louis Rukeyser while walking down West End Ave. Sadly, he passed away not too long ago.
[9] Actor Jeff Daniels heading into Barnes & Noble unnoticed! He ain't no dummy!
[10] CNN commentator Jeff Greenfield walking down Broadway in front of Barnes & Noble.
[11] Bebe Neuwirth having an early dinner with an obnoxious friend at that same Japanese restaurant on Amsterdam Ave.!
[12] Michael Gelman(Producer of that mega-nebbish, Regis Philbin) walking across Broadway with his daughter.
[13] Journalist/Reporter Vicki Mabry having a business lunch at an outdoor Italian restaurant on Broadway near 65th St.
[15] Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick strolling up Broadway, with Kyra jabber-jawing on her cell-phone! Very rude!!! And, saw them a 2nd time more recently. No cell-phone this time!
[16] Local WNBC news anchor, Rob Morrison riding uptown on the #1 Subway! Just saw him again as '08 began!!!
[17] Stiller & Meara[Ben's parents] flagging down a cab on West End Ave.!
[18] Actor William Fichtner heading into one of our neighborhood gyms to work out.
[19] Newsman Forest Sawyer walking down Broadway with a lady friend.
[20] Local CW11 news anchor, Kaity Tong dining at Ollie's.
[21] CNN news anchor/reporter, John Roberts heading into the Essex Hotel on W. 59th St.!
[22] CW11 weatherman, Irv Gikofsky, a.k.a. "Mr. G." walking briskly on Columbus Circle!
[23] Actor/Comedian, Richard Belzer("LAW & ORDER: SVU") heading north on Broadway near 80th St.; which reminds me of an interesting and amusing Don Grolnick anecdote. You see, during the '80s when Don was stationed out in Los Angeles and residing at the Chateau Marmont while recording with Linda Ronstadt, he and Richard Belzer somehow became friendly. And, of all things, Richard asked Don to accompany him on piano during his stand-up act. And so, Don agreed. But, he not only played piano, he had also rented a snare drum and, issued various "rim shots" at the appropriate moments. Now, I never actually got to see this, but Don told me that it was quite hysterical!!!
[24] Actor/Comedian, Chris Rock blabbing on his cell-phone, about his "new screenplay," and slurping down a Jamba Juice near the corner of 86th and B'way!!! An awesome sighting just before my summer haircut!
[25] "TODAY SHOW" host, Meredith Viera walking north with her husband on the East side of Broadway near the corner of 82nd St.!!! Very nice couple!
[26] While going to see "THERE WILL BE BLOOD"(which stars Daniel Day-Lewis) at the Sony IMAX, in the lobby I saw "REEL TALK" co-host, and insane Boston Red Sox fan, Jeffrey Lyons. Without his sport coat on, it would seem that Mr. Lyons has been enjoying a few too many hot dogs at Red Sox games or too much movie 'food' at all the screenings he must have to attend!?!?!?!
[27] Sauntering along one of the numbered streets on the Upper West Side, I bumped into "NEW YORK TIMES" Op-Ed contributor, Frank Rich. I have enjoyed his writing about National and International events so very much. However, years ago, he was the Broadway theater critic for the same newspaper, and his reviews of my father's last two musicals, "SKYSCRAPER" and "WALKING HAPPY" nearly sent dad to an early grave! But Frank, all is forgiven!!!
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