Our very own Hanson fan
By Rosalyn Stevens
My name is Rosalyn, and I’m a Hanson fan.
Making an admission like that, at my age is, by some, likened to an admission of guilt, shame or other ‘bad’ feelings. But to be honest, folks, it makes me smile and giggle like a little girl again.
My love story with Hanson began back in spring of 1997, when at the tender age of 11, I fell instantly for the trio. Mmmbop was the song of the summer, and for years afterwards, every cent I had was spent on something to do with Hanson. Magazines with glossy photos, albums, single releases, fan club memberships, and concert tickets. Hanson was my life.
So imagine my surprise when, 10 years later, I’m faced with the reality that the next call to come through on my phone will be from one of those three brothers. Life stopped for a few days leading up to the interview.
It’s funny how life unfolds. My partner in crime a decade ago was my best friend Daniela. We spent every second together, and that time was spent obsessing over our “future husbands.” Yup, we were those girls. As the years passed, and grade six turned into grade 10, Daniela and I parted ways. A period of a number of years passed without a word exchanged between us. I moved on, graduated high school, and a few years later, graduated college an accredited journalist. Off I went into the world, to find my own way. Funny thing is, through all those years, there was a seed of curiosity within me, wondering just what those beautiful boys were up to.
Fast forward to April this year, when I made the spur-of-the-moment decision to call Daniela and catch up. The instant we’re together again, we revert to our 11-year-old selves, gabbing endlessly about, life, growing up and of course, the objects of our childhood affection.
And then here we are today. Hanson, in case you weren’t aware (and really, I don’t expect many people are), will be playing the Bronson Centre on December 5. A reporter for The News, EMC, I had to take advantage of this opportunity to “help out” my colleagues from The Now EMC. The instant editor Desmond returned from his wedding, he was attacked with my proposition to cover this concert. With his approval, I got the ball rolling. My heart stopped the morning of November 2, when a phone interview was confirmed for the following Monday. Great timing, too, since Fridays are deadline time for us News reporters. Concentration went right out the window that day.
So we fast-forward again, to Monday morning, when I know that in a matter of hours, I’ll be speaking with one of my three childhood idols. Even though I’m not sure which of the three brothers will be on the opposite end of the phone, it’s clear that there was to be no working for me that day. Yes, I am a professional, and interview notable people each and every day. But this one was different. A message scrawled on a yellow post-it note, stuck to my computer directly in my line of sight said, “It’s just another interview. Breathe!!”
Time ticked by slowly. 2:00…2:04…2:08. Minutes were passing like hours. Heart racing by now, my breaths were getting shorter. I had to find some way to distract myself from staring at the clock. Daniela had called me a few minutes before 2pm, and I was instructed to go directly to her house after the interview.
At 3:00 pm—exactly—the phone rang. It was Hanson’s media relations woman, and I think my heart stopped when she said, “I’ll go get Taylor for you.”
For the next 20 minutes, I did my best to sound professional and collected, while completely freaking out on the inside. I spent 20 minutes of my life talking with Taylor Hanson, who when I was 11, I swore I would someday marry.
When the interview came to an end, I made my confession to the bands frontman, telling him, “I’ve been a fan since ’97,” and explaining how great it was to talk with him. I hung up the phone, turned around to my colleagues, and took a deep breath.
I survived it. I survived my 20 minutes with Taylor Hanson. The little girl in me squealed with delight.
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