By Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
Let me preface this by saying I am Johnny
Depp's #1 fan.
Whether he’s sporting scissors for hands, gold teeth and a sword or
chasing Alice down the rabbit hole, I just love everything about this kooky
actor. So when I had the opportunity to see him in person on Friday, I jumped
at the chance.
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| Depp is at left in photo. |
My husband Mike and I boarded the train for New York
City and headed to Union Square. Johnny, as I like to call him, was making an
appearance at Barnes and Noble’s flagship store.
No, he didn’t write a book or
anything, he was there to support his friend, Damien Echols. Some of you may
know the name. Echols was part of the notorious West Memphis 3, and was one of
three then- teenage boys charged with the murder of three 8 –year old boys from
Arkansas back in 1993.
Echols was sentenced to death row, and spent nearly
20 years behind bars. The trio was actually freed from prison last year. New
evidence was introduced, and DNA testing proved that none of the men was responsible
for the heinous crimes.
The compelling story was the subject of countless
news stories, as well as three documentaries on HBO, which I have watched many times.
A fourth documentary by Peter Jackson of “Lord of the Rings” fame is due out in
December.
Now you may ask how does Johnny Depp figure into all
this? Well, he along with a host of other celebrities, including Pearl Jam
front man Eddie Vedder, and Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks, closely
followed the case, convinced the men were wrongly accused. Depp took a particular
interest in Echols, as both hail from the South, and both were viewed as
“different” types of characters growing up. Echols was partly targeted by
police simply because he wore black clothes and liked listening to heavy metal
bands, like Metallica.
Echols said if not for those fighting for his
freedom outside his prison walls he wouldn’t be around today to tell his story
in his newly released book, “Life After Death.”
I was planning on buying the book anyway, so when I
found out Johnny was coming to Barnes and Noble to “have a conversation” with
Echols, what better way for me to see my all-time favorite celebrity crush.
The event was scheduled for 7 p.m., so when we
arrived in NYC around 3 p.m., my husband and I figured we had time to take in
some sights and maybe visit the 9/11 memorial. I told him we ought to go to the bookstore
first to see if they were handing out wristbands to secure a seat for the
event. They weren’t. You had to purchase a copy of Echols’ book, and your
receipt served as your golden ticket in. I eagerly slapped down $20 for the
book, but my husband was less than thrilled that he, too, had to buy a book just
so I could catch a glimpse of J.D.
I must tell you, my husband loathes the idea of celebrity worshipping and
can’t understand why people are infatuated with them, present company included.
But he’s a great sport and instead of enjoying a beautiful fall day in NYC, he
sat alongside me, packed like 200 sardines on folding chairs, as we waited for
three hours for Johnny and Echols to arrive.
Security was tight, and you were allowed to leave your
seat to visit the café on the floor below, use the bathroom or stretch your legs,
but if you didn’t return to your exact seat, you would’ve gotten the boot.
Most in attendance killed the time by reading,
texting or making friends with the people they were smashed up against. The NYU
student next to me actually said she makes a habit of attending these types of
events. She waited for 24 hours for the star-studded premiere of Batman, The
Dark Knight, just to catch a glimpse of Christian Bale.
I do get pretty star struck myself, so when Johnny
sashayed into the bookstore, my heart skipped a beat. Sporting a brown floppy hat,
flanked by feathers, and wearing a long leather coat, and his trademark
purple-tinted glasses, Johnny did not disappoint.
And once I was done ogling
him from my seat 12 rows back from the stage upon which he and Echols sat, I
attentively listened to the hour-long conversation between the two friends.
It was clear that Johnny, who’s famous for shunning
the whole celebrity thing, was truly there to support his friend. And after
spending nearly 20 years behind bars, 10 of those spent in solitary confinement,
Echols is truly lucky to have a little Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands and
Willie Wonka in his corner.
(I love the name!)
