| Author | Message | ||
  Charise (mistrivia1) 5-Doyen Username: mistrivia1 Post Number: 171 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 198.81.26.46 |
Hello to Everyone!!!! Yesterday, I had the exprience of a lifetime! I met in person Detroit's own...William "Smokey" Robinson at Pak n'Save (affiliate of Safeway) promoting his new foodline The Soul Is In The Bowl! He was about 45min late, but it was well worth the wait. I chatted with other people while waiting in line, so the almost 2 hr wait wasn't that bad. They announced that Smokey would take a picture with you, autograph the box & autograph his new gospel cd. I couldn't really see to much ahead of me, but as we got closer to the front, I saw Leon Isaac Kennedy, his business partner and God-brother. A lot of people did not know who he was and the ones who did, were amazed, he has aged well!!! Then I could see Smokey! People, mostly the women were about to pass out-LOL!!! For me, in a way, it seemed surreal, because I never thought I would meet him in person. In '91 when I bought his biography, I had a DJ get him to sign it for me and then in 2000, I saw him in concert for the first time here in Oakland at the Paramount and that was mind-blowing!! This is a once in a lifetime thing, I don't know how else to explain it!! He was taking pictures with and hugging everyone!! He had on street clothes, a pull-over top, blue jeans & sneakers. When I got to the front of the line he was sitting down behind the table signing autographs, there was a woman sitting next to him who was passing him the frozen food boxes and other things to be signed. He stood up and said, "You are so beautiful" & hugged me.  I still don't believe it! Even when I was little, I always thought this was a good-looking man and he STILL IS!!!!!! There were all kinds of people working around him, and I gave my camera to one of them so that he could take our picture. I reminded him that I have his autographed book signed by the DJ, whom he knows pretty well. He asked me how to spell my name- that SPEAKING VOICE, so soft and breathless, somebody pinch me, please I had him sign a cd for my mother, whom I wished could have been there, so I could have seen her reaction, she lives in Arizona. That will be one of her birthday gifts coming up in Oct. You know how you want ask people questions, but there is only so much time and then you get kind of celebrity-struck, so you forget, that was me! I also had him sign a box for my dad and myself. You could tell he was a little tired, he had already made another appearance at another Safeway earlier, but was still engaging & gracious. I told him thank you & good luck with the food line. I then saw Leon Issac Kennedy and asked him if he would take a picture with me and he said yes. Both of them are very charming!!!!! I asked him how it went at the other store and he said it went well and that they were supposed to go to a corporate dinner at Safeway headquarters at 5:30 and it was already about 6:45!! Smokey is starting of with 2 products, Seafood Gumbo w/shrimp,crab,chicken & chicken sausage is the first one-the one that the store was selling, of which I bought 6, the other is Red beans & rice. When I got home I opened one of the boxes of gumbo, you could smell as soon as you pulled it out of the box. It is microwavable or can be heatd in a conventional oven. I put it in the microwave. Smokey has a winner on his hands!!! I gave my dad three boxes and he said he enjoyed it as well. On the box it says you can add spices to suit individual taste. That is a good thing, because some people can't eat spicy things. My dad said he added hot sauce to his and was good to go. It fills you up to!! They were on sale because of his in-store appearance, 2 for 6 dollars, reg 4.29, which is comparable with other frozen foods, but this is the only Gumbo style frozen food out there. The web site is www.SmokeyRobinsonfoods.com & that is how my day went yesterday, I feel like an offical member of SD, now!!!!!!!!!!!! | ||
Soulaholic (soulaholic) 5-Doyen Username: soulaholic Post Number: 353 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.41.40.105 |
Charise (mistrivia1) Whats that Smokin' in the Kitchen? SMOKEY ! | ||
Don (don) 5-Doyen Username: don Post Number: 352 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.78.25.242 |
William "Smokey" Robinson, The Greatest Songwriter of Modern Music History!!! Don Chicago | ||
Juicefree20 (juicefree20) 6-Zenith Username: juicefree20 Post Number: 1416 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 24.46.184.162 |
Hey Re Re, That was a very nice story & I'm glad that you got to rub elbows with true musical greatness. By the way, I'd like a copy of the picture. That way, I can tell you how beautiful you are as well | ||
Lady Mystique (ladymystique) 6-Zenith Username: ladymystique Post Number: 413 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 216.222.243.148 |
Charise you are TOO lucky!! | ||
Songstress (songstress61) 2-Debutant Username: songstress61 Post Number: 15 Registered: 6-2004 Posted From: 68.101.247.165 |
Hey Charise isn't it nice when celebrities turn out to be just as nice as you had imagined them to be? Smokey seems like he'd be a sweetheart.. I recently bought his new CD "Food For The Spirit" If you don't have it you should pick it up cause it is a winner.. There was a little sheet in the CD promoting the item that you speak of, the Seafood Gumbo. Yum yum! | ||
Charise (mistrivia1) 5-Doyen Username: mistrivia1 Post Number: 175 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 198.81.26.46 |
Yes, Songstress! I thought about that very thing, later on. I've never heard anything negative about Smokey in regards to fans or in general, in the media. When I see him in interviews, he's always laid back & down to earth & he is the same way in real LIFE!!! That is really COOL Lady Mystique: I say the same thing, when I read about everybody's encounters with celebrated people here on SD. Juice: I will try to post here, if it comes out!!! Soulaholic: : Don: I too, thought about that as well. All of the songs he has written or co-written, the melodies, just AWESOME & GIFTED!!!! | ||
Tony Russi (tony_russi) 5-Doyen Username: tony_russi Post Number: 181 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 68.210.39.5 |
Charise, thats so cool.Smokey has been my main idol since I was 11 yrs old and I'm now 53.Please post the pix when you can.Thanks. | ||
Nosey (nosey) 4-Laureate Username: nosey Post Number: 162 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 66.153.113.238 |
Hi Charise! I'm glad you got to meet Smokey! I met him in 1970 here in Philly backstage at his farewell tour with the Miracles. We were trying to determine if we were kin; Robinson is my mother's maiden name but alas it wasn't the case. He was really nice and friendly. He "got" my sense of humor and we had a laughing good time. | ||
roger (roger) 4-Laureate Username: roger Post Number: 143 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 217.35.87.17 |
Hello everyone. Nice story Charise. Your description of his Seafood Gumbo is making me feel hungry!! Here's something appropriate to this thread for you all to click on!! http://launch.yahoo.com/album/ ?albumID=71606 Roger | ||
Charise (mistrivia1) 5-Doyen Username: mistrivia1 Post Number: 181 Registered: 4-2004 Posted From: 198.81.26.46 |
Roger It is good! I'm waiting on the Red Beans & Rice to come out. I have one box left and yesterday, I went to Safeway hoping to get some more! When I get to the frozen food section, the shelf was empty!!!!! Oh Shoot!! Then I hear over the speaker, Smokey's voice saying pick up some of the gumbo and I was saying, "I can't because there is no more!" When I got to the checkout, I told the checker that I was going to file a complaint-jokingly, because that is false advertisement! She asked me if I wanted a raincheck and I most certainly said yes. I asked her if she was there the day he came to the store,she said she was off. Some other employees were talking about the women primping in the mirror while standing in line, waiting to meet him, yelling "Smokey, Smokey" in high-pitched voices. I was laughing all the way out of the store! Roger, who would've thunk it, the title of one of his albums would ring true!!! |
