Kris Dunn wrote about Flavor Flav, today, and it reminded me of my favorite Corporate Human Resources/Celebrity sighting.
It was 2007, and I was in my third year as a Human Resources pro for PFE. At that point in my career, I traveled on a weekly basis from Kalamazoo to Manhattan. It was a glorious job for so many reasons, but since Kalamazoo has very few direct flights, I spent a few too many hours at the American Airlines terminal at O’Hare airport.
On a particularly stormy Friday night, my flight from ORD to AZO was delayed. I contemplated grabbing a rental car and driving home; however, I stuck it out because across the gate from me was a flight leaving for Evansville, Indiana.
Why did that matter? Flavor Flav was waiting for that flight and he was traveling with the biggest effing entourage I’ve ever seen in my life.
I think it was
- Flavor Flav,
- several body guards who were really not guarding much of anything,
- kids of all ages, and
- a couple baby mamas.
He has seven kids and two grandkids, so I’m not joking when I say that Flavor Flav was flying an American Airlines regional jet from Chicago to Evansville with a huge entourage and some of his baby mamas. Also, I remember it almost 7PM CT when I saw Flav because he was wearing a large, totally functioning clock on his chest.
Hell yeah he was.
When someone finally broke the tension and said hi, Flav responded with his traditional, “Yeah boi!”
Holy shit, dudes, the terminal went crazy.
I hung around for an hour before grabbing a rental car. I had to witness the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. Flavor Flav wasn’t earning any money, he wasn’t working, but he stayed in character and was gracious, charming, and very patient with his fans. He posed for pictures and signed autographs. Some old lady — waiting for the flight to Evansville, too — pulled out her cell phone and snapped a picture. I heard her say, “My grandchildren are fans.”
We’re all fans, lady. It’s Flavor Flav.
When I see a classy celebrity who earns his money, I’m in awe. Flav could have been a total jerk (his flight was delayed, kids were crying, he was on his way to freakin’ Indiana) but he was a great sport about the whole endeavor. Flavor Flav got problems of his own, but he was doin something for ya man!
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
You are right Laurie, it doesn’t get much better than that. I sat across the aisle from Bo Diddley on a flight once. That is about as far as my celebrity sightings have gone.
Two weeks after I had my daughter, I took her to a work meeting in NYC. Who did we run into in the Houston airport? George F-ing Clinton, totally woozy and clearly drugged, traveling with an awesomely protective and loving granddaughter. I stood right next to him for thirty minutes, patiently waiting for him to wake up so I could thrust my kid into his arms for a pic, but it just never happened.
Damn. I was totally planning her baby announcements: The pic and “Bow-wow-wow Yippie Yo Yippie Yay!”
How ya gonna act? We must all make our decisions.
i stood next to anthony kiedis yesterday on the deli line. now i cant read minds but his face seemed to be saying, “if this chick says one word to me, i’ll never come to this pavilions again.”
or maybe i’m ultra-sensitive.
Please tell me you accidentally left out the part about how you walked up to Flava Flav and asked (with a serious look on your face), “Do you have the time?”
@Dan I haven’t seen many celebrities in my life, but when I have, it’s always been great.
@FrannyO That is such a great story. It’s too bad about the picture, though. That would have been the best baby announcement evah.
@ita For reals, Anthony Kiedis has been doin it wrong since 1989. He is such a self-serving prick I can’t even take it.
@Breanne No, I didn’t accidentally leave that part out. I just sat back & watched the spectacle. I didn’t have a camera on my blackberry at the time, but I sent text messages to everyone I knew who would appreciate the story.
If you didn’t get pics it didn’t happen. You cant tell me you didn’t get pics with Flava Flav! Really? RREEAALLYY? C’MON!! You’re killing me!!
I’m not believing that you didn’t have a camera phone. You have pic of you and Flava Flav! Your holding out on us.
@theD Dude, PFE didn’t allow camera phones on its property so the company gave me a blackberry w/o a phone. Believe me, I was so devastated NOT to get a picture. For reals, though, this happened. I swear on Scrubby’s life.
I’m so glad I have pictures of me with Carl Kasell and Mo Rocca for evidence.