Weekend Assignment #5: Recount your most memorable encounter with celebrity. If you haven't met anyone famous and don't know anyone who has, here's an alternate assignment: Reveal your first celebrity crush (and of course, for extra credit, do both).
Okay, so I once met and chatted with Bruce Springsteen on the way to a bathroom, but for this assignment I can actually say this celebrity meets both criteria for both the brushing and the crushing ...(So John, I should get even more points for this one.)
When I was about seven, our family was enjoying lunch at a nice little marina restaurant in Beach Haven, New Jersey one summer. At that time, we used our boat as a summer get-away and lived on it on the weekends. Mom, Dad and five girls living on a 36' Owens cabin cruiser - it was cramped and wonderful - a kid's camping delight.
Anyway, while eating my grilled cheese I happened to look over to another table and could not believe my eyes. Sitting right across the room was none other than - Sally Starr! I couldn't believe my childhood idol was sitting right there for all the world to see. I sat there stunned and frozen in time. (laughing - I'm still getting all fluttery just relating this!..)
My mother eventually noticed my frozen appearance and asked me what was wrong. She followed to where my eyes were fixed and started smiling...I whispered "Mom, is that...." and she said, "Yes, A, I think it is!"
Then she told me to do the unthinkable - "Why don't you go over and say Hi to her and ask her for an autograph?" WHAT! Was she kidding! There was no way I could do that - I mean, after all - this was SALLY STARR. She was royalty!
There, just a few feet away from me sat the Sally Starr, the very one that I sat and watched every day on TV for the best cartoons - Popeye, The Three Stooges, Daffy Duck, to name a few. There was the Sally Starr that I pretended to be most days while playing outside. The Sally Starr that had the most beautiful long blond hair, and wore cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, and lots of suede fringe! The Sally Starr that rode a white Palamino named Pal. She was the most beautiful cowgirl in the world - didn't Mom know that I was planning on being Sally Starr when I grew up?
Sally Starr, Chief Halftown, Gene London, Pixanne, Captain Noah - the very best of local television talent - God what memories. Sally Starr rode in the Thanksgiving day parades...She was the familiar voice that described all the floats. She had the best cartoons on TV. She was better than ..than...gosh, sliced Wonder Bread.
Well - to make a long story even longer - Sally eventually noticed our whisperings and our stolen glances. She glanced over and gave us the biggest white smile. She was all suntanned and beautiful. We finished lunch and then Mom and Dad took us over to meet her. I wanted to die. But she was the most gracious woman, and she autographed a napkin for us. Then she did the most amazing thing of all - She invited us back to her houseboat - and offered us all a glass of iced tea. I don't know about anyone else, but I was in heaven.
"Our Gal Sal," is in her 80's now and still lives in New Jersey. Read more about this amazing woman right here! Hell, I'm going to email her right now...
20 comments:
Flora, great post for us Phillys!! I`m sending it to my brother in Va, who is, I think, your age!
Thanks,
V
ps, I saw Bruce at Kutztown college, total attendance, 500....and the Main Point, attendance, 150??
V
Again, flora...that was terrific! Thanks for the work!
V
I've never heard of Sally Starr, but I think to meet your very own childhood idol is probably one of the rarest and most wonderful encounters to have. How cool is that? And what a coicidence!! Most people have to seek out their celebrity loves... yours showed in a restaurant during lunch. Uber-cool. :D
This is so funny!
A - She used to have a house boat at Dredge Harbor too.... Full circle
I never heard of Sally Star before but, I LOVED your story and I plan on visiting the site to learn more as she sounds like an interesting woman ~ beautiful too. Your entry had me smiling. Wonderful memories there.
Monica
Sounds dreamy to me! What a thrill!
very neat entry......no wonder she was your idol....and still is. :O
Aww, what a sweet entry. How exciting it must've been for you! This reminds me of a local celebrity in the Philippines, her name was Carina Afable. Like Sally Starr, she was the host of afternoon programming for kids and a kiddie show called Lollipop Party.
I adored her. So much so that my parents brought me to the studio to watch her show. And since I was such a social chatterbox, I ended up being ON the show, as part of their kiddie dance group. I was all of 4 years old, lol.
Wow Flo! What a great story! I've never met anyone famous. : (
I know...I need to get out more. lol
-Conzo
Enjoyed this entry. When I was in high school I voluneered at the summer stock and met some Thespians and was thrilled also. Dawn
Amazing. No alzheimer's there. (I dutifully clicked your link! Now that I can, in hubbyJoe's ofc on HIS computer. ) School's out. Mae & Mum rarin' to go....!
Great entry, & love this pics. Sally Starr looks like she really was quite a star! :-)
Too bad all celebs don't treat their fans like you were treated, iced tea on a houseboat & all! --Albert
I'm impressed. She is a beautiful lady.
I haven't really met any real, "stars," so to speak.
I would love to casually bump into Matt Damon or Peyton Manning.
~Erin
Hey A finally got in to this thing! Yeah yeah, I remember that day, but I thought it was at a different Marina. Remember we went over to her boat, trying to get her to come out! But there was some man there, not her. Everytime we went to the boat we would walk by her Houseboat. Not a boat a houseboat.
Love Pat
Sally Star
One of the great Woman, that made many, very happy to see her.
God only made few like her.
i wish her best wishes, as she knows my father Warren.
in NJ.
80+ years old and still has that same smile and the loving heart for people.
Anthony T
IT IS WONDERFUL TO HEAR SOMEONE REMEMBERS SALLY STAR. I RODE IN A CADILAC CONVERTABLE WITH HER IN A NEW YORK PARADE WHEN I WAS ABOUT 9 YEARS OLD. I WAS IN AN INDIAN DANCING GROUP AND IT WAS VERY COLD AND SHE LET ME RIDE WITH HER. CLASSY LADY. GOD BLESS HER.
I saw Sally Star today. She was getting her car service at the dealership. Sally was talking to us. She has 3 cats and is still going strong. Boy I just loved her when I was growing up. She still lives in NJ.
I grew up in northeast philadelphia and I met Sally Starr at a personal appearance at the local Woolworth. She was there on behalf of Duncan Yoyo's. I was dressed from head to toe in my little Sally Starr cowgirl outfit. To this day I remember how kind and attentive she was...as glad to be there as we were to have her. Even today, at 52 years old, far away in Long Island NY, I got a chill realizing that this wonderful lady was still aliive and kicking. God Bless her!
New website for Sally
sallystarr.net
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