Looking Back: That Time I Had Dinner With Mariah Carey
Almost 20 years later, and it still sounds weird to say that I once had dinner with Mariah Carey out loud. But I did, and I love telling the story, because it's quite surprising!
It was 2002, and I was still a young radio programmer. Mariah had recently had a few bizarre incidents, including an appearance on MTV's Total Request Live that had many people questioning her sanity. Apparently her record label was in damage control mode, and decided to have her go around the country and spend some time with music directors and program directors. I was invited to attend a dinner with a few other radio people, a few people from the label, and Mariah, at a nice Italian restaurant in Boston. I remember thinking that she was probably a total diva, and would only pop into the room for a minute...but that it would be worth going anyway.
When we got there, I was blown away by the restaurant. It was so nice! The food was top notch, and they were serving Cristal champagne, which usually goes for around $300 a bottle. I'd never drank anything that expensive before, and haven't again to this day. Then Mariah walked into the room. I was surprised by how warm and friendly she was! She sat down with us and spent a good amount of time chatting with the group, and each of us individually. At the end, we posed for a picture together. I remember her whispering in my ear, "it feels like we're taking a prom picture!" I'm sure she said that kind of thing to everyone, but at the time, I was blown away.
It's a great memory that I'll always have, and a reminder that you shouldn't judge a person based on what other people say...until you meet them for yourself. She struck me as a genuinely good person, and I'm glad that she's continued to have so much success.
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