4.16 /// The lost dinner party Guest list...

Join me on Infinite Prattle as we embark on an intimate journey through the shadows of stardom, toasting to the legends who've shaped our laughter, our playlists, and our perspectives. 

We talk about what it would be like to share a table with the likes of Robin Williams and Meatloaf, feeling their absence yet celebrating the imprints they left on our hearts. It's a candid chat and tribute to the stars who've shone so brightly in the world's spotlight, tempered with the poignant recognition of their human struggles and private triumphs.

Strap in for a whimsical dinner party that transcends the ordinary, where the iconic Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley could be passing the salt. We muse about the enigmatic allure of truly understanding these larger-than-life personalities beyond their legendary names. 

From a quirky encounter (by me) that may have been Robin Williams incognito, to the heartwarming memory of Meatloaf's impromptu serenade, this episode is a tapestry of personal anecdotes and reflections on the delicate balance these luminaries maintained between their public personas and their quest for normalcy. So, pour yourself a glass [of Pepsi?] and lend an ear—this is a conversation about legacy, laughter, and the life behind the limelight.

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Chapters

• 0:03 Celebrity Encounters
• 4:39 Remembering Iconic Entertainers
• 14:31 Famous Figures Dinner Party Discussion

Transcript

Stephen: 0:03

hello, welcome to infinite prattle. I didn't unmute myself so I started talking and that's the first mistake of this podcast, um, which you won't even hear because I'll, I'll uh, it'll be silent, so you won't even know I've made the mistake until I've said it and I'll probably just like like, trim the trim the recording down and that's not editing. Honestly, it started already. I'm like what 24 seconds in anyway, today's episode is. It's something that probably most people have thought about. I don't know I have. I'm presuming most people have anyway. It's about people that have passed away. Celebrities have passed away that I would have loved to have met. So I'm just going to basically go through a list of people that aren't with us anymore, sadly, and that I would have loved to have met in real life and just had a conversation with them.

Stephen: 1:00

You're listening to Infinite Brattle With your host, stephen. Thanks for joining me for unscripted, unedited everything. Ah, thank you very much for joining me today. How the hell are you? I hope you're well and life is going well for you at the moment. Another world's a bit in turmoil in places, so I hope you're alright. Don't let it drag you down. Just keep fighting the good fight, and I'm sure we'll all get there as a species in the end. That's some overwhelmingly poor but optimistic advice.

Stephen: 1:43

Anyway, today on, I nearly said Stephen speak again. Then did I say that last episode, I don't know, um, infinite prattle. Steven speak was what it was called. I hope everyone's got used to that now. If you are a regular listener, I'm sure you know we were called steven speak. If you're new and you get confused about why the earlier episodes are called steven speak, this because that's what this podcast used to be called and I changed it rightly or wrongly, but I felt this fitted more in keeping with my prattly brain and put my name out of it. Basically, I thought I was arsed about that. That's now my production company, so, anyway, I digress as usual. As usual, this is basically the standard of podcast you're gonna get today.

Stephen: 2:29

Um, what was I gonna talk about? Oh, yes, dead people that I would like to meet. Um, not as zombies or anything like that. Uh, that would be in poor taste. Uh, probably, that comment was probably in poor taste, if I'm honest with you. But yeah, I just wanted to.

Stephen: 2:45

I've thought about many times. Like you know, people die too young or people just pass away, you know, and we will never meet some of the people we hold in esteem, like you know. You know there's some people out there that, like celebrity wise, I maybe not want to meet because they're celebrities. It's just I find them interesting. Or there's people that have passed away that have been influential to me in my growing up, formed my kind of idea on life and helped form my sense of humour or my musical tastes, or just opened up my mind to things and, uh, just entertain me in general potentially, and I just think that, um, just want to talk about that really and to see what you guys think as well. Like, let me know in the comments if there's anyone like in the world that's, you know, it's been in your world that was like famous that you would have loved to have met or or have met and would have liked to have that opportunity to, you know, have a sit down and have like a one-to-one, either over a meal or a drink or game of cards or whatever. Your poison is, um.

Stephen: 3:59

But yeah, I'm gonna start off with one that I've mentioned, I think, previously, and that's Robin Williams. I think I mentioned this in like an episode about my style of humour, I think it was. I think it was an extra speak years ago, years ago, like a year ago maybe, and for them new listeners, extra speak was like an extra thing I did on the side side in between episodes. Um, that does not exist any longer. I could not cope with the schedule and I didn't want to offend your ears and overwhelm you all. Um, once a week for about 20 minutes is enough, I feel.

Stephen: 4:39

Um, yeah, so Robin Williams for me was like an all-rounder and like I may have met him and thought he was an arsehole, but I very much doubt it and I just felt that you know, he was misunderstood and, yeah, a lot of these, these great minds and great comedy actors and and great performers, that it's a massive show and a massive thing that they put on. And I can relate to that in some part, because I think I do that and if I'm out in public and stuff, I put this show on, but behind closed doors. I'm quite, I'm quite I was gonna say lazy, but like I reserve my energy for, like, the times where I have to do them, them sort of things, and I think that Robin Williams is just such a massive energy. He was just a ball of energy. If you ever see him on like a talk show or anything, he's just, he's just like a million percent all the time and that that must have took it out of him. And mental health, like no joke, and I just think that. Know, it's a shame that you know there was maybe no help for him. Um, I just feel like that you know he'd have been such good company, um, and I would just love to have had a real conversation with him and just chat about everyday things and get his view on on on life and just you know what made him laugh. You know he just thinking about it makes me feel happy, like and that's such a lovely gift that he's left the world, like that impression he had on me is just so nice and I swear I met him once.

Stephen: 6:12

I think I mentioned this in the previous episode, but I swear I met him once when I was working on the train station in Crewe. There was a guy sat in the cafe and I was helping a customer that was my job for the day, just helping people in wheelchairs etc, with assistances on and off trains, and I'd gone into the cafe to just sit. This lady down told us to wait there until the train was there and I'd come back for her and I saw out of the corner of the eye. This guy caught my eye and we like made eye contact for a second and, uh, he, he kind of smiled at me and I smiled back and it wasn't like I quickly turned away. Then my brain suddenly like correlated that smile with someone and the eye contact with someone, and that someone was Robin Williams williams. Um, my brain was like that person is robin williams. We recognize that we. We know that smile.

Stephen: 7:06

And he had a big beard and some like longish, longish hair which could have been a wig, to be honest, and like a baseball cap on, and he had very hairy arms, which robin williams did. Um, and I turned back around and he smiled at me again and I think he twigged that. I was like are you robin williams? I walked out of the place convinced it was him and I thought I need to go back and a train had come in, um onto an adjacent platform and I was like I'm gonna go back in and just ask him. I'm gonna see if I can like discreetly say to him are you robin williams? Because I wasn't gonna do anything, I just it would have been just nice to have like, said him say yes, and I go, like your secret's safe with me, I think you're ace and just leave it like that. Um, but alas, uh, he'd take, he'd left the coffee shop which made it, which made me think that it was even more him, because I think as soon as like, like maybe I'd rumbled him, he thought I'm just gonna jump on the first train. He seemed quite settling it, settled in his chair. He seemed quite like centered, with all his stuff out. He was reading or writing or something in a journal and, um, but he seemed like he was going to be there a while, like that wasn't the train he was aiming at getting. I might be wrong, it might not have, it might have been robbie williams or it might not have been, but in my brain it was and that's how that memory is staying for me. Um, meatloaf.

Stephen: 8:26

I met Meatloaf once at a signing years ago when he released the I Couldn't have Said it Better Myself album. Me and a friend went down who was an ex-girlfriend, but we weren't down as friends. I think we were friends at that point. I think we just went down to London to see him and to sign and that was a brilliant experience. When it was my turn to go up and get him to sign a couple of things he did and while I was waiting, they were playing music meal of music in the background in this I think it was a Virgin Megastore when they existed, I miss them places and he sang my favourite bit of Bad Out Of Hell while I was stood at the desk which is the, which is, I can see myself moving down the road faster than any other boss has ever gone. Brilliant recreation there, I'm sure you'll agree. And I was just in awe. And he signed a birthday card for my mum. He wasn't allowed to do it properly because he said his solicitors had told him not to properly sign stuff, in case anyone tries to say he was in a relationship with them, basically, which I thought was quite funny.

Stephen: 9:40

But he always seemed to me just like a nice guy. I don't mean to be be wrong. I think he could have had a sharp tongue on him and very outspoken, but that kind of makes me more intrigued for him to have a word and see what makes him tick and see what triggers him. Uh, because I can be like that, you know, like I think we all can to a degree, but I can be very, like, not tolerant of people that are saying stupid things. Sometimes I have to internalize it and sometimes I have to unleash um, yeah, meatloaf, we we lost him, like was it two years ago now? And incredible, incredible, um, incredible person, incredible artist. And, uh, the world is darker for these people not being with us anymore.

Stephen: 10:21

I feel like anyone, like anyone that you know, passes away as a connection to someone, even if it's like a family member. You know, all these people like leave a little hole in our lives. But I think it's strange when it's a celebrity, because it's someone you've never met. But you also kind of feel like you know them through this kind of like ethereal, through this kind of like a theoretical connection through the entertainment industry, like you've seen them on stage or you've seen them on screen and seen them being interviewed and maybe reading the autobiographies that they write, and you kind of almost feel like you do know them, you relate to them and you do kind of put them on a pedestal to a degree. Yeah, it's yeah, meatloaf. Yeah, it was a sad day when I found out he passed away. Um, we'll stay on the old musical theme. Like pretty much most of mine are musicians, to be honest. Um, prince, uh, as I record this, it's I think it's eight years since Prince passed away, which is again insane. He's been gone eight years.

Stephen: 11:29

I think Prince as a divisive musical artist, I think people either love him or hate him and I think people that hate him have probably never known too much about him or listened to his music properly. And I'm not saying people are wrong for disliking him, because it's like your prerogative to like what you're into and know what you're into and such things. But Prince, for me, I'm biased because I really, really adore Prince. I never did. I used to hate him, to be honest. Maybe that's why I hold that opinion. I'll say hate him. I didn't really hate him. I just didn't really understand him. Not that I understand him now. I think I didn't really appreciate his music and didn't really appreciate the scale of his talents. Yeah, but what an artist, what a creator, what a mind, you know, what a guy, what a performer. And yeah, again, it was a dark day for the music industry when we lost Prince.

Stephen: 12:30

I do think that he's probably one of the most underrated. I'm going to sound like a weird, like oxymoron, paradoxical statement I'm going to make, if that's even the right way to say it. But he was probably one of the most famous but underappreciated artists, I think. I think people are like, oh yeah, prince, and they kind of put him on a pedestal because he was prince. But how, how much do you know about prince? Like, did you know how, like how many songs he'd written? You know, you know he was, he was just, he was just an absolute force of creativity. Yeah, and I really, really, really dig his music.

Stephen: 13:16

Michael Jackson same thing, you know, same thing. What a guy and I'm going to go into like the whole courtroom battle stuff about Michael Jackson. I was always on. The only thing I'll say is I was on always on the impression that he never did anything. He maybe, maybe done some questionable decisions, but I don't think he actually like assaulted anyone. I think he was just misguided in his actions and I do think it was innocent. But as a person I think he was messed up.

Stephen: 13:45

And for me to to same with prince, to have a meeting with prince and get a glimpse of that creativity in that world that he lived in, there's the same with michael jackson, like you know, to go to the neverland ranch and to just walk around with him for a bit and chat to him and be one-to-one. And I think he, once he trusted you like I think once he got you know, probably had more barriers up than most people, because who doesn't know michael jackson? You can't go out of your house. I mean, what a what a world do you have to live in? Where he had to, I think he was like when he was like 32, he paid for like a shopping mall or like a, a shop, a supermarket, to close, just so he could walk around and pretend to shop for himself because he'd never done it, never done it himself, because he'd already been too famous and he'd be mobbed.

Stephen: 14:31

So he had family members walking around to pretend to be other like shoppers and ignore him so he could feel normal, which isn't a normal situation. That's not how it works, that's not even normal. You know that you've paid for that to be sure. You know that these people aren't normal shoppers. That's not what the guy to do and I think he's one of the most intriguing characters in history. That's a big statement, you know. That's a big statement for all the people in history. Like you know, you've got like Isaac Newton and stuff like that, which, by the way, yes, we would like to go back and meet him. You know, he grew up just in the limelight. He was a product of press and exposure and being the consumer entertainer constantly, and I don't know how he did it. I really don't know how he did it, so I would have loved to. I mean, I don't to. I mean I remember being on a course once Based on my railway career and part of the course.

Stephen: 15:36

It was kind of like a self-help course, actually Quite probably forward-looking for the company at the time that I was with and basically it was about basically how to relax yourself and how to calm yourself, imagining a space in your head and blah, blah, basically it was. It was about basically like how to relax yourself and how to calm yourself and imagining like a space in your head and blah, blah, blah. I wasn't really into it. Um, I think it was because I was young and didn't really have any problems, to be honest. Like, well, I had problems, but it was when am I next going to go out? When am I next going to see my friends? Like I hope my girlfriend still likes me, like that was my problems, like hope I can get another girlfriend if she dumps me. You know that that was, that was the pinnacle of my, my um worries and even though I worked in a job where I used to get like like abused off customers and stuff, it never really let, never really bothered me because I knew that I was alright, I knew I was doing my best, um.

Stephen: 16:31

But in that course I forgot what I was saying then. But in that course we had to basically list um, you have to list three things. I can't. It was like list something you've like, list something you're very proud of or something you've done there's something you don't think anyone would believe that you've done and list a person that you'd love to have a sit down one-to-one meal with um and spend the evening with basically and talk to one-to-one. No one else there and I I said michael jackson and the whole room like of like 15 to 20 adults I can't even mind, I'm like 18 at this point uh, just laughed at me and laughed like why would you want to sit down and talk to michael jackson?

Stephen: 17:06

I was like, because it's michael jackson and he hadn't he wasn't dead at the time like it wasn't like a someone from the past. I said Elvis or Michael Jackson. Actually I said it would be a toss up between the two and Elvis is on this list as well and they could understand Elvis for some reason, like obviously he was dead and he is dead, if you believe, like the conspiracy theorists. But they laughed their heads off at the Michael Jackson one and I was really angry and I kind of like got sharp with him and I was like why the hell are you laughing at me? And like the whole room kind of went silent and I was like you don't think it's pathetic? And I literally was like that is pathetic of you all to like laugh the fact that I would like to have a meal with Michael Jackson. Um, this is, this is the thing I've been asked to say and I've come out and said an honest answer and why you all be knobheads about it, basically.

Stephen: 17:53

And then it just moved on. It was like kind of swept under the carpet and I was really annoyed and it annoys me now actually thinking about it, like you know, because Michael Jackson, you know one of the most famous people in history. Why wouldn't you want to have a meal with him to see what he was like to see the real him, if you could even see, to see what he was like to see the real him, if you could even see the real him, even if he knew what the real him was. And the last person on my list, as I said, is elvis, because, again, come, you know what a performer, what a guy, so, so famous, you know, did so many things in such a short space of time, like films. You know his music, his tours, his stints in Las Vegas. You know his, his lifestyle, um, and I think I think I'd like him to make me a meal. I think I'd like him to make me a meal, um, so I could sample all the weird things he used to do.

Stephen: 18:51

Was it like deep fried? Was it deep fried banana burgers or something? I can't, I'm bloody remembering peanut butter burgers or something. And Jesus, like, if you're gonna go out, you're gonna go out. Well, and eating like that will probably do it to you.

Stephen: 19:06

Um, yeah, like sitting down with Elvis and talking to him about you know his rise to fame and at least he kind of like maybe started off life with, with kind of normality of childhood. But michael jackson was like what, like six, seven years old when he started like really going into the limelight and doing shows and stuff, like that's insane. Like what was I doing at six? Like just playing with toys, I was just playing. Like I wasn't even learning a musical instrument at the time. Like, and he's like on stage in front of thousands of people singing Blessing or the Curse, I don't know, but yeah, elvis Presley, like one-to-one with the king. What would that be like? One-to-one with the king and the king, the king of pop and Elvis, the, the king that'd be pretty cool. Michael jackson, elvis together that'd be a weird dinner party, wouldn't it? Um, what would you? Who or who would you or what? Who would you? Um want to bring back for a meal? Celebrity in the past that, um, that you haven't? Um, who'd like to have a chat with? Um, who'd you choose? Oh, I missed one out. I missed one out.

Stephen: 20:19

Rick male, rick male. Oh, how could I miss rick out? Geez, rick male. Amazing, gonna be quick. What can I say about rick male? Um, that was one of my best.

Stephen: 20:31

One of my favorite films drop dead fred. Um, some of my favorite. One of my favourite films Drop Dead Fred. Um. Some of my favourite TV shows Bottom, the Young Ones and one of my favourite um, comedy bands, uh, bad News, brickmail, uh, absolute legend. Thoroughly nice guy, it seems, and would love to bring him back and have a meal with me and Ade edmondson. I'd have to bring aid into that one just so aid could see him again as well.

Stephen: 21:01

Um, yeah, on that note, I want to leave it. Um, strangely made me choke up that I don't know why. Uh, anyway, who would you bring back and who would you want to meal with? Uh, let me know in the comments. Please like, share, subscribe all that jazz. Thank you very much for listening. This has been infinite prattle and I will speak to you soon. And who would you want to meal with? Let me know in the comments. Please like, share, subscribe all that jazz. Thank you very much for listening. This has been Infinite Prattle and I will speak to you soon. Thanks for listening to Infinite Prattle With your host, stephen. Follow me on social networks at Infinite Pr Prattle and don't forget to subscribe. Thanks very much.