1 post tagged “brush with celebrity”

Toss up between Queen Elizabeth II and Erykah Badu... two queens in my mind.

I took my mom to Italy in 2000. On our last day in Rome we were walking through the Piazza di Campidoglio and noticed all of these people gathered behind some portable crowd control gates along with obvious members of the press. I asked an Italian man what was going on. He kept saying "la regina, la regina!" and, as I later realized, making a crown on his head with his fingers. La Regina means The Queen, but at the time I had no idea what he was saying. So we just waited, and lo and behold, the Queen of England shows up with some Italian dude in a sash. So, I guess didn't really meet the Queen of England, but as she walked by we looked at each other for a good 4 or 5 seconds and she smiled and waved at me. Then I kept looking at her through the lens of a camera. Can't help it, I'm one of those people.

I met Erykah Badu backstage at the Austin Music Hall this past March during SXSW. It was the afterparty for a friend's film and I was in the back trying to stalk Questlove and Doyle Bramhall II (and Erykah) and then The Queen walks by on her way out. I slowly watch her pass some friends saying goodnight. She walked right in front of me and all instinct took over and I grabbed her on the arm and said "Erykah, ... uh thanks... for a great show... uh..." and then she looked at me and said something about thank you or your welcome and I swear she called me "baby". Then she rushed off. Russ and I looked at each other and giggled inadequately.