When I was ten, I was a big fan of 'Welcome Back Kotter' and a voracious reader of 'Tiger Beat.' Marrying the two together led to endless hours of self-contained entertainment. I would cut out those black-and-white-one-inch-by-one-inch-newspaper-print photos of Vinnie, Epstein, Boom Boom & Horshack.

Then I'd paste them onto brown paper bags (collage-style) that I would then use as book covers. Because I have always prided myself on being different, my favorite Sweathog was none other than Arnold Horshack. It was the goofy laugh. But because I wasn't really that different from your average 10 year old girl, I wrote to the address of the Arnold Horshack fan club given in my 'Tiger Beat.' I checked the mailbox day after day waiting for a reply. Nothing. Weeks went by, then one day a big envelope addressed to me and inside was an 8x10 black and white glossy headshot of none other than Ron Palillo. AND IT WAS SIGNED 'TO HEIDI WITH LOVE, RON.'

Ooh! Ooh, ooh! Very impressive!

Listen to our interview with Michael Joseph Gross, author of Starstruck, When a Fan Gets Close to Fame.

Are you an extreme fan? Tell us your story.

Ooh! Ooh! He picked YOU!

I had a crush on every single sweathog, especially Horshack and Epstein. Anyway, that's my attempt to leave on OnTopic comment, but what I really want to know is...

Is there a link to the CD you all just featured? I can't find anything online, and I've googled. I missed the beginning of the story -- maybe it's not actually available to the public?

Looking forward to a blog post about the CD with a link.

Thanks for your great show!

This was a custom-mixed CD and not available commercially, which is why you had so much trouble finding it.

Thanks Heidi for your wonderful report.

I have had the pleasure (or displeasure depending how you look at it) of traveling on airplanes for my job. Because I was such a frequent traveler, I joined many airline club rooms where I met many celebrities. My policy is not to approach them and definitely not ask them for the autographs. I would not want them to ask me if our positions were reversed.

I do have three wonderful stories that stick out in my mind.

I was in the Washington National Airport Crown Room and Madeline Albright sat next to my wife and I one late afternoon. She was off to NYC and we were off to Boston. She finished a telephone call and I got up and asked my wife if she would like something at the bar. Then I offered Ms. Albright the same. They both accepted enthusiastically.

When I arrived back - about 10 minutes later - My wife and she were engaged in deep conversation. Something to do with world affairs and it sounded like Ms. Albright was polling my wife on the topic!!! Well, I jested that we needed that woman who was the UN Ambassador from the US back at the UN to straighten things out... (she had left the position by this point) and the three of us started laughing! We then went back to our individual focuses then to our respective flights.

I remember meeting Wolfman Jack in the Atlanta Crown room and we were reading the same and most recent Tom Clancy book. I sat down across from him and started reading.

He looked at me and I said "Hello Wolfman" He greeted me back and then asked me how far along I was. I told him and he smiled then said; "Don't get discouraged because the story line is moving slowly, it is just about to pick up!" I thanked him and we had a very short conversation. I thanked him for his radio show when I was a Kid and that he influenced my interest in popular music in every possible and positive way. He thanked me and we went back to reading.

Lastly, the next experience came in an elevator - going to my same day turnaround flight - in the Atlanta Crown Room (Terminal A). I was going back to DC and my contacts were dried out, I was tired and traveling for more than 12 hours. I felt and looked disheveled. My shirt was unbuttoned at the top and my tie was askew toward my right shoulder.

Then a man - around my age - looked at me and said hello. He was a neatly dressed Professional man and I could hardly make out his face through my fogged and dirty contact lenses. He complimented my tie and I thanked him. This kind gesture perked me up and our conversation lasted only a couple of minutes. Then I took his hand and said - "You're Lynn Swan, aren't You?" He responded that he was and I thanked him for the years of wonderful football entertainment and as a sports broadcaster.

So I guess I have learned that the humanity behind the celebrity is the most important aspect of the encounters I have had. Being able to say thank you to some of the people I have admired from afar has meant more to me than an autograph on a piece of paper.

To finish up the Lynn Swan story - I had the tie cleaned and sent it to the network (ABC) in NYC with a note of thanks for picking up my spirits. I have never heard from him - but this action has helped me appreciate the encounter even more.

When I was in my early 20's, I was a HUGE Kate Bush fan and spent just about all my spare time thinking about her and her music. After a couple of years of this I made it my life's goal to interview her, and with endless dedication to this single task, I managed to wrangle a half hour interview with her when she came to the U.S. in November of 1985 to promote her album "Hounds of Love".

I had a slew of questions that I had written down on blue 3x5 index cards, and so I figured that I was all set. What I hadn't figured was that as soon as I was shown in the door of her hotel suite, which was where the interview took place, that I would start sweating bullets and barely be able to think of a thing to say. It's a miracle that I actually got the tape recorder and microphones working, and thank heavens for those index cards, as with their help I was at least able to stammer out my questions without having to think.

|>oug

This has been my year of meeting famous people I'm a fan of.

During the Kerry campaign, I was asked to sing with a local jazz trio to "open" for Carole King. I got there early, and there she was, practicing at the piano. Being on the end of the baby boomer generation, I had listened to her and loved her music in high school.
So, I introduced myself and told her how much I've always enjoyed her music. She was so warm, personable and down to earth -- a very, very wonderful human being!

Shortly after that, I decided to send an original piece of art to my favorite actor, Liam Neeson. I make pastel/collage masks, so I created one with a Celtic theme. I wrote a letter on the back saying how much I admire his acting and choices of roles, especially ROB ROY and MICHAEL COLLINS, because he portrayed those who had fought for the rights of the common person. About a week later, I was absolutely shocked to receive a personal, handwritten thank you letter from him! I made a copy, which I carry with me and read before I go on stage (I'm an actress), and the original is in a frame.

How fortunate I am to have been able to make contact with two performers
who are also wonderful human beings!

Thank you Carole and Liam!

~ Paula Grady

It must have been 1977 or '78 when as a pre-pubescent 10-year old I was utterly smitten with Farrah Fawcett . This was the era of Charlie's Angels and numerous pictures of her populated my room including a giant poster over my bed (which my grandmother threated to replace with a picture of my mother). Somehow I obtained Ms. Fawcett's address and sent a letter declaring my deepest affection. Several weeks later I received a package in the mail from her then husband, Lee Majors, accepting me into the Six Million Dollar Man Fan Club.

I've always wondered how this transaction actually occurred. At the Fawcett-Majors home, inappopriate advances from 10 year old boys were passed to Lee Majors--no questions asked. I was sorely disappointed.

A postcard I cherish came from Bill Moyers shortly after we invaded Iraq. In it he tells me his calling is journalism, not politics, and he thanks me for my compliments. I had hoped he’d have said “gee, I never thought of that. Now that you mention it maybe I should run for president after all”. I’d written beseeching him to bail us out.

Can anyone tell me if Ron Palillo (Horshack on Welcome Back Kotter) is married? thanks

Your story about redemption via Fr. Joe of San Diego's (and other cities)
Fr. Joe Mission(s), was asking the wrong person about abuse and redemption.
I've been an activist here in San Diego for almost two decades now. Fr. Joe has always been the first to give credit and "redemption" to abusers, whether business or political corruption, when they use his services or contribute to his causes. Like so much of the catholic teaching, which I know of via working at Marquette U. (Milw., WI) and Univ. of San Diego, absolution is quickly given when you use your "goodworks" for the church and society. Sadly though few of these "leaders" every really give up the ghost of abuse. And the cost is great to society in general. Mr. John Moores, a friend of Fr. Joe, also the owner of the SD Padres, has benefitted substanionally from government funding, just like Fr. Joe, who regularly support each others projects. I have heard that Fr. Joes ministries (non-profit) gets nearly 80% of his funding via government dollars (local, regional, state and federal). And his is quick to get approval for his "friends", many "reformed", that use governmental powers and funding.
I hope you will reconsider when getting input from "experts" on subjects. I hope even more you will investigate how some of these "leaders" of our community benefit themselves or ego rather than the general public and those who are taxed. Fr. Joe has done very little to end the homeless problems here in San Diego, but has increased his power and ministries benefit in enabling homelessness. His "charity" and the need for it increase dramatically each year, and have for the last 20 years.
We need real change and not just absolution, and work-release.