The adage "never meet your heroes" suggests that encountering someone you admire sometimes leads to disappointment. It reflects the idea that the reality of a person may not live up to the expectations you've built in your mind. Heroes are often seen through an idealized lens and meeting them in person might reveal flaws or behaviors that diminish the image you had of them.
As a photojournalist, I've had the opportunity to photograph and occasionally engage with celebrities, sports stars and even notorious figures. One encounter that stands out was with the John Gotti. During his annual 4th of July party in Howard Beach, Queens, I asked if I could take a photograph of him as he held a baby. He politely declined, but with respect: "Thank you for asking, you’re a real gentleman, but no." Despite my desire to capture that moment, I respected his wishes. As Shakespeare famously said, "Discretion is the better part of valor."
Another "hero" I met was Jon Bon Jovi on March 30, 1989, in Sayreville, New Jersey, a singer well established but with the newly released album, "‘New Jersey,’ his star was about to rise even higher. At the time, I was working for the Newark bureau of the Associated Press and assigned to photograph Jon at his childhood home. For context, in February of that year, MTV had purchased the home. Though Jon's parents and brother still lived there, they stayed until June so Matthew, Jon's younger brother, could finish school. The network claimed to have paid fair market value for the property, which The New York Times reported was around $300,000, based on the prices of similar homes in the area.
It was Matthew who came up with the idea of MTV buying the family home and giving it away to one lucky fan. The only cameras allowed inside the house on Robin Hood Drive were mine and MTV’s.
I had been a massive fan of Slippery When Wet, and while I was a diehard Springsteen fan, any artist from New Jersey always caught my attention. It’s a Jersey thing.
The couple who won, Jay and Judy Frappier, were sitting on the couch when Jon walked in. He looked every bit the rock star, tall, skinny, and, yes he was impossibly handsome. I was surprised by how striking he was. Despite never being starstruck (except for my first time photographing Bruce Springsteen and later Barack Obama), I was psyched for this assignment.
Outside, it was pouring rain. I could see friends and fellow journalists covering the event from a distance, while I was inside enjoying hors d'oeuvres served by Jon's lovely mother, Carol. I kneeled down to take a few shots of Jon and the winners, but after a few flashes, Jon suddenly shot me an angry look and said, “ARE YOU THROUGH YET?” It threw me off balance. I quickly said, "I got what I needed," thanked him and the Frappier’s and headed for the door a little more deflated than when I walked in feeling like hot stuff.
That moment never stopped me from listening to his music. I suppose it served as a reminder throughout my career to stay grounded. Whenever I got too full of myself, there was always a Jon Bon Jovi moment to bring me back down to earth.