Yesterday an entertainment journalist whose work I read religiously throughout college until his semi-retirement a number of years ago reached out to say he enjoyed my recent interview with Hulk Hogan. Im blown away! Fred Bronson contributed the Chart Beat column to Billboard Magazine -- which, in many ways, inspired me to pursue entertainment journalism -- for more than a decade. His encyclopedic knowledge of music led to a series of popular books based on Billboard charts & several appearances on American Idol, where he suggested songs to competitors during challenges specific to those charts. I am a massive fan of his work... And find him to be a fascinating, charming man as well. As an undergrad, I raced each week to my colleges radio station to pick up the latest issue of Billboard, immediately flipping to Freds article tracing the most recent chart activity, music trivia and more. After starting a similar feature in our student newspaper, of which I eventually became editor-in-chief, a university advisor suggested I might someday be able to do something similar professionally. The thought, obviously, stuck with me. Years later, thanks to Twitter, I connected with Fred to express my gratitude for his work & how it impacted me. He was gracious beyond belief, going so far as to invite me to meet for lunch during one of his trips to the Bay Area. As we sat chatting about music, writing, the many celebrities he knows & has worked with, it felt almost too good to be true! Now, to think Fred not only read but enjoyed & took the time to Tweet me about MY work is... Well, Im speechless. As my high school friend Heidi Pattie would say, today truly feels like Im Living the Dream. Many thanks to all who have always seen, fostered, supported & believed in my journalistic abilities -- whether that is by employing me, giving encouraging words or just reading what I contribute as a writer. It IS truly my first love. And while I know at my core that I am talented at what I do (& have been given the genuine gift of doing it professionally for many years now), a little validation from a childhood idol never hurts! #Grateful
Posted on: Wed, 17 Dec 2014 21:32:57 +0000
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