Ever get unsolicited, non-spam e-mail from a Ccelebrity?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m not talking about a message from Michael Moore’s mailing list, or a response to a fan e-mail. I’m talking about a celebrity actually sitting down to send an e-mail just to you, unsolicited.

Despite being online for many years, I’ve only gotten one out-of-the-blue e-mail from a celebrity; a sizeable note from a local television news anchor (and former Miss New York) saying that she liked a Web site I had up at the time.

I don’t think I can count this, but a few years ago I got an unsolicited e-mail from a then-famous net meme, Theresa of Billboard Girl fame.

2

Not an email, but an actual letter. And not me, but the parent of one of the kids at my kids’ school. After this guy’s father passed away, he was going through the condolence letters and found one signed just “Charles.”

“Cripes,” he thought, “what kind of jerk just puts down just his first name as a signature?”

He went through the stack of envelopes and found one from that guy in England. Lives in a big house. Ex-wife died in a car wreck.

That Charles.

3

I got an email once from Richard O’Brien (of Rocky Horror fame) - he’d seen a post I made on some message board and wanted to discuss it with me. We exchanged emails for about a month. I’ve also gotten email from Richard and Wendy Pini (ElfQuest), but I think I initiated that exchange.

4

If you’re definition of “celebrity” includes “science fiction writer,” I’ve gotten many. Off the top of my head, they include Norman Spinrad, Paul Levinson, Sharon Lee, Lawrence Watt-Evans, Catherine Asaro, Jim Macdonald, Paul Levinson, Jane Yolen, and a bunch of others.

I got a phone call from Harlan Ellison once, too. Does that count?

5

A friend of mine had a similar experience. Her three year old son was the victim of a murder/suicide by his father in one of those nasty custody battles you hear about but never happens to anyone you know (until it does). She got a condolence card from Hilary. Yes, the one that lived in the big white house for eight years.

6

I got an email from James Lileks for borrowing his Art Frahm images to create a diaryland website for a friend of mine. I had no idea that he felt he had the copyright to all Art Frahm images. :smack:

7

Well, best-selling writer Julia Quinn (historical romances) always replies to the emails you send her, so I have several from her. They aren’t completely unsolicited, in that I did send the initial email, but they were personal.

I wish a celebrity would respond to one of the emails I’ve sent their managers/agents/publicists. I’ve been trying to interview a television actor for months (any freakin’ actor with regular appearances on a modern television show would work), and most don’t even bother to respond with a “thanks, but no thanks.” You’d think these people were something greater than human, it’s so difficult to get a hold of them.

8

Not unsolicited but I have emailed back and forth a few times with author Diana Gabaldon. I was setting up an interview with her at the time but she was very chatty and friendly to me.

9

I got a very nice letter from John Varley after I mentioned him on Jeopardy! Six months later he sent me an autographed copy of his new book.

10

Well, this page I created does invite people to e-mail me, and the respondents haven’t exactly been household names to even general basketball fans, but a few players and coaches from the world of women’s hoops have asked that their birthdays be added to the listings. I’ve always complied with their requests. I also got an e-mail from a player who’s now on the Notre Dame team when she was in high school and saw (on a fan board) that I was planning to attend a Nike-sponsored camp for top prospects (including herself) and write about my observations for a web site.

11

Sure. I got one from George Washington just the other day.

12

The late Douglas Adams emailed me once in response to an email I sent him.

13

Correspondence on various of my weird little political leanings has elicited responses from a variety of politicians.

Jean Chrétien, Gary Doer, and Jack Layton sent us their condolences when my dad died, and Svend Robinson phoned me at home.

Comedian Paul Jacek, drag queen Miss Shangay Lily, and author Alberto Ciaurriz have all emailed me to thank me for mentioning them on my website.

14

Remember Puck from MTV’s "Real World San Francisco? Well, I posted something on the RW newsgroup several years ago. I got an e-mail from Puck. I don’t even remember what it said. I later found out that he was an annoying troll on this particular newsgroup.

Eric

15

When I was in high school, I did a website for a book series called Roswell High. It was pretty much the first fansite out there for the series, which later was made into Roswell, the TV show. I had a list of the books, news items on the upcoming series…nothing really great…

Well, one day, I received an email from the author, Melinda Metz. She offered to let me do an interview, and I did, then posted it on my website. About 6 months later, my site had over 10,000 hits because of the interview. I didn’t do a whole lot more than that with the site though, since that was right around the time that I was getting a social life, and I wasn’t really a fan of the TV show anyway.

Also, when I found Kage Baker’s website (she’s a sci-fi author, and a damned good one at that), I posted in the guestbook, and gave my web address where indicated. In addition to some random angst-filled teenage babbling, it also had a rather lengthy original scifi start on it.

I got an email back from her saying she’d read the story, and that it was good, that I should keep it up, etc. I have no doubt that she was throwing me a bone, there, because the writing was horrible, but my seventeen year-old self was absolutely glowing.

Also, one time I called Gwendolyn Brooks at her home, though that was because I was a poetry contest winner. (The prize was not, however, a phone call with Gwendolyn Brooks, so I suppose it still counts).

16

Much like he is in real life. In fact, much like his namesake, if I’m remembering my Billy Shakes correctly.

17

You’re officially my personal god. Why exactly do all these people want to talk to you, if that’s not too personal a question?

I’ve gotten email from James Randi, but that was in response to an email I sent him. There are two or three people who are celebrities in narrow circles and have emailed me, but their names would mean nothing to 99% of you.

18

Got an email from Ralph Bakshi in response to an email I sent him, which, I suppose, makes it solicited.

19

Chrissy Hynde (sp?) harrasses me from time to time with her PETA nonsense. I work for one of PETA’s targeted companies as we do animal testing. So occasionally I’ll get a recorded phone call or e-mail from her.

20

He’s a writer. If you’re familiar with all of those names, you might be familiar with (or like) some of his work. Check his sig for links.