I was having lunch with a friend from my news days last Friday, and we were talking about the passing of David Crosby. “He was the voice of a generation,” she remarked. A generation that’s now largely enjoying retirement.
While I wasn’t around when Billie Holiday was revolutionizing jazz vocals, or when the Glenn Miller Orchestra made swing music a phenomenon, I know who they were. However, walk into a modern newsroom, and if someone of Crosby’s stature passes away, you’re more likely to hear a “Who?” than an “Oh, wow.” (“Kids these days!” I might grumble, shaking my fist). Obituaries are often quickly put together from a Wikipedia search, and it shows. It makes you wonder, why even have news writers? Just ask ChatGPT to write the obituary!
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Then I recounted to my friend the time I witnessed David Crosby approach actor John Forsythe in a restaurant. She loved the story. “That’s a good one,” she chuckled, especially when I revealed the punchline.
So, I thought I’d share it here as well.
Los Angeles has been my home for most of my life, except for a brief four-year period. I was born here. I can probably count on two hands the number of times I’ve seen a celebrity out and about in everyday life, not counting awards shows or court appearances. Once, when family was visiting from the Bay Area, I tried to impress them by taking them to lunch at The Ivy in Beverly Hills. I was hoping for a movie star sighting. And sure enough, there was Keanu Reeves! “Who?” my sister-in-law asked, completely unimpressed. #fail
But I was truly amazed one night in 1999 when I was about 100 miles north of Hollywood and saw not one, not two, but three major entertainment figures. And they weren’t together; it was completely random.
Here’s what unfolded.
My husband and I were visiting relatives in Los Olivos, nestled in Santa Barbara wine country, an area made famous by the movie “Sideways.” We decided to have a date night and escaped the family for a meal at a wonderful Italian restaurant called Grappolo in Santa Ynez.
The sun had gone down, the restaurant lights were dim, and we were seated at a corner table with a perfect view of the entire place. A few minutes later, David Crosby and his wife, Jan Dance, entered and were seated right next to us. We knew they lived in the area but had never actually seen them before.
My husband, a huge CSN (+/-Y) fan, was visibly excited. We played it cool, though, and avoided making eye contact.
Shortly after, actor John Forsythe walked in! At 80 years old, he looked incredibly elegant in a double-breasted navy jacket. Now it was my turn to be starstruck. I had been a devoted viewer of “Dynasty” in the 1980s—ABC’s answer to CBS’s hit show, “Dallas”—and there he was, Blake Carrington himself! John Forsythe, a true television icon.
Forsythe was accompanied by a man who seemed to know everyone in town. My husband and I jokingly referred to him as “the honorary mayor of Santa Ynez.” He greeted everyone, including David Crosby, as he and John Forsythe settled into the booth next to us.
Suddenly, David Crosby got up from his seat and walked over to the veteran actor, John Forsythe. My husband was in the middle of saying something—though, honestly, who remembers what?—and I immediately shushed him. I focused all my attention, channeling my inner bionic woman, to eavesdrop. (#LindsayWagner)
Crosby seemed a little shy, even starstruck in the presence of John Forsythe. Forsythe clearly didn’t recognize him. “David is a musician,” explained Forsythe’s companion. Forsythe responded with a polite, “Oh, how nice.”
Then, the musician explained to John Forsythe that his father, Floyd Crosby, had been a cinematographer in Hollywood. Floyd had even won an Oscar in 1931 for the film “Tabu.” Perhaps their paths had crossed in the film industry?
John Forsythe paused briefly and replied, “No, I don’t recall him.” He gave a polite smile, but Crosby looked visibly deflated. They exchanged polite “Nice to meet yous,” and David returned to the booth beside us, looking a bit disappointed.
It was a reminder that stars are fans too, just like us! And they can feel awkward, just like us! Even John Forsythe, a Hollywood legend, might not know every famous face.
I was honestly a little surprised that in a small town like Santa Ynez, these two entertainment figures had never met before.
Meanwhile, my husband was dying to know what had just happened. “I’ll tell you later in the parking lot,” I mouthed to him.
We quickly enjoyed our dinner (which was delicious!), and then got ready to leave.
And here’s the punchline of this celebrity encounter story, featuring John Forsythe and David Crosby.
As we stepped into the parking lot, I began to recount the Crosby-Forsythe interaction, emphasizing how incredible it was to see two famous people in one night! But then I stopped mid-sentence.
There was Jeff Bridges.
Dude.
Mic drop.
Image alt text: A still from “The Big Lebowski” movie featuring Jeff Bridges as “The Dude”, referencing his unexpected appearance in the Santa Ynez parking lot.
🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
So that’s my most memorable Hollywood story, and it didn’t even happen in Hollywood itself.
By the way, I tested my theory about news writers becoming obsolete by asking ChatGPT “Who was David Crosby?” to see if the AI was up-to-date. Good news for journalists, you’re safe for now. The Bot thinks Crosby is still alive. Someone definitely needs to update that software!
Image alt text: A person looking thoughtfully at a laptop screen, symbolizing the question of AI’s role in news writing and referencing the author’s ChatGPT experiment about David Crosby.
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