photo courtesy of JWaiteFan@aol.com

Karen meets John Waite Detroit, MI May 7, 1999 (VENUE: State Theater)   Thanks to Karen for sharing her pictures and story with Net Waite.

I bought the tickets about a month in advance and I knew that there were several "Meet & Greets" at earlier concerts. I was SO excited! I have been a John Waite fan for a million years and I had never met him so I thought this was my big chance!

We got to the State Theatre really early because I wanted to make sure that I wouldn't miss the Meet and Greet, but we were REALLY early and the doors hadn't even opened yet. I asked the lady at the ticket booth about the M&G and she didn't know anything about it. My hopes were fading fast. So we decided to go out to eat before the concert (although I was too nervous to eat). My friend kept saying, "We're never going to get backstage!" and I kept saying, "Yes, we are!!!"

Back at the venue, after the first band left the stage, I saw some people lining up by the stage door, but they were wearing "backstage passes." I told my friend, "Let's get in line." She said, "This will NEVER work." So we waited in line for what seemed to be a million years and then they started letting a few people at a time backstage. My friend kept saying, "They are not going to let us back. We don't have passes." But sure enough, when it was our turn, they just waved us through. We were ECSTATIC!!

We finally made it to the front of the line and there he was! He looked GREAT! He held out his hand for me to shake but I said, "Can I give you a hug instead?" He said, "Yes" and then he kissed me--right off the bat! I couldn't believe it!!

I told him he was a great artist and he thanked me. I had brought the "Essential John Waite" CD with me for him to sign. He took out the cover and he looked at it and I said "Is it weird to see yourself on the cover of CDs?" And he laughed and said "Yeah, actually, it is." Then he asked me my name and I said "Karen" and he said, "Is that spelled with a 'K'?" I told him "yes" and I told him about how I have all his albums from way back in the 70's, He said, "Do you have my latest?" And I said "'When You Were Mine'? Yes, I have it." He smiled and said "That's great! God bless you" and that's when he kissed me again!! I said, "This is really my lucky night!! Two kisses!! I can't believe it."