Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
This is Later with Lee Matthews, The Lee Matthews podcast Warm.
What you Hear Weekday Afternoon is on the Drive.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
William Keck began his career working for Titanheerance.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
This is Later with Lee Matthews The Lee Matthews podcast,
What You Hear Weekday after Do is on the Drive.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Inquirer USA Today, Senior editor in Commonness for TV Guide,
a regular contributor to People US Weekly. Uh and so
you can imagine he's had a lot of experience interviewing
and interacting with some of the big top celebrities. He's
decided to write a volume full of many of those stories,
and it's called When You Step Upon a Star Crimsworthy
(00:46):
Confessions of a Tabloid bad Boy William Keck. I can't
believe you're a bad boy.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Oh I know, I'm just horrible. Aren't I a sort
of spanky?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
And you got your share of the verbally did you not?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
I'm afraid I did. Yes. You may have read a
few of them from some of the people who had
a hard time forgiving me for my transgressions.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
What got you into this type of journalism? What interest
did you more than say going after the hard core
Woodard and Bernstein stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Well, you know, I'll tell you I grew up as
an only child in upstate New York. My dad died
at an early age, and I just became a kid
raised on television and the TV families that I watched,
the Ewings of Dallas and the Carringtons of Dynasty, the
Brady Bunch, they became my surrogate family members, and I
really wanted to meet them before they were gone. So
(01:40):
I came out to LA and the Inquirer offered me
an opportunity to meet all these people. I just didn't
realize it was going to be. I was going to
meet them at their wedding and funerals in their hospital rooms.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
And he's written all about it. And when You Step
upon a Star Crench were the confessions of a tabloid
bad bull boy. William Kick is with it and the
books now out everywhere you get books. So let's talk
about some of your more awkward run ends.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yes, my goodness, Well gee, uh, you know a lot
of the stars that I wanted to meet were the
Golden Age stars, the vintage stars. Again, I wanted to
meet them before they passed. One story you involved Telly sabalas,
do you remember Telly Sabajack? And he was that's right, exactly, yeah,
the bald head and the lollipop. So he he passed away,
(02:31):
and but we found out that he never received a tombstone,
So Telly was buried in an unmarked rave. And I
looked into this and I found out the reason was
is that the family was not speaking to each other.
His new wife was not speaking his children, and so
they never could come together to find a date. So
I actually pretended to be somebody in a Sabalis family
(02:54):
and I called Forrest Lawn and I asked them to
call all the family members to get them together. I
picked the day in time. We had photographer in the
bushes and we got photos of Kelly Sabalis's plaque being installed.
So Kelly has meet a bank for his brave no
longer being on the market.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
So you really really was born out of fandom for you?
Was there one particular star that you became stars struck
when you did come in contact with them. I'm not
going to say meat, because I don't think you met
many people, did you?
Speaker 3 (03:26):
I did. I met a lot of security officers who
walked me out of certain places. Well, this is sort
of a similar story. But the person I was most
anxious to meet was Lindsay Wagner. I was a big
six million dollar man woman fan. My license plate on
my car actually is bionic. So I said to dance
interview Lindsay Wagner let me know, and they said, hey,
(03:48):
good news, it's your lucky day. Lindsay's father died. Go
to her funeral and try to get an interview about
her new boy toy that she's dating. So I went
to the service and Lindsay assumed I was just one
of the regular mourners. I told her who I was,
(04:09):
and we had snapped some photos of her with her
young lover, and she said, well, what do you need then,
and I said, well, maybe a caption and she said, well,
I'll give you a caption few. So that was brutal,
but you know what, she she took sympathy on me
and actually gave me a nice story and we're friendly now.
She actually wrote a very lovely thing for my book,
(04:31):
talking about the power forgiveness and it's never too late
to change your ways. So thank you, Lindsay.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Lovely woman, A babe inside and out.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Yes, exactly, A bionic babe.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
What was the more classic you know, from old classic
Hollywood star that you encountered.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Oh my goodness, Well, gee, you know, Elizabeth Taylor is
in one that I was involved in a high speed
shape with actually both a little the tailor and Britney Spears.
They weren't together in the same car. That would have
been an amazing show.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
That would have been.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Two different car chases, but in one, uh, we followed
Brittany for several miles on the freeway with Elizabeth, I
let her go. I really was. I was feeling like
a real jerk for following this legend uh on these
twists and turns in bel Air. So I'm like, you
know what, let's let let's let Dame Elizabeth have a
free pass today.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
At what point in her career was this was she
was this a pre Larry Fartinsky or post.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Oh it was it was posts Oka. Yeah, so she was,
he was up there and she was she was actually
going to the hospital to get a procedure done. And
I'm like, what kind of jerk am I casing a
woman to the hospital. So every once in a while,
my you know, little Jimmy cricket would step forward and
do the right thing. So thank you, mister Cricket.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
And he writes about it and when you step upon
a star cringeworthy Confects of a tabloid bad boy, William Kent.
It's an interesting read about all kinds of different celebrities
and private lives. And I imagine you're on some you're
on some some I don't want to say hit lists,
but do not enter lists.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
You know, this was a while ago, so I actually,
I said three years and that's it. So I quit
the Inquirer, and then I ended up becoming a legit journalist,
as you mentioned, for USA Today and people in ew
Entertainment Weekly, So that really is what most people remember.
What my problem was is that even though I quit
the Inquirer, I found that the Inquirer didn't necessarily quit me.
(06:39):
So a lot of the tricks of the trade that
I had learned at the tabloids followed me in my
interviews with some of the A listeners that I had
a chance to speak with.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I find that when I talked to celebrities, because I
interview my share of them on this program, I usually
find that they really want to talk like a regular person.
Most of the time. Even though they're probably if they're
on a press junket and they're being asked the same
questions over and over and over again. I try to
go at it with a all right, I'm not gonna
(07:09):
go with any of the pre asked questions. I'm just
gonna just start talking to him about what what he
got planned for lunch, you know that kind of thing,
and that seems to just break the ice and they
open right up.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
You're absolutely right. All day long, they hear, oh my gosh,
I love you, I loved you with this movie and TV,
and it just it goes in one ear and out
the other. They're just labeled fan, they're not labeled a person.
If you just treat them as if they're a regular person,
that usually does the trick. I know, will Bill Shatner,
William Shatner, he just listen. Obviously, he's he has a
(07:42):
certain respect for his fans because it's made him a millionaire.
But if you really want to get on his good side,
just sort of like talk to him like like in
a in a locker room. Yeah, and he'll he'll have
taken a back startle, but you'll you'll have a nice
conversation with them.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
The most people after them. Yeah, they are the most.
The most I ever say, is I enjoy your work
because to them it is work. To us, it's entertainment,
but it's work to them.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yes, And I say, I enjoy looking in your windows.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
And he's looked in plenty and he'll tell you all
about it in his new book, When You Step Upon
a Star cringe Worthy Confessions of a Tabloid bad Boy
William Keck. This will be an amazing and amusing summer read.
And I thank you for joining us.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Thank you, Lee, thanks for listening to Later with Lee Matthews,
the Lee Matthews Podcast, and remember to listen to The
Drive Live weekday afternoons from five to seven. And iHeartMedia
presentation
This is Later with Lee Matthews, The Lee Matthews podcast Warm.
What you Hear Weekday Afternoon is on the Drive.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
William Keck began his career working for Titanheerance.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
This is Later with Lee Matthews The Lee Matthews podcast,
What You Hear Weekday after Do is on the Drive.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Inquirer USA Today, Senior editor in Commonness for TV Guide,
a regular contributor to People US Weekly. Uh and so
you can imagine he's had a lot of experience interviewing
and interacting with some of the big top celebrities. He's
decided to write a volume full of many of those stories,
and it's called When You Step Upon a Star Crimsworthy
(00:46):
Confessions of a Tabloid bad Boy William Keck. I can't
believe you're a bad boy.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Oh I know, I'm just horrible. Aren't I a sort
of spanky?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
And you got your share of the verbally did you not?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
I'm afraid I did. Yes. You may have read a
few of them from some of the people who had
a hard time forgiving me for my transgressions.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
What got you into this type of journalism? What interest
did you more than say going after the hard core
Woodard and Bernstein stuff.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
Well, you know, I'll tell you I grew up as
an only child in upstate New York. My dad died
at an early age, and I just became a kid
raised on television and the TV families that I watched,
the Ewings of Dallas and the Carringtons of Dynasty, the
Brady Bunch, they became my surrogate family members, and I
really wanted to meet them before they were gone. So
(01:40):
I came out to LA and the Inquirer offered me
an opportunity to meet all these people. I just didn't
realize it was going to be. I was going to
meet them at their wedding and funerals in their hospital rooms.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
And he's written all about it. And when You Step
upon a Star Crench were the confessions of a tabloid
bad bull boy. William Kick is with it and the
books now out everywhere you get books. So let's talk
about some of your more awkward run ends.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Yes, my goodness, Well gee, uh, you know a lot
of the stars that I wanted to meet were the
Golden Age stars, the vintage stars. Again, I wanted to
meet them before they passed. One story you involved Telly sabalas,
do you remember Telly Sabajack? And he was that's right, exactly, yeah,
the bald head and the lollipop. So he he passed away,
(02:31):
and but we found out that he never received a tombstone,
So Telly was buried in an unmarked rave. And I
looked into this and I found out the reason was
is that the family was not speaking to each other.
His new wife was not speaking his children, and so
they never could come together to find a date. So
I actually pretended to be somebody in a Sabalis family
(02:54):
and I called Forrest Lawn and I asked them to
call all the family members to get them together. I
picked the day in time. We had photographer in the
bushes and we got photos of Kelly Sabalis's plaque being installed.
So Kelly has meet a bank for his brave no
longer being on the market.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
So you really really was born out of fandom for you?
Was there one particular star that you became stars struck
when you did come in contact with them. I'm not
going to say meat, because I don't think you met
many people, did you?
Speaker 3 (03:26):
I did. I met a lot of security officers who
walked me out of certain places. Well, this is sort
of a similar story. But the person I was most
anxious to meet was Lindsay Wagner. I was a big
six million dollar man woman fan. My license plate on
my car actually is bionic. So I said to dance
interview Lindsay Wagner let me know, and they said, hey,
(03:48):
good news, it's your lucky day. Lindsay's father died. Go
to her funeral and try to get an interview about
her new boy toy that she's dating. So I went
to the service and Lindsay assumed I was just one
of the regular mourners. I told her who I was,
(04:09):
and we had snapped some photos of her with her
young lover, and she said, well, what do you need then,
and I said, well, maybe a caption and she said, well,
I'll give you a caption few. So that was brutal,
but you know what, she she took sympathy on me
and actually gave me a nice story and we're friendly now.
She actually wrote a very lovely thing for my book,
(04:31):
talking about the power forgiveness and it's never too late
to change your ways. So thank you, Lindsay.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Lovely woman, A babe inside and out.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Yes, exactly, A bionic babe.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
What was the more classic you know, from old classic
Hollywood star that you encountered.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Oh my goodness, Well, gee, you know, Elizabeth Taylor is
in one that I was involved in a high speed
shape with actually both a little the tailor and Britney Spears.
They weren't together in the same car. That would have
been an amazing show.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
That would have been.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
Two different car chases, but in one, uh, we followed
Brittany for several miles on the freeway with Elizabeth, I
let her go. I really was. I was feeling like
a real jerk for following this legend uh on these
twists and turns in bel Air. So I'm like, you
know what, let's let let's let Dame Elizabeth have a
free pass today.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
At what point in her career was this was she
was this a pre Larry Fartinsky or post.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
Oh it was it was posts Oka. Yeah, so she was,
he was up there and she was she was actually
going to the hospital to get a procedure done. And
I'm like, what kind of jerk am I casing a
woman to the hospital. So every once in a while,
my you know, little Jimmy cricket would step forward and
do the right thing. So thank you, mister Cricket.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
And he writes about it and when you step upon
a star cringeworthy Confects of a tabloid bad boy, William Kent.
It's an interesting read about all kinds of different celebrities
and private lives. And I imagine you're on some you're
on some some I don't want to say hit lists,
but do not enter lists.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
You know, this was a while ago, so I actually,
I said three years and that's it. So I quit
the Inquirer, and then I ended up becoming a legit journalist,
as you mentioned, for USA Today and people in ew
Entertainment Weekly, So that really is what most people remember.
What my problem was is that even though I quit
the Inquirer, I found that the Inquirer didn't necessarily quit me.
(06:39):
So a lot of the tricks of the trade that
I had learned at the tabloids followed me in my
interviews with some of the A listeners that I had
a chance to speak with.
Speaker 2 (06:47):
I find that when I talked to celebrities, because I
interview my share of them on this program, I usually
find that they really want to talk like a regular person.
Most of the time. Even though they're probably if they're
on a press junket and they're being asked the same
questions over and over and over again. I try to
go at it with a all right, I'm not gonna
(07:09):
go with any of the pre asked questions. I'm just
gonna just start talking to him about what what he
got planned for lunch, you know that kind of thing,
and that seems to just break the ice and they
open right up.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
You're absolutely right. All day long, they hear, oh my gosh,
I love you, I loved you with this movie and TV,
and it just it goes in one ear and out
the other. They're just labeled fan, they're not labeled a person.
If you just treat them as if they're a regular person,
that usually does the trick. I know, will Bill Shatner,
William Shatner, he just listen. Obviously, he's he has a
(07:42):
certain respect for his fans because it's made him a millionaire.
But if you really want to get on his good side,
just sort of like talk to him like like in
a in a locker room. Yeah, and he'll he'll have
taken a back startle, but you'll you'll have a nice
conversation with them.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
The most people after them. Yeah, they are the most.
The most I ever say, is I enjoy your work
because to them it is work. To us, it's entertainment,
but it's work to them.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yes, And I say, I enjoy looking in your windows.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
And he's looked in plenty and he'll tell you all
about it in his new book, When You Step Upon
a Star cringe Worthy Confessions of a Tabloid bad Boy
William Keck. This will be an amazing and amusing summer read.
And I thank you for joining us.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Thank you, Lee, thanks for listening to Later with Lee Matthews,
the Lee Matthews Podcast, and remember to listen to The
Drive Live weekday afternoons from five to seven. And iHeartMedia
presentation
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