Interesting people I've see around

Here are some actors, singers and other interesting people I've seen around. Many of these people used to hang around the Roxy in New York City. At that time. The Roxy was known as the Studio 54 of roller discos. It was also a base for the Afrika Bambaataa Zulu Nation scene. The club was famous for breakdancing competitions and was featured in the classic 80s breakdancing film Beat Street.

Ally Sheedy is best known for playing the misfit who gets a makeover from Molly Ringwald in The Breakfast Club. She also acted in St. Elmo's Fire, Bad Boys, WarGames and many others. Ally and I went to the same high school - Columbia Prep. She was two years older than me and close with my friend Peter's older sister Gina. I remember seeing them around in the hallways and I had a crush on both of them. Our high school had only about 200 students - in total - all crammed into one small building on the upper west side. I saw Ally in a school play but I will have to dig up the old year book to tell you what it was. I also met her sister Meghan and once went to their house on Fire Island. I just read that Ally published a best-selling children's book at the age of 12 - didn't know that.

Brenda K Starr is best known for her single "I Still Believe." Mariah Carey sang background vocals for her and Brenda was the one that gave Tommy Mottola Mariah's demo tape at a party. I used to rollerskate with Brenda at The Roxy. My friend Derek got me into this sport and we had a great time in that scene. We skated all night and then met our group of friends for breakfast before heading to Central Park to skate all day near Sheep's Meadow and the Bandshell. Brenda never stopped singing except to laugh and smile and maybe skate around a bit.

Khalil Kain was one of the best skaters at the Roxy and another club called High Roller and was very popular with the ladies. He had a big role in the 1992 film Juice which also starred Tupac Shakur, Omar Epps and Samuel L. Jackson. I remember he did a commercial in which he skated around a store in a bunny suit. My friend Ricki from high school dated him.

Madonna - I saw her perform her first single "Everybody" at the Roxy in 1982. She hung out there as well as Danceteria and other lower-Manhattan nightclubs. After the concert I stood in a small group listening while she chatted with a mutual friend who was her neighbor.

Gene Anthony Ray is best known for the movie Fame. He played the role of Leroy Johnson, the raw street kid who could dance. My friend Derek and I used to see him around the Roxy although I don't remember him being a big skater. Sadly, Ray died of a stoke in 2003.

Paul McCrane also starred in Fame as well as RoboCop and many other movies. He may best known for his role in ER because TV has that global reach. Paul has no connection to the Roxy - I used to see him playing his guitar and singing in Central Park as well as bars on Bleecker Street like the Bitter End. I like his quiet songs from the Fame soundtrack.

Erica Gimpel also starred in Fame, although in this case we're talking about the tv series. (I believe Earl Anthony Ray was the only actor to do both the movie and the tv series). Erica is also recognizable to ER fans and has acted in many other television series. My friends and I used to see her rollerskating at another little spot in Central Park. She was born on the same day as me, so that's nice.

Mason Reese became famous as a cute, red headed kid with a lisp who starred in a television commercial for Underwood Deviled Ham. Later on when my friends and I would talk to him in bars on the Upper West Side he was older, heavier and still very short. A very nice guy.

Grandpa Al Lewis - everyone knows him from The Munsters which ran from 1964 to 1966. I have a picture of him wearing a tuxedo and smoking a cigar a party for the magazine publishing company I worked for in New York, General Media. He died last year and was buried in his favorite cigar box.

Sandra Taylor - best known for her appearances on the Howard Stern show, has also had roles in a number of Gary Marshall movies such as The Princess Diaries, Runaway Bride and Raising Helen. She was also in the Steven Seagal movie Under Siege 2. She is married to my friend Dave O'Connell who also worked at General Media. They have two very cute kids.

Christopher Knight - played Peter on The Brady Bunch. I called on him when he was Vice President of Marketing for a company called IX Micro. He didn't buy any ad space.

Tony Bennett - the American singer famous for his signature song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and other favorites such as "I've Got The World On a String." I went to a small event in New York at which he appeared for about 5 minutes and sang just one song. What an amazing voice. I asked him for his signature as he rushed out the door and later glued it to a birthday card for a girlfriend. I wrote something like "happy birthday from two cool guys."