Of the numerous celebrities I've met just two memories have stayed with me for different reasons, both are from many moons ago. The very first time was after a concert at the O'Keefe Centre. Connections took me backstage to meet one of my favourite artists - a giant of the time, Englebert Humperdinck. There he stood in his dressing room straddled by his watchful entourage who beckoned one at a time the few allowed backstage. So flummoxed was I to see the man that my mouth reacted before my brain could censor it: "you're short." said I, as I glanced at his heels, to which he replied, "what do you mean I'm short?" He's supposedly 6' 1" lord knows what all 5' 2.5" of me saw. A couple days later he was on Oprah promoting his tour and I cringed waiting for him to say how he'd been insulted by a rude Canadian.
The most memorable though happened as I sat with a friend having lunch in an outdoor cafe at the south side of Charles at Yonge. We were rehashing the terrific Rita MacNeil concert we saw the night before when my head turned and saw Ms. MacNeil herself with a companion sitting at the table beside us.
She flashed the most angelic smile I've ever witnessed - the kind of natural, totally unforced gesture where the eyes smile too. Of course I took the opportunity to thank her for the terrific performance and as naturally as her smile, she thanked us for being there and chatted with us for a few minutes as though we were old friends.
I forever understood her reason for a tea room and will never forget the purity of that smile.
R.I.P
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