I met Bryan Adams. No, really, I did. It was at the Morristown Community Theater. It was backstage. It was just before he got on stage to perform. It was total luck. I had gotten tickets to see his concert. It just so happened that my mother and he share a mutual friend – Katherine from Calvin Klein. Katherine mentioned to Bryan that I was an aspiring journalist, and he agreed to let me interview him briefly backstage before the show! Could I have gotten any luckier? I don’t think so. The only thing to trump the idea of meeting Bryan Adams (yes, yes, the “I got my first real six-string… bought it at the five-and-dime” Bryan Adams) was actually meeting him. Because he is one cool, awesome, down-to-earth, sincere, super-nice guy.
To say that I was taken back by the singer’s personable and yet insightful personality would be a massive understatement. Instead of feeling intimidated, as I expected, I couldn’t have felt more comfortable. Not to mention honored. After all, he had a full house of fans awaiting his arrival onstage and here he was talking to me! In my brief moments with this talented, popular, rock star, I asked him about his music, his life, and his plans for his future musical career. This is what I learned:
Bryan Adams not only has sixteen mainstream albums that have shaped him into the sensation he has been for years, he is also a true philanthropist. He is deeply involved in charitable giving to such causes as improving educational opportunities and fighting poverty around the world. I find his dedication to these endeavors to be so moving and inspiring. He also is pretty sure he will be releasing songs from here on out rather than albums (in this internet age, they just make more sense).
The other thing I learned about Bryan Adams is that he’s as real as it gets – a regular guy with loads of talent and a huge heart. In between each of his songs, he took the time to tell a funny story or give a simple dedication. One of these dedications was to female friend of his who thought she’d never find love again, but did – he was clearly so happy for her. It was stories like these that made me realize what a good friend Brian Adams must be.
The popular musician certainly has a sense of humor, too. While backstage, he acknowledged our mutual friend, Katherine from Calvin Klein, mentioning that earlier that day she had helped him pick out his shirt! He looked pretty good! But even more than good looks and an insane amount of talent, what struck me about Bryan Adams is his larger-than-life personality. In the middle of one of his songs, he started altering his accent to make the song sound country, resulting in laughter and excitement throughout the theater as everyone joined in singing. His light-heartedness was infectious. He has such a unique way of captivating and relating to his audience.
After this unexpected, unbelievable experience, I now see Bryan Adams with even more respect than I did before that night. Meeting this legend and hearing him sing live was the experience of a lifetime. Bryan Adams’ impact on me gave me one more reason to believe, and one more piece of evidence, that even when you climb the highest rung on the ladder of success, you can still remain grounded in your sense of reality.
After this unexpected, unbelievable experience, I now see Bryan Adams with even more respect than I did before that night. Meeting this legend and hearing him sing live was the experience of a lifetime. Bryan Adams’ impact on me gave me one more reason to believe, and one more piece of evidence, that even when you climb the highest rung on the ladder of success, you can still remain grounded in your sense of reality.
(reposted under news for April 28th 2010)
