Monday, June 14, 2004

Sing Blue Silver

This happened two years ago today, so I feel the need to commemorate the event.

One of my longest lifetime goals had been achieved:

I MET JOHN TAYLOR.

(Okay, basssist for Duran Duran for those of you who don't remember... he was only plastered on my walls for, like, 4 years.)

When it was brought to my attention that he had entered the record store where I worked, I dropped the intercom and promptly hyperventilated. Then I paced frantically back and forth, trying to figure out what to do next. My co-workers & then-boyfriend were surrounding me, trying to figure out what the hell was going on as I muttered "Ohmygodohmygod" and finally I pointed and said, "John Taylor."

Then everyone started laughing.

At this point, I realized that I couldn't do anything about the situation because I was alone at the Information Counter, responsible for all the confused souls at the store or on the phones, and I couldn't leave. I began my mantra: "Please make him come ask me a question. Please let him come ask me a question!" Then panic set in, as I began to think I was trapped and would lose the opportunity. I'm not sure what the look on my face was like, but because I had the raddest boyfriend in the world who was there and happened to sort of be my boss, he told me he'd watch the counter and that I should just go for it.

I grabbed a Sharpie and pulled out my laminated International Duran Duran Club card (of which I am member #36963) and headed down the aisle. I walked up to him and said, "Hi. I work here." He smiled and said, "Yes?" I continued, "I would never forgive myself if I didn't ask for an autograph."

Then I whipped out the card. He was flabbergasted. "Oh my God, we put those out in 1984! You carry that around with you?" "I'm very loyal," I replied, and he laughed. "How long have you been into us?" he asked. "Since 1981," I said. He signed the card: "To Mo, With love, 19 years later - John Taylor."

I thanked him and went back to my post, and my hands were shaking so bad I couldn't even pick up the phone for a good five minutes.

Can I just say, he looked HOT! Slimmed down from his last puffy TV appearance, good skin, great hair, good glasses. He shopped about an hour, and I was kicking myself for not having asked about the current Duran Duran recording (since all original members had just reunited). As he was checking out, he got stuck waiting for his friend, so I just approached him again. "I hope you don't mind and if I'm bugging you, just say so, but I was wondering how recording was going?" And he said, "If you don't talk to me right now, I'll get bored to death waiting for my friend to come out." So we chatted about recording and music and stuff. I blamed him for my current fate of dating guitar players to which he pointed out if I were truly loyal, I'd be dating bassists. It was crazy to hear him say things like "I was lunching with Simon" and "Seeing Roger after so long, it felt like only a day had passed" and much more, but I know most of you don't care about that.

So on his way out, he said, "It was nice chatting with you Mo; I'll say hi the next time I'm in." I replied that it was really nice talking with him too, and put my arm on his shoulder and said, "I can die a happy woman now." He laughed.

It turned out that his friend had left his credit card behind, and came by the next day to pick it up. The manager on duty said, "I know you were here with John Taylor yesterday and that some of the staff was talking with him; I hope he didn't mind." And the friend replied, "Oh no, he's always gracious about that. And he was very charmed by the young lady with her Duran Duran fan club card..."

Oh please, let me be wife #4!