Brunch with Becks is an ongoing weekend series where I wax poetic on tales from my life starting with the 9 Truths. Yes, I too can’t comprehend that all these odd occurrences have happened to me.
Billy Joel in Southampton, UK many years later.Yes, once upon a time I kissed Billy Joel. It was while he was on The Bridge tour in 1986 and I was a senior in high school.
But before I can tell you how that went down, you need to know the back story. It’s actually more odd and unbelievable than the actual kiss.
My brother and I were huge INXS fans and the previous summer we went with mutual friends to see them outside at Meadowbrook. One of those friends was Meredith. She was brave and beautiful and used to getting what she wanted.
Meredith decided that she was going to try and sneak backstage and I went along for the ride, not having any idea where it would lead. She found a path at the far side of the lawn and I followed her meekly. It wasn’t very secure and she actually found a way to get behind the stage.
We ended up in a little nook underneath the stage, giggling like schoolgirls and trying to figure out how to get near the band. Without getting in trouble, of course.
Our giggling attracted the attention and a man with a flashlight who found us huddled under the stage. We were busted! But remember, Meredith was beautiful and had a way about her. The man took pity on us.
The man was a VP at Brass Ring Productions. He led us to a deck off of the backstage and gave us a few warnings. He told us that the band would be coming off stage shortly and that we could mingle.
Sternly, he told us not to go any where near Michael Hutchence. The iconic lead singer was off limits. He said it over and over. We promised that we would behave; we would not approach Michael Hutchence.
The band came out onto the deck and there he was in all his glory: Michael Hutchence! Right freaking in front of us! All those stern warnings were left for dust. We ran towards him like the star-struck teens that we were. Security immediately pulled us off and we were sent on our merry way, happy in the fact that we touched the lead singer.
Later in the summer I went to see the Psychedelic Furs. Sitting on the lawn, I spotted the guy from Brass Ring. I ran up to him and asked if I could get backstage. He said no, that he would need advance notice to do that, but he did give me his card and told me to call him if I needed tickets for something.
Boom.
When the Billy Joel tour was announced I found the business card and made the call, asking for 4 tickets for the show at the Joe. And he said yes!
The tickets were pretty good, near the stage in the lower bowl. But… I saw all these people getting down to the main floor. Channeling the brazen spirit of Meredith, I grabbed one of my friends and off we went. People were bribing the ushers with various items to get on the floor. I didn’t have anything to offer and I didn’t possess the beauty and charm of Meredith.
A kerfuffle broke out and the usher went over to handle it. We took our chance and snuck down to the main floor. That just wasn’t going to be good enough, though.
During the concert all these women kept on running up on stage and I thought, “why not me?” I made my way to the front row, pretending that’s where I was suppose to be. I made it! But I still wanted more. I turned to the guys standing around me and said, “Lift me up.”
They did and my 5 seconds of fame had arrived. I was on the stage at a Billy Joel concert at Joe Louis Arena. I clumsily ran up to the Piano Man while he was singing and planted one on him. To be honest, I’m not sure if that kiss landed on his lips or cheek. All that I can confirm is that I kissed him. He didn't kiss back.
Security was upon me once again, pulling me by my elbows from behind; they took me to the side of the stage and pushed me off. Standing right there was Mr. Brass Ring Guy. Shaking his head with his arms folded, he looked at me and said, “never again.”
The next night Billy played a second show at the Joe. Friends who were there told me he was limping (it was reported that he sprained his ankle the night before, trying to avoid all the people jumping on stage) and that the front row was comprised of a wall of security.
I kept Mr. Brass Ring’s business card for years but I never called him again.