Aspen/Snowmass was chock full of celebrities and I quite often had the good fortune of being at the right place at the right time which has given me so many fun memories to look back upon. And my name-dropping ability is a well-honed tool for cocktail parties.
JOHN DENVER
One summer I was employed as the gopher boy for the Summer Tent Music Series in Snowmass. My payment was two tickets and an all access pass to the concerts. On one such evening, Jimmy Buffet was the headline act with Townes Van Zandt as his opening act. As an Austin boy I was really looking forward to seeing my hometown boy, Townes perform. Because of all of our time together during Jimmy’s wedding events, his band, The Coral Reefers, were on first name basis with me and they were really quick to use and abuse my services for every little whim. Those whims first and foremost being drugs and alcohol, they kept me running to keep them well stocked. I finally made it back to my second-row seat where Debby, the mother of my children, was guarding my seat. I sat down, exasperated and tired from being an abused runner boy. I asked Debby for the cocaine and proceeded to take several snorts. Two spoons per nostril would be just right. I was shoveling in the third spoonful when Debby leaned over and said “John Denver is staring at you”. I looked to my right and there he was, John Denver’s round face grinning at me behind those signature circular wire rim glasses. I smiled back at him and made a motion with the vial to which he nodded a decided yes, so I passed it over. We all enjoyed the show however, Townes disappointed as he was so stoned and drunk that he fell off of his bar stool and was unable to do his routine.
LUCILLE BALL
One snowy winter morning, I was grabbing a coffee at the village deli when I spied Lucille Ball. She was ready for the slopes and looked the part in her expensive ski outfit with all the accessories. Lucy had two condos at the top of village in The Interlude condos. It was one of her family vacation spots. I approached her and said “This maybe corny but could I have your autograph?”. Her reply was, “I don’t think it’s corny” and she took her pen with red ink and drew a heart with an arrow and signed “Love, Lucy” in the middle of the heart. Later that day I was riding the chair lift to Sam’s Knob and I heard a big commotion. I looked down to see what could possibly be wrong and there was Lucy laying under the lift on the summer road, near the top of Sam’s Knob, broken leg and all. The pain did not deter her from screaming at her instructor. As I passed overhead I heard her yelling, “I told you not to bring me up here”. Those of you who are old enough might remember she did the entire series that year in a plaster cast. I have always wondered if that instructor got fired.
STEVE MARTIN
After a long day on the slopes, we would frequently go to the Aspen Inn for a night of music and fun. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band lived in Aspen and played at the Inn frequently. I also saw Bo Diddley, Glenn Yarborough and many others performing there.
The first time I saw The Dirt Band, I went with my dear friends Michael and Terri Burke. Michael leaned over and said “I’m sitting next to Liza Minelli”. This was during her CABARET era. The warm up act was little known Steve Martin. He strolled out onto the stage wearing a white tuxedo, a fake arrow through his head and of course his banjo. This was our first exposure to his unorthodox folly. We became instant fans and saw his routine many times and always enjoyed his new jokes. After he became better known nationally, we saw him at a fundraiser in the basement in the Aspen Cabaret. At the end of the show, we walked outside to a typical night in Aspen, crisp beautiful starry sky with a barrage of big flakes of snow. We were discussing where to go from there when we heard a banjo and voice coming from the third-floor staircase above the club. Martin who was still in character, white tux and banjo, walked down the exposed staircase while being his silly self, asking the gathering crowd “Was that guy in there funny?”. He descended to the street level and began his pied piper act, captivating and leading the procession of about 75 happy locals through downtown. Cars came to a standstill to allow the parade to pass and seemed to enjoy the show as Steve strummed his banjo. When the group was in front of The Red Onion, an old local bar, Martin said “Shows over, I’m going in for a beer. Join me.” What a wild and crazy guy!
BUDDY HACKETT
Buddy Hackett was a fixture in Snowmass during the Christmas season. He was not a skier, so you never knew when or where he would appear. I was going into the Refectory Restaurant with my girlfriend Barb Sanders. I was hanging our parkas when I heard Barb say “I know you, you’re Buddy Hackett”. I turned towards them just in time to see Barb tap him on his chest. He tapped her back and said “You’re right, but who are you?” Luckily, he was in a playful mood that evening. At the Wildwood Inn where I was a desk clerk, we had large blue checkered shirts as part of our look. Buddy Hackett was known to ride the elevator to the top floor to avoid the loss of breath as the village’s elevation was 8700 feet and the air was thin. One day he entered the ski lodge and headed for his shortcut to the elevator which passed by our staff meeting and there we were in the checkered shirts when Buddy approached. He said to us, “I would have brought the Chianti if I knew we were having an Italian party”. This was all said as he entered the elevator. Just like that he was up and gone.
STEVIE NICKS
One reason “star” types are drawn to Aspen is because they are not hassled. I was at the “J” Bar at the Hotel Jerome when I noticed Stevie Nicks was perched on the barstool next to me. A guy came up and started to hit on her. She turned her head toward him and said “Fuck off buddy”. The scorned guy walked away. This was the exception to the “no hassle” code in Aspen.
CANDICE BERGEN
I was getting lunch at Sam’s Knob Cafeteria when I noticed a very attractive girl in front of me. Before I spoke I looked again, it was Candice Bergen. She was in her 20’s and quite the looker. I applied the “no hassle” policy and zipped it.
CLINT EASTWOOD
Normally I was not a stalker, but I did, very intentionally ski down a steep slope following Clint Eastwood all the way down. I observed that he is a very good skier.
BONNIE RAITT
Bonnie Raitt must have worked as a hostess in a restaurant earlier in her life. Bonnie walked into our restaurant one night knowing that Janie and Jimmy Buffett were coming in for dinner. The Buffets had not arrived yet, but Bonnie saw the reservation book on the podium and found the table number and transcribed the floor diagram and determined which table had been assigned and saved for the Buffets. Like I said, she had to have had restaurant experience in order to be able to decipher the seating code. When the hostess arrived, Bonnie said “I want to sit there”, pointing at the Buffet’s table. The hostess said that table was reserved for a special guest. The hostess did not recognize Bonnie. Luckily a waiter, Craig Cooper, saw what was going on. Craig hip bumped the hostess out of the way and said “Ms. Raitt right this way please”.
Aspen/Snowmass was always populated with lots of Hollywood types. One of my favorite times in the area was Halloween. They all tried to outdo each other and it was a spectacle to say the least!
I had so many encounters and sightings of the rich and famous that it was “just another day”. You need to be gone from the Aspen area for years before you can look back and appreciate all the shoulders you rubbed.
Below you’ll find one of my favorite entrees.
WATERMELON MARINATED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH A WATERMELON SALSA
Marinade
Ingredients
3 cups diced seedless watermelon chunks
3 jalapeños, use less if you like milder
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 cups granulated sugar
2 pork tenders, cleaned with silver skin removed
Method
Add all the above ingredients (except pork) to a blender and purée.
Pour the purée in a zip lock with the pork. Refrigerate and marinate overnight.
Watermelon Salsa
Ingredients
2 cups of diced watermelon (1/4 inch dice)
1 Granny Smith apple (1/4 inch dice)
1 red onion, julienne
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
1 mango, diced
2 jalapeños, minced
1 bunch cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons sugar
2 limes, juiced and zested
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
S&P to taste
Method
Combine above ingredients and chill.
Grilling and Taking it to the Plate
On a wood fired grill, cook the pork tender to 160 degrees
Slice and serve with the salsa.
It’s also tasty with grilled chicken or fish.