This is my Taxi Driver's photo ID from 1974. I had hair, tied in a pony tail.
TRUE TALES OF A NYC CAB DRIVER #7
"Celebrities"
John Belushi
...
"Celebrities"
John Belushi
...
Once I met John Belushi, not driving a cab, but in front of a jazz club on the upper west side. It was a famous place called Mikell's, on the corner of 97th and Columbus Ave. Musician friends of mine had heard that Joe Cocker might be singing there that night, because his backup band played there sometimes. This was not long after John Belushi did a wild imitation of Joe Cocker on Saturday Night Live. Had to be the first or second year of SNL, probably the summer of 1976.
Anyway, I was on line to get early tickets for later that night, and there was Belushi saying goodbye to George Benson, who was getting into a cab. He is the jazz singer and guitarist best known for the song "Masquerade." I was kind of brash and not too shy, and just had to go up to Belushi and tell him that I thought he was great on SNL. He was very friendly, then confided that he was there hoping to meet Joe Cocker. He had never met him, even though he did that hilarious imitation of him. Joe Cocker, some of you might remember, is an English soulful blues singer who seems so lost in the emotion of his singing that he looks a little spastic as he sings.
John Belushi (I swear this is true) actually asked me if I thought it was a good idea if he asked Joe Cocker about the SNL skit. He wanted to ask Joe if he minded that he made fun of him. I answered, why not, go for it. I told him I thought Joe Cocker would probably appreciate direct honesty. Belushi thanked me for my encouragement, and we parted.
Later that evening I returned with my friends for the show. Sure enough Joe Cocker sang with his band that night. It was great music. Belushi was there with friends. Late into the night I noticed Belushi was all by himself in a booth, so I went over and asked him if he had talked to Joe Cocker. He told me he had talked to Joe in between sets, and Joe had put his mind at ease. Joe said he didn't mind at all, but his friends felt uncomfortable about it. Interesting. Me and Belushi talked for a few minutes, and he said that a lot of people worried about Joe Cocker because he drank heavily. They worried that he wouldn't live long because of it.
A few months later Joe Cocker was a guest on SNL and he and John Belushi played on stage together, Joe as himself, and Belushi parodying him. It was terrific. Showed what class Cocker had. Sad that John Belushi died so young, a decent unpretentious guy. Happily, Joe Cocker lives on. Go figure.
Hermione Gingold
The most memorable celebrity who ever got into my cab was Hermione Gingold. Most people won't know who she is, but she played the matronly chaperone to young Leslie Caron in the movie Gigi. She and the French singer Maurice Chevalier had some memorable scenes together. Well, one night she got into my cab in midtown somewhere and wanted to be taken to Sutton Place. That's a really exclusive neighborhood on the east side near the East River. Very expensive.
As soon as she got in I recognized her, knew her from the movies. But I couldn't remember her name. So like the young doofus I was I said I remembered her, but forgot her name. She said, with great formality, "Hermione Gingold." I praised her acting and singing, gushing a little in my enthusiasm. She didn't speak after that, so I shut up.
When we arrived in front of a very fancy looking apartment building I parked and took the money she offered and gave her three one dollar bills for her change. She scooped the bills from the little money tray then hastily put them back, saying, "Oh no, these are much too dirty!" She wanted cleaner money! They were pretty grimy and old. So I looked through the paper money I had and found three cleaner bills. "That's much better," she said. And tipped me seventy five cents, about fifteen percent.
Anyway, I was on line to get early tickets for later that night, and there was Belushi saying goodbye to George Benson, who was getting into a cab. He is the jazz singer and guitarist best known for the song "Masquerade." I was kind of brash and not too shy, and just had to go up to Belushi and tell him that I thought he was great on SNL. He was very friendly, then confided that he was there hoping to meet Joe Cocker. He had never met him, even though he did that hilarious imitation of him. Joe Cocker, some of you might remember, is an English soulful blues singer who seems so lost in the emotion of his singing that he looks a little spastic as he sings.
John Belushi (I swear this is true) actually asked me if I thought it was a good idea if he asked Joe Cocker about the SNL skit. He wanted to ask Joe if he minded that he made fun of him. I answered, why not, go for it. I told him I thought Joe Cocker would probably appreciate direct honesty. Belushi thanked me for my encouragement, and we parted.
Later that evening I returned with my friends for the show. Sure enough Joe Cocker sang with his band that night. It was great music. Belushi was there with friends. Late into the night I noticed Belushi was all by himself in a booth, so I went over and asked him if he had talked to Joe Cocker. He told me he had talked to Joe in between sets, and Joe had put his mind at ease. Joe said he didn't mind at all, but his friends felt uncomfortable about it. Interesting. Me and Belushi talked for a few minutes, and he said that a lot of people worried about Joe Cocker because he drank heavily. They worried that he wouldn't live long because of it.
A few months later Joe Cocker was a guest on SNL and he and John Belushi played on stage together, Joe as himself, and Belushi parodying him. It was terrific. Showed what class Cocker had. Sad that John Belushi died so young, a decent unpretentious guy. Happily, Joe Cocker lives on. Go figure.
Hermione Gingold
The most memorable celebrity who ever got into my cab was Hermione Gingold. Most people won't know who she is, but she played the matronly chaperone to young Leslie Caron in the movie Gigi. She and the French singer Maurice Chevalier had some memorable scenes together. Well, one night she got into my cab in midtown somewhere and wanted to be taken to Sutton Place. That's a really exclusive neighborhood on the east side near the East River. Very expensive.
As soon as she got in I recognized her, knew her from the movies. But I couldn't remember her name. So like the young doofus I was I said I remembered her, but forgot her name. She said, with great formality, "Hermione Gingold." I praised her acting and singing, gushing a little in my enthusiasm. She didn't speak after that, so I shut up.
When we arrived in front of a very fancy looking apartment building I parked and took the money she offered and gave her three one dollar bills for her change. She scooped the bills from the little money tray then hastily put them back, saying, "Oh no, these are much too dirty!" She wanted cleaner money! They were pretty grimy and old. So I looked through the paper money I had and found three cleaner bills. "That's much better," she said. And tipped me seventy five cents, about fifteen percent.
MY AUDIOBOOK PROMO VIDEO. First chapter of my novel This Moment Is My Home, with music and pictures, to whet your appetite.
Watch and listen to the audiobook first chapter.
Whoops, Sorry About That!
It was late at night, and I had dropped off a fare in the middle of Brooklyn. I was somewhere north of the Brownsville section and was heading back in the general direction of Manhattan. Somewhere not far from the campus of Pratt Institute, I passed a large man wrestling with a woman by a parked car. I slowed as I passed, because it appeared that the man was trying to shove a woman into a car. What went through my mind was kidnapping or rape. I pulled up and parked ahead of them and got out to help the woman. What can I say, I was young and strong, and didn't like to see women or animals mistreated.
As I approached on foot, the large man had hold of the small woman, and was trying mightily to get her into the car. She was fighting like a demon, holding onto the doorframe, resisting his every move, cursing and shouting, spitting mad. As large and strong looking as the man was, he was having no success. When I was close, I said, "Stop it! What're you doing to her?"
Of course, I expected hostility from him. But I was amazed when I got the opposite. He looked at me wearily and said, "Man, I'm just trying to get her home. She's drunk out of her mind. She's my wife!" I could see that the woman seemed to be really drunk. When I asked her if she was okay, she cursed and shouted incoherently at me. She seemed anything but a victim, and she was verbally abusing him something awful. Though he was twice her size, was making little progress. He tried to explain further, "I got to get her home, man. I can't leave here like this. She don't know what she's doin'. What would you do?" Suddenly I was sympathizing with him.
He seemed to be telling the truth, and I was at a loss. All I could think to say was, "Well, don't hurt her." He answered, "I won't . I won't. She's my wife." So, with a stupid expression of bewilderment on my face, I left them to it, and got back in my cab. As I drove, the stupid expression stayed on my face for quite a while. I counted myself lucky that I hadn't gotten my ass handed to me by being such a boy scout. Fools rush in . . .
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