Celebrity Encounters

By Alan Shrake

A collection of encounters with celebrities that I have had over the years, presented in alphabetical order.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alan Shrake
• Release date: Nov 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9781386985020

Book preview

Preface

Ihave been blessed in my long life with many encounters over the years, some of them celebrities.  I kept a list and finally decided to write my stories for each one, all good, and now additional ones for a second edition.  I hope that you enjoy them.  A.S.

Danny Aiello

Walking on the ground level of the Beverly Center one afternoon, I passed by actor Danny Aiello walking by with a serious look.  Nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Do the Right Thing, he was also in The Godfather Part II, Fort Apache the Bronx, Once Upon a Time in America, Moonstruck, Harlem Nights, Hudson Hawk, Pret-a-Porter, 2 Days in the Valley, and A Brooklyn State of Mind.

Annika Albrite

In the produce aisle at the Whole Foods on Ventura and Canoga one evening, I struck up a conversation with a beautiful buxom blonde in a low-cut blue dress.  She introduced herself as adult video star Annika Albrite.  We talked about the Industry.  Very nice and wholesome, she liked my positive energy.  Her adult star husband Mick Blue was in another aisle.  She won many AVN Awards and made her directorial debut in 2015 with Annika’s Bootycise.

Kurt Big Boy Alexander

One afternoon walking out of the Ralph’s on Devonshire in Chatsworth, I ran into radio announcer Big Boy in his blue Bentley, window down.  I praised Ronnie Turner, son of Ike and Tina Turner, to him for his vocal quality and asked Big Boy to refer him to the Industry.  He asked if there was any product already; I replied I didn’t know.  I saw Big Boy a few years later at Whole Foods on Canoga and made the same pitch.  Also an actor with many credits, he is currently morning show host on Real 92.3 FM.

Byron Allen

Driving down Sepulveda near Pico one sunny afternoon, I saw talk show host Byron Allen smiling as he drove north in his tan, convertible Rolls Royce.  He has the show Entertainers on CBS2 and his own production company, Entertainment Studios.

Herb Alpert

Last in line to board a flight from Hilo to L.A. one late evening I met musician Herb Alpert in front of me, dressed all in white like his entourage of women, wife and kids.  Very mellow, Mr. Alpert asked what I did.  I said I was a radio disc jockey.  We talked about the Industry.  With his band the Tijuana Brass, he had top ten hits such as Lonely Bull and Taste of Honey.  He later sang the number one hit, This Guy’s in Love with You and had the number one hit, Rise. He started A&M Records, has nine Grammys, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

David Amram

Arriving in New York to push song demos, I contacted composer David Amram, a friend of my father, writer Edwin Bud Shrake (discussed later).  In his apartment in WeHo, I found him very affable and funny, as he commented while listening to my tape and offering advice.  I then played some blues improv for him on his grand piano.  On another evening he introduced me to Native American musicians who played their music on sacred drums.  A classical composer, Dave also wrote Pull My Daisy for a short film with writer Jack Kerouac.

Carmine Appice

Walking among the crowds at the NAMM show in the Anaheim Convention Center one busy afternoon, I spied rock drummer Carmine Appice doing a panel discussion and signing autographs, with his trademark handlebar moustache.  He was drummer for Vanilla Ice and Rod Stewart and has a star on the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame. 

Lee Arenberg

One evening I walked to a lounge in the back of a cigar store on Ventura Blvd. in Encino.  There I met actor Lee Arenberg, affable, smiling and joking around.  Best known as Pintel in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, he also appeared in Robo Cop 3, and The Wizard.  He was in the Luck of the Bundys episode on Married . . . with  Children.

Moises Arias

As I was leaving Erewhon in Agoura Hills one evening, I ran into actor Moises Arias.  He was very friendly as we talked about his supporting actor role as Rico in the Hannah Montana television series, then gave each other funny handshakes before he went outside.  He was also in movies such as Pitch Perfect 3, Nacho Libre, Ender’s Game with Harrison Ford and Hannah Montana: The Movie with Mylie Cyrus.   

Morena Baccarin

Perusing the aisles of Whole Foods on Canoga and Ventura in Woodland Hills one sunny afternoon, I saw Brazilian actress Morena Baccarin as she walked by the dairy case.  She was pleasant yet smoldering.  She had recurring roles in V, Stargate SG-1, and The Flash, and stars in the Deadpool movies.

Diane Baker

Ithink I met actress Diane Baker in front of the dairy case at the old Erewhon on Beverly in East Hollywood.  We talked about her work.  She was in many television shows like The Big Valley and The Fugitive, as well as movies, Marnie, Silence of the Lambs, and The Joy Luck Club.

Joe Don Baker

Entering a home in the Sherwood Forest area of Northridge one evening for a Thanksgiving party I spied actor Joe Don Baker sitting on a couch in the living room talking jovially to the crowd.  He’s a big, gregarious man with a sharp wit and great memory of stories like when as baby he crawled through a cornfield to his grandma’s house.  He was lost to the family until they spied his cat’s tail in the field where it was following him.  Best known for Walking Tall, he also starred in scores of movies such as Junior Bonner and Bond films like Goldeneye.

Marcia Ball

Isaw musician Marcia Ball perform one evening at the Soap Creek Saloon in Westlake Hills in Austin.  A tall, brunette with a warm smile, she sang and played lively piano, combining Texas stomp rock and Louisiana blues swamp.  She got a Grammy nod for Best Contemporary Blues Album.

Carl Ballantine

Imet actor Carl Ballantine , but can’t remember where, just wrote down his name.  Probably somewhere around Los Angeles.  Best known on television as Lester Gruber in McHale’s Navy, he was also in the Don Knotts movie, Shakiest Gun in the West.

Denise Dee Barnes

Walking down the second level of the Westside Pavilion Mall one afternoon, I spied television host Denise Dee Barnes sitting with friends.  I knew her from her show Pump It Up! so I went over and said how much I liked it.  We bantered happily for a while, smiling and appreciating.  We agreed there should be more R&B on television.  She is also a rapper, part of the group Body & Soul, so sweet and tough.  Yo, baby, yo! 

Count Basie

One evening, I went to see pianist Count Basie and his orchestra at Tingley Auditorium in Albuquerque.  A jazz piano legend, he had