Middle School Dream

Almost every young girl has a "celebrity crush". 

You know you had one! 

Mine was Tony Lucca. 

I never missed an episode of MMC (The Mickey Mouse Club.)  My sister and I recorded every episode (on VHS) and created our own mixed tapes (both VHS and audio cassette) of our favorite songs.  I had a little bulletin board on my closet door that was dedicated to MMC. 

The thing about my "crush" was I loved the fact that he was dating Keri Russell in real life, and I (HONESTLY!) was never the boy crazy kind of girl.  I really just wanted to be his friend!  He made me smile. I could sit and watch him sing all day long and would have died to go sit in the studio audience just so I could meet him. (My sister and I BEGGED my parents to make it happen... it never did.) My sister was in LOVE with JC, (she was the boy crazy twin) which then lead into a love of Nsync and many concerts, one of which I was so excited because Tony opened for them. 

After MMC ended, I tried to follow Tony's career as much as possible.  I remember a jean commercial that he was in.  I watched as he and Keri were on a show called Malibu Shores and then just Keri on Felicity.  I also heard when they broke up.  When I was in college I somehow got myself a copy of a new CD he released.  I had it for like 3 days and then it went missing from my dorm room.  (Sadness!)  Over the years I checked out his website and knew that he was still making music.

Now fast foward a number of years.....

Last year Josh and I got sucked into the the world of Friday Night Lights and Dillon Panther Football.  On the show they always play this song called "Devil Town".  That song was always stuck in my head.  Ask Josh or Alyse, I randomly started singing it all the time.  (Still do.) Josh asked why I liked it so much and I told him I just liked it.  "There's just something about the Devil Town." Then I ordered Josh and I some FNL shirts and was on a FNL website.  It said something about the song and I looked at the artist.  I called Josh and screamed "It's TONY!  That must be why I love it!" 

Fast foward again.....

My sister called me and told me that I had to watch "The Voice".  Her friend from work somehow knew Tony and had told her that he was going to be on the show.  I was so excited.  The minute he was on my TV screen I smiled just like I had when I was a middle schooler.  All season long I watched and yes voted (which I have never done before for any show.)  I was disappointed when he didn't win the show but was so glad that I was again was able to watch Tony.

Now, a few weeks ago my sister again called and told me that her friend Megan had found out that Tony was going to be in town to sing the National Anthem at a NASCAR race and that he was going to have a small show.  She had got us tickets to go see him play.

All that to say... this weekend I got to meet Tony!  You have no clue how excited I was.  I wanted to scream like a middle school girl, but I managed to act like an adult.  My sister did most of the talking and of course told him that we were "MMC girls" but that lead to him singing a small part of "Flava" to me.  I had a huge smile on my face and I don't think I embarrassed myself too badly.  I just told him "Thank you" a lot.

(my sister, Tony, me)

I have to say that when my sister told him we were MMC fans, that was true.  But I really think that after loving him for the past 20 years or so and now having his originally music that I am starting to listen to on constant repeat I really am a true Tony Lucca fan not because of MMC or The Voice, but because I think he is a great musician and he really does make me smile.