SINBAD

Century Plaza Hotel

Century City, CA

November 16, 2000

Photo credit: Sinbad

I was at the Century Plaza Hotel for a sensational gala—a comedic roast of Muhammad Ali. He was in the hot seat but he wasn’t concerned. An hour's worth of jabs from comedians is nothing compared to the 21 years’ worth of jabs he took in the ring. 

This event, ROAST THIS! An Evening with Muhammad Ali and Friends, was dripping with celebrities and boxing enthusiasts all dressed to a T, with the money raised headed to fund the impressive Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky. A delightful mix of partygoers was seated at large round tables and at each place setting, a gift bag, holding a complimentary Ali Center hat, was on display. Legendary comedian and actor, Sinbad, MC’d the evening, and after a fine meal, we were free to mill about. 

I first learned about Sinbad when I saw him compete on Star Search in the mid-80s where he won his round against fellow comedian Dennis Miller. He soon gained recognition for his roles on A Different World and The Sinbad Show, was in several movies through the 90s, and had many of his own HBO stand-up specials. In person, he was hilarious.

I was walking up to the stage to meet the standing heavyweight champ, Lennox Lewis, when I saw Sinbad just relaxing against a railing, he was alone at this star-studded event simply absorbing the atmosphere. As I walked by, we made eye contact. He smiled. I smiled back and followed the pull to walk over for a chat. We said hello, and I proceeded to tell him about My Celebrity Photo Album.

"It's just a bunch of pictures of me taken by celebrities. Will you take my picture?" I concluded. Happily, he said, "Oh sure," then he took the camera and casually snapped this photo.

He was very kind and seemed to have time to visit but I didn't want to impose so thanked him, got my camera, and continued on my trek to the stage. It was quick. Looking back, I wish I’d have spent more time with him. There was no hurry, the people on the stage were going to be there for a while. But unfortunately, I zipped past my only chance for a quality conversation with this charming man.

Thanks for your decades of entertainment, Sinbad. And thanks for your help with this project. This quick stop and spontaneous snap resulted in one of my favorite pictures in the book. In fact, I love the photo you took so much, I use it in my logo.