Many celebrities shop on famous west 48th street. Very often they are not even recognized by the other shoppers in the store. The high profile types tend to stop in very early in the day, or even wear a hat pulled way down low and sunglasses to masked their appearance.

Early one morning I was working with a couple from Italy. They were in the store to pick up a royal blue Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 electric guitar. While I was busy demonstrating the guitar to this guy his wife was sitting there with a sour look on her face.   Every once in a while she would comment in broken, English , “Its –a -so expensive!” A very bad sign ! One of the many lessons I have learned from my many years on the sales floor is that when a customers wife starts to complain about the cost of the guitar ,many a huge sale was canceled!  I could also sense from her body language that there are a million other places she rather be on her vacation then in a music store. (even if it is located on famous music row!)

As my good luck would have it, guess who just wondered in the store with a baseball cap pulled way down over his face? It was the actor Kevin Bacon!  Kevin who has starred in such movie block busters as “Apollo13”, “The river wild” & “24 hours” also plays a mean blues guitar. Many of Kevin’s fans are also aware that Kevin performs in a band with his brother Mike appropriately named “The Bacon Brothers!”

At that moment my customers    wife comes running over speaking excitedly to me in “Italian”, I guess from my last name she must have assumed I could understand her. “What is she saying?”, I asked her husband.  “My  a-wife. she-a-says the famous actor is in-a –the- store!”  “Oh Yeah, its Kevin Bacon”. I said   “He stops in the store from time to time”, I proudly answered them knowing the vibe here is getting very good and I will soon close this sale on a $3000.00 Paul Reed Smith guitar!  All of a sudden the couple resumed speaking in Italian. Then suddenly the guy asked me if it was possible for his wife to meet Kevin?  Well now this puts me in a bit of a spot.  One of my rules for I have always observed on music row is too respect my customer’s privacy. But now this was ‘crunch time’, and I wanted this sale real bad!  Anyway what could possibly happen? Kevin will sign a quick autograph for them and be done with it.

I looked around and the store and it was not too busy at this early hour. (How many  musican’s are up that early in the morning any way?)  I turned to my Italian customers and said, “wait here I go will speak to him.”  As I walked up to Kevin  (who I have had a ‘nod & a wink type previous contact a few times before)  I began to ask him if it was possible for him to spare a quick minute.   “Excuse me Kevin , I have some very nice people from here from Italy  and they are huge fans of yours,” “Would it be possible to sign a quick autograph?”  “It would only take a second” I continued.  Kevin very graciously  said sure –he happened to see the comotion going on at that side of the store anyway. ” Steve, just make it quick” Kevin asked.   Now I am thinking this is a win / win situation!

The wife will be so thrilled that she is getting an autograph from the movie star Kevin Bacon and she will not give her husband a hard time for shelling out three thousand big ones for the guitar!

The Italian couple nervously follows me over to Kevin ,he hands her a slip of paper with his autograph on it . Then suddenly she blurts out oh Mr Bacon I love you!  She then proceeded to take both of his hands in both of hers!  She began shaking his

hands and shouted over & over again, “thank you, thank you!”  Kevin turned his head from side to side looking around obviously trying to maintain a low profile during this scene.  Well I must say Kevin was very cool about the whole mess. I abruptly steered the customers away from Kevin and towards the cashier as quickly as possible.

When I looked back over my shoulder Kevin was not to be seen. He had headed out the front door of the store and I have not seen him  since. I believe he now shops across the street at  Manny’s!

By the way. my customers from Italy stepped up to the front counter and the guy looked pleadingly at  his wife. “This was it .  The moment of truth, its do or die for me”, My keen salesmanship instinct’s never let me down. She looked back at her husband then  glanced back at me.  In what felt like an eternity she reached in her purse and handed me her credit card to purchase the Paul Reed Smith guitar!

Lesson Learned- use your contacts