David Wahl, a blogger for Archie McPhee's Monkey Goggles blog, wrote a funny story about the time he was working at a toy store in Seattle and assisted Mick Jagger when he came in to shop.
The female owner of the store approached him and I thought her head was going to split in half from the size of her smile. "Mr. Jagger," she said, "I just have to tell you how much your music means to me. I lost my virginity to one of your songs in the back of a 1965 Chevy convertible. 'Jumping Jack Flash!'"The photo above is from The Rolling Stone's underrated Their Satanic Majesties Request from 1967 (Read Richard Metzger's essay about the album at Dangerous Minds). Doesn't it look like the lads bought their costumes from a toy store?"That's very sweet of you," he muttered, indicating with a slight flare of his right nostril that the conversation was over and that she should leave him alone. But, to her it was as if he had swooped her off her feet, carried her out side and made love to her. That simple sentence flushed her cheeks and made her eyes roll back in ecstasy.
Then he began to shop. At first, I didn't understand his method of shopping. As he entered each new room of the store, he would begin taking things off the shelf and stacking them in the middle of the room. As he left, I would start putting them back, cursing at him under my breath for making a mess. Then, it dawned on me I was supposed to be carrying these items to the register for him.
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If I ever become rich and famous, I pray that I never get to a point where I would expect people to carry things to the counter for me. I would never ever want to be the guy who thought he was too good to speak to someone who, god forbid, loved your art.
@Cowboy, yeah but...it's MICK JAGGER!!
/kidding
Several years ago a bookselling colleague of mine relocated to a bookstore in Richmond, home to many rich celebs including Jagger. He was by all accounts very rude and arrogant any time he came in and made it clear that 'ordinary' people should not approach his majesty. Poor behaviour in anyone but especially disappointing to those who loved the Stones' music
[phone rings]
Mick Jagger: 'o, 'ello Keef. What am I doin'? Well, I'm just looking at the new Magic Eye book. Yeah, roight, there's a new one. It's better than drugs, mate! Well, I wouldn't expect you to agree anyway. No, I shant be comin' to practice today. G'bye.
They got their costumes from whatever was left over after the Sargent Peppers photo shoot
Is it just me or... considering later "satanic" visuals concocted for the promotion of death metal bands and the like, the artwork for this Rolling Stones album looks like child's play. Laughable really when you consider the Stones' bad boy rep at the time.
I checked him out and he wrote a check. (Oh, I don’t need to see ID from you, Mr. Jagger!) As soon as he stepped away from the counter the owner grabbed the almost $1000 check and said that she would never cash it, she would have it framed and hang it in her office as art.
I wonder how many times Mick Jagger has spent that same $1,000. I wonder if that's why Mick Jagger is one of eleven people on the planet still writing out checks in stores, rather than using debit or credit cards!
A number of years ago, Jagger came in to shop at the NYC bookstore I worked in. He was the first customer of the day, coming in as the doors were unlocked, and was very pleasant. (He asked 2 teens who got all excited to wait outside till he was done.) He bought an interesting and intelligent selection of books--but the cashier was so flustered she forgot to get him to sign the credit card slip. The manager had to go to his home (he lived nearby; everyone knew where) and get him to sign it. I was surprised at how short he was, and how aged he looked. But his eyes were the most amazing bright blue!
"He was by all accounts very rude and arrogant any time he came in and made it clear that 'ordinary' people should not approach his majesty. Poor behaviour in anyone but especially disappointing to those who loved the Stones' music"
I expect that after a few decades of random strangers continually coming up and talking to you while you're just trying to do some shopping, you might start to get tired of it. 'Rude and arrogant' to me covers people who assume that a celebrity will want to talk to them just because they (with millions of others) like their music.
On the other hand, standoffish behaviour to have a quiet life is one thing, expecting to have others carry your shopping for you, unbidden, is another. A bit too much like having your cake and eating it, taking the upside of recognition without the downside.
I worked at Amoeba Music in Hollywood a few years back and we got all kinds of celebrity shoppers. James Spader and Jim Jarmusch were fairly regular, with Spader wearing one of the best "I'm totally inconspicuous" hats ever. In addition to the hundreds of in-stores, we had a lot of rockstar shoppers like Tom Petty & Dwight Yoakum. But one of the best was Robert Plant. As he shopped, everyone maintained a very respectful distance. When he checked out, the guy at the register said something like "I can't believe I'm selling music to Robert Plant." To which he said "Kind of a mind-fuck, isn't it?"
Jimmy Page also shopped there. He was a little skeezy and into trying to pick up the chicks. From all accounts, he was quite successful.
/threadjack
A dick is a dick by any other name.
Taking time to have the author see the unicorn is the most human thing I've ever heard of Mick Jagger doing.
With all due respect, if I spent USD 1000 at a toy store, I think I would expect a tiny bit of extra service from the staff, and I think most shop owners would agree with me (speaking from personal experience working in the service industry). But then again, I live in a country where shop staff personally guide me through the whole shopping experience even when just picking up a packet of gum.
God Bless Japanese service!
Yeah. I was asked for directions across campus by Steve Ballmer. That's just about the same level of cool. =/
I've only ever talked to one actual 'celebrity' and probably no one outside of Australia would know who he was.
Guy Sebastian. The first 'Australian' Idol.
In a Pizza shop in NYC of all places. About an hour after I arrived. He was very pleasant.
It'd suck being a celebrity though. Firstly all the random people hassling you constantly, then all the people bitching about how unpleasant and rude you were.
Sounds horrid.
I really don't like shop assistants trying to be helpful. Probably because I'm a complete misanthrope (or British, or both).
Stand behind the counter and keep schtum unless I ask you something, thank-you very much. Follow me around the store or be overly attentive when I'm browsing and I'll just leave.