A Night at the Celebrity Petting Zoo
I’ve had the pleasure of attending the GRAMMY Awards several times over the past decade, and as my involvement has increased, so have the perks. This year, my wife, AJ, and I were invited to the prestigious Clive Davis Pre-GRAMMY Gala, held on the eve of the awards ceremony. The event, steeped in tradition with its 48-year history, is renowned for its star-studded guest list.
Upon our arrival at the Beverly Hilton, we found ourselves seated at a prime table overlooking a celebrity petting zoo. Below us, we spotted the unmistakable face-tattoos of the country/rap star, Jelly Roll. Meryl Streep sat a few tables over, and Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav wore all white at the black tie event, as he posed for a selfie with a guest. Before our drinks even arrived, AJ was chatting it up with Avril Lavigne.
As the evening unfolded, we discovered that the gala served not only as a gathering of the music elite but also as a stage for performances, ranging from established stars like Ice Spice to rising stars like Victoria Monet, who would go on to win Best New Artist the following night. Between performances, the 91-year-old host, Clive Davis, wound up the audience with dramatic introductions of notable figures present, eliciting cheers for legends like Cher and Shania Twain, and gasps of surprise at the appearance of political heavyweight Nancy Pelosi. For me, it was Serena Williams' enthusiastic introduction of Green Day that stole the show.
As I slowly scanned the room past Ted Danson, Tom Hanks and a mostly-shirtless Lenny Kravitz, I noticed one celebrity seated at a table with Sammy Hagar and some other obvious rockers. Even from several tables away—and without makeup—I knew that this wavy-haired man was KISS singer Paul Stanley. I was a massive KISS fan growing up, and while my opinion of the band’s music may have waned over the years, my opinion of Paul has only improved, largely thanks to his earnest and approachable Twitter account. I watched Paul out of the corner of my eye for most of the night, hoping he’d go to the bathroom so I could orchestrate a casual run-in. As a conversation starter, I prepped my phone with this photo:
When AJ nudged me to signal that Paul was getting up, I suddenly felt hesitant to stalk my childhood idol, but then I remembered that exactly one year ago, AJ and I were at a party where she felt the same apprehension about Paul McCartney, who was hanging out at the bar. “Do you want to leave without a photo of you and Sir Paul?” I asked. I heard my own voice in my head, as I jumped out of my seat, and hung out near the aisle in a manner that I hoped looked casual, but felt kind of creepy.
When Paul appeared, I gently grabbed his shoulder, both as a sign of friendliness, and also to let him know that he had no choice but to stop and talk to me for a moment. I held the picture on my phone, and Paul made the face of a surprised, proud parent, smiling as he looked up at me. My assumption is that thousands of people have shown Paul Stanley a picture of themselves as a kid wearing KISS makeup, and for that reason, I was extra happy with his gracious response. Then these words flew out of my mouth, unplanned:
“You’re the reason I’m here. You’re the reason I play music. Thank you.”
Sharing the encounter on Instagram garnered an overwhelming response, with many people recounting their own memorable interactions with KISS members. Among them, my friend Ed Eckstine, former president of Mercury Records during the band's tenure with the label, emerged as the standout winner of my unintended "Best photo with KISS" contest.
I’m hosting Mariah Stovall’s book launch event on Feb. 21 at Brooklyn’s Books Are Magic (the new Brooklyn Heights location).
One of my favorite (and final) book tour interviews recently went live. Last October, I had the pleasure of speaking with Detroit radio legend Ann Delisi at Jack White’s Third Man Records store, and our conversation aired on Detroit’s WDET. You can listen HERE.
My memoir is called My Life in the Sunshine. You can order it here, or listen to the audiobook on Spotify.
I hope to see you somewhere soon. Upcoming events are always listed here, and stay tuned for a big 2024 project.
Nabil Ayers / Brooklyn