ALMOST FAMOUS


I keep telling people that I don't ever need to be famous, I just want to be able to make a living doing what I love. 95% of that is true, but there is that 5% of me that would also love to be recognized for it. Not the kind of recognition that has toothless men with binoculars outside my home, but the kind that every once in a while has someone recognizing me for being a singer. Ok, totally vain and lame...but there is that small part of me that wants to be glamour queen standing next to Queen Latifah in a "Best Dressed" photo in In Style magazine.

Anyhow...

I went to work on Sunday (yes, on Sunday because holidays mess up my payroll schedule) and I noticed a guy sort of lingering around waiting for me to get out of my car. He said, "are you a singer?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Aren't you in All About Buford? You guys sing that song 'Hoochie Mama"! I LOVE that song!" I told him that yes I was and thanked him for liking the song. Then I went on my way feeling all famous.

That had happened to me once before in a Radio Shack. I went to the counter to pay for something and the woman behind the desk said, "Are you a singer? Aren't you Taunia from All About Buford?" Turns out she booked one of the shows we sang at, but still...it was recognition and I'll take it!

Of course, there's always the times that I get recognized for looking like someone else. I get Anna Nicole Smith a LOT. We're both big, we're both blond and that's about it. Oh wait, no...we both had older men for boyfriends. HA!

I just don't see it:



And dear GAWD, somebody shoot me if I ever have blue eyeshadow like that on my face!

Today I got a new one. A man stopped me in the hall and said, "Are you a singer?" I thought I was getting recognized AGAIN until he said, "You know who you look JUST like? Sandy Patti!! I thought you were her! I almost asked you for your autograph!!" I told him he still could.

Now, I knew Sandy Patti was a gospel singer, but I thought she was black so I was a little confused by the comparison. Little did I know she's white, blonde and big. Oh, and did I happen to mention about 20 YEARS OLDER THAN ME?!?!?

The first picture I saw of her I nearly croaked. She seriously looked older than my own mom and I thought that I must have a SERIOUSLY warped perception of my looks if I look that old. I wish I could find that picture now, but I can't. Here's one of her all dolled up. She looks old enough to be my MOM. Actually, she looks more like my mom than my real mom does. Anyhow:



Now clearly, she's a VERY attractive woman, so I'll take that part as a compliment. We do have very similar features....but he said he mistook me for her so I must look WAY the fuck older than I think.

So to recap:

1) Recognition is nice. I want to be a teeny bit famous.
2) Anna Nicole Smith is a Hoochie. I *play* a Hoochie in our song, but I am NOT one.
3) Sandi Patty is beautiful but has at least 20 years on me. Please, please, please people: if you're going to confuse me with someone, at least have them in the same decade as me.
4) Queen Latifah: I'm down with the photo shoot, girl. You just call me. In Style will be flying off the stands.
- posted by Taunia @ 4:15 PM