Chapter 22: Narcissists Not

When you have worked in and around television as long as I have, you get to meet some pretty egotistical people. The famous ones are fair game for criticism. The not so famous ones will sue your ass off for telling on them.

So why don't we start with Garth? Garth Brooks is exactly what he appears to be. Sincere, kind, generous to a fault, and fiercely loyal. He doesn't tear up because he is a good actor. Her tears up because he cares that much. He also notices the little people even though he is no longer one of us. After an interview I shot and directed at the Grand Ole Opry, Garth walked up to me from behind and tapped on my shoulder. He was wearing a scarf on his head and out of the corner of my eye, I thought he was some kind of nutty biker. I turned to him and stared at him until I realized who it was.

He had taken the time, after the interview to come back to the set while we were breaking down just to thank us. He walked up to every one of us, shook our hands and thanked us. I was stunned. In all the years I have shot and directed in the country music world, I have never ever seen a big star do that. Not even close....except for maybe....oh yeah!

Minnie Pearl was the dearest, kindest, most down to earth person I ever met. I was so proud when she gave me one of her famous price tags. (She wore a cheap hat with the price tag dangling from it for her act.) Minnie saw me across a crowded room one day and waved at me. It was a room flush with famous people and I was there with my camera covering the glamor. When I saw her wave, I looked behind me to see who she was waving at. There was no one there. Then she looked at me and pointed at me and waved again. Unbelievable! She was waving at me!

Dolly Parton is another one of those sweet people who fail to recognize the boundaries that separate the workers from the beautiful people.

I worked at Channel 5 at the same time they were taping “Hee Haw” in the studio. I was struggling one day to get my gear out of the back seat of my news car. I was stuck behind the door and the adjacent car. Suddenly I felt the door open just enough to allow me to extricate the camera from the back seat. I looked up to see who had decided to help me. It was Dolly Parton.

She stood there with a big grin and I thanked her.

A few years later she was holding a press conference to announce the opening of Dollywood in Pigeon Forge. I went up to the little table she was seated at and ask if I could put a lav microphone on her. She smiled her approval. She was wearing a low cut blouse and as I went to place the mic my hands began to tremble. She immediately picked up on my embarrassment and noticed that everyone in the press corp had their eyes trained on us. As I continued to fumble, she finally said, in a real loud voice, “Well go for it, buddy!”

The room erupted with laughter and I turned three shades of red. I was grinning from ear to ear and all my buddies were clapping and taunting me. It was a magic moment. I managed to get the mic in place and everyone applauded.

I wish I could say that all of the celebrities I met were that nice. They were not. Some were narcissistic bastards. You've met them, people who are soupy nice when they meet you and treat you like a stepping stone. They don't deserve mention here.

I believe that people should not revere celebrities. These people are undeservedly wealthy. Luck and hard work....mostly luck has landed them where they are. I wish I had a nickel for every young aspiring country star I met who went nowhere despite great talent. So often, the difference between the ones who make it and the ones who don't is money, not talent. Besides, if you really want to get someone's autograph you should be seeking out a great writer or inventor...not someone who sings and dances for a living.