Loretta Lynn_ Coal Miner's Daughter - Loretta Lynn [97]
29
Confessions of a Bug
I’m glad that Raquel Welch just signed a million-dollar pact,
And Debbie’s out in Vegas, working up a brand-new act….
—“One’s on the Way,” by Shel Silverstein
My friends in Nashville say if I wasn’t an artist, I’d be spending all my days as a bug, you know, one of those fans who are always bugging famous personalities. Just let me loose in Hollywood, I’d go crazy. I’ll introduce myself to anybody, ask for his autograph, just stand around and gawk. I’m terrible. I even embarrass myself.
You saw me on that Grammy television show, right? I was so excited being in Hollywood, I came on screaming, “Here I am, if anybody wants to make me a star, here I am!” Then I forgot to read the names of the singers nominated for the award. I lose my mind when I get out there.
I remember the first celebrity I ever saw: remember “Hoss,” that big guy on “Bonanza”—Dan Blocker? Me and Doo were pushing my record down in Texas or Oklahoma somewhere and we saw him. I just stood in the crowd and got his autograph—told him I was a singer. He was a real nice fellow. I was real sorry when I heard about him dying.
Well, I ain’t changed any since then. I was doing a television show in Hollywood a few years ago when I found out Flip Wilson was in the next studio. “Flip Wilson!” I said. “Point me where I can find Geraldine, ’cause I want to get some tips from her.” I found Flip in the wardrobe department, and he was real nice. He said he knew who I was. Later he dressed up like Geraldine and came over to the Dean Martin set and said he wanted to give Loretta Lynn some tips. I laughed so hard. Now we’re good friends, and whenever I do a television show I want him to be on with me.
There’s only one famous man I’ve ever had a problem with. I ain’t gonna say who, because he’s an important man on television. I ran into him at NBC one time and said, “Hi, I’m Loretta Lynn.” Well, he looked at me like I was delivering the garbage and he gave me a real fish handshake and then turned away. I don’t know if he knew who I was, but it didn’t matter. I wouldn’t treat anybody that cold.
But I’ve had some real thrills in my life, too. Like my favorite actor has always been Gregory Peck. I’ve seen him in everything he’s ever done—To Kill a Mockingbird, and Duel in the Sun are my favorities. To me, Gregory Peck is everything—he’s handsome, he’s smart, he’s polite to people, he’s brave. I’ve always had admiration for that man, so when I got to Hollywood a few years ago, I kept telling David Skepner I wanted to see Gregory Peck. The people at MCA said they would arrange it, and finally they did it for my birthday. They said I was going for an interview, but instead they took me right into his office. He just raised up out of that chair like a good ole country boy that’d been behind a plow all his life. I knew it was Gregory Peck the minute I saw him—big man, black hair, all man. He was like country, so down to earth. He looked exactly like he does in all his movies.
He and Doolittle started talking about farming. For almost an hour they talked about horses and cattle and stuff. And me? I just sat there with my mouth open and looked at him. Finally, I found my tongue. I said he looked Indian, what with those high cheekbones. And I was telling him about parts of his movies that he forgot. Like David and Bathsheba, with Susan Hayward. To me, that’s one of the greatest movies I’ve ever seen. Now when I want to see it, I’ve got a copy in my recreation room.
When we were finished talking, I got a big picture of him. That one’s hanging in my bedroom, and I’ve got one in my pocketbook, too. Doolittle didn’t mind—he just put up a picture of Dolly Parton. Anyway, I’m still dreaming about doing a movie with Gregory Peck as the producer. It would be terrific.