RONNIE WOOD

Downtown Los Angeles, CA

Nokia Theater

March 28, 2009

Photo credit: Ronnie Wood

Say you’re walking down a Parisian side street. You and your travel map are minding your own business until you turn the corner and suddenly you’re met with a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower. We've known about it our entire lives but if you’ve never seen it in person, that first view can be staggering. That’s how I feel about celebrities. Both are cultural points of interest that we have been shown over and over throughout the years.

Trying to preserve these mind-blowing moments, people want pictures with the famous person they’ve spotted just as families will scoot together for photos while standing on the Great Wall of China or atop the Empire State Building. You know, where the gorilla was.

I was enjoying a night out at a Prince concert in downtown LA. After the show, my friend and I made our way to the VIP area. We flashed our special stickers and moseyed on in. I figured we must be early since there weren’t many people in there. But, no. Much to my dismay, this privileged area behind the fuzzy red ropes was merely the IP area. The VIPs were in a much more exclusive room downstairs. I’d had all my fingers crossed that I would get to rub elbows with The Artist himself. But it’s alright, You Can’t Always Get What You Want.

After a glance around the room, I saw this icon of a man—another member of rock and roll royalty, Ronnie Wood.

I won’t say he is one of the seven wonders of the world, but he is one of The Stones (Rolling, not -henge). And he was sitting right in front of me. It was a surprise sighting that almost took my breath away. I got out my camera.

Mr. Wood has been in the media longer than I have been alive so in my brain his status is equal to that of the Roman Colosseum or Machu Picchu. And, to me, the value of The Rolling Stones is much higher than the value of those other treasured monuments. I know he’s just a guitarist and It’s Only Rock ’n' Roll, But I Like It quite a bit more.

As luck would have it, there was an open seat right next to him. To meet a rockstar of his caliber, Some Girls would run right over like a pack of Wild Horses, but that’s not my style. After a few minutes, I calmly walked over and sat down as if I was Waiting on a Friend. He didn't acknowledge me but Time [Was] on My Side. Luckily there weren't many people in the room pining for his attention so I let him ignore me for a good minute and then I touched his knee.

It didn’t dawn on me at the time, but at that exact moment, the leg of this legendary musician was literally Under My Thumb.

Ronnie looked over at me. I said, “Hi.” He seemed guarded so I cut to the chase. “This is kinda weird,” I began, “but I have this celebrity photo album. It's just a bunch of pictures of me taken by celebrities. Will you take my picture?" He loosened up and said, "I can do that.” But he said it with a British accent. Cool! I mean, of course he did, but it caught me off guard. Sure he looked the part, but he also sounded the part. And I bet if I’d have handed him a guitar he could have played Jumpin' Jack Flash.

Instead, I handed him my camera.

Ronnie leaned back to frame the shot but when his friend saw what we were doing he interrupted. "Want me to take that?" he offered. "No. She wants me to,” Ronnie said. He snapped a quick picture, straightened himself up in his seat, and before I could thank him, he handed my camera over to his friend. This Rolling Stone figured it was a given that I would want a photo of the two of us together. Most people would. I mean, who goes to Rio and doesn’t get a picture with that giant Jesus statue up on the hill? Ronnie leaned over and we smiled for the photo.

And here's what we got: In addition to the photo I requested, I walked away with the same photo most other people would have left with. A classic picture of a chill and confident rockstar, sitting with an excited and grateful fan. I look like a typical American tourist posing in front of Buckingham Palace during the changing of the guards.

Thanks for indulging me with these photos, Ronnie. Being able to include you as a featured photographer in My Celebrity Photo Album rustles up that same feeling of Satisfaction that comes every time I get a new stamp in my passport.

And hey France, your Eiffel Tower is dazzling, and thanks for that Statue of Liberty. But England, seriously, The Rolling Stones?! Now there’s a gift. If I may speak for the group—we are eternally grateful.

Photo credit: His friend