The Glittering Life of a Celebrity Caterer: Michael Hollingsworth's Tale
Oct 03, 2023Season 4Episode 6
S.J. Mendelson
Join me for an unforgettable conversation with my lifelong friend and caterer to the stars, Michael Hollingsworth. Spanning over four decades of camaraderie and shared experiences, we dive into the chapters of our life with tales of love, heartbreak and reminiscing over our common affinity for Slade Brown. Michael paints a poignant picture of his book 'About Being Loved', an LGBT novel born from experiences of heartache, deep-seated fantasies and nostalgia for his cherished New York. We also share an intimate and lighthearted chat about the trials and tribulations of dental implants and love in the twilight years.
Meanwhile, in a captivating narrative, Michael unravels stories from his glittering career in catering. From escorting a movie star into an auditorium to serving at the 20th wedding anniversary of Frank and Barbara Sinatra, each tale is as fascinating as the last. We even delve into an encounter with President Clinton and the unforgettable moment when Barbara Streisand made a special request. Finally, we discuss Michael's upcoming book, 'Catering with Dish', a gripping exploration of his gastronomic journey and the escapades of his catering career. Let's embark on this journey together, celebrating friendship, resilience and life under the glamour of the spotlight.
Join me for an unforgettable conversation with my lifelong friend and caterer to the stars, Michael Hollingsworth. Spanning over four decades of camaraderie and shared experiences, we dive into the chapters of our life with tales of love, heartbreak and reminiscing over our common affinity for Slade Brown. Michael paints a poignant picture of his book 'About Being Loved', an LGBT novel born from experiences of heartache, deep-seated fantasies and nostalgia for his cherished New York. We also share an intimate and lighthearted chat about the trials and tribulations of dental implants and love in the twilight years.
Meanwhile, in a captivating narrative, Michael unravels stories from his glittering career in catering. From escorting a movie star into an auditorium to serving at the 20th wedding anniversary of Frank and Barbara Sinatra, each tale is as fascinating as the last. We even delve into an encounter with President Clinton and the unforgettable moment when Barbara Streisand made a special request. Finally, we discuss Michael's upcoming book, 'Catering with Dish', a gripping exploration of his gastronomic journey and the escapades of his catering career. Let's embark on this journey together, celebrating friendship, resilience and life under the glamour of the spotlight.
Morning bitches and dolls and no one told you they love you today. Then I love you because you are you. I'm going to introduce my dear friend the caterer to the stores. Michael Halling's word coming to the studio baby.
Speaker 2:
Hey, what's going on? I didn't even put my teeth in this morning. What is happening?
Speaker 1:
You don't need your teeth for this honey, but you've taken your teeth out a lot before I have you.
Speaker 2:
We got to put them in.
Speaker 1:
No, I know, but you've taken them out before.
Speaker 2:
No, not for that reason. No, this is because of implants. Oh, I've got that you know.
Speaker 1:
I have the implants on the top $25,000 later. Hello.
The ones on the top were 25. The ones on the side were 10. So that's 35,000. Okay, Mr Halling's worth.
Speaker 2:
I'm right. So fine, we're about the same even with teeth. And then probably to get my last tooth in and I'll get hit by a truck. Poop, poo, poo, do implants burn up into cremation?
Speaker 1:
I don't know, I'm not sure. I've never talked to anybody who's been cremated. Have you?
Speaker 2:
Yes, somebody came back to me in my dream one night.
Speaker 1:
And who was it?
Speaker 2:
They said it's very hot here. I said, oh, okay.
Speaker 1:
All right, Mr Halling's worth. How long have we known each other and how did we know?
Speaker 2:
1976. So, that would be 47 years, damn.
Speaker 1:
Wow so how did we meet? How did we go?
Speaker 2:
At the cold path in. Some friends took me for dinner and you were singing, but we didn't stay for that and I thought I'm coming back because I think somebody at one of the bartenders or something winked at me and I thought, mm-hmm, this could be one of those kind of places. What kind of place? You know? Where gentlemen go to meet gentlemen.
Speaker 1:
Right, okay, so we met then, but all of a sudden we found out that we knew some of the same people.
Speaker 2:
That's absolutely correct. And you, because you mentioned that, I said well, what are you doing out here? We got you talking on your breaks. I came to see a couple of your sets and then we got talking and you said that Slade Brown was your manager and brought you out here. And I said damn. I said look, small world, because Slade Brown was the father-in-law to my best friend, lowell Jones.
Speaker 1:
Huh, but slay. No, he wasn't my manager. Dennis Ritz was my manager, remember Dennis?
Speaker 2:
Yeah, okay, dennis, but you brought up Slade Brown.
Speaker 1:
I don't know how I brought him up because they were very good to me. Slayed in, jim, you know, is.
Speaker 2:
Jimmy right.
Speaker 1:
Jimmy, they were up anyway, so one of the reasons I brought you on is your old. You're my oldest friend, and I don't mean oldest.
Speaker 2:
Well, I am probably your oldest friend. No, yeah, that's true.
Speaker 1:
Well, of course, my husband's older than us, so he's my only living friend right now, but anyway, let's figure just out how old is your husband? 76?.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, he's the oldest.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, he's the eldest. Then comes me, then comes you, but I'm not gonna say your age, okay.
Speaker 2:
Okay, fine, I. So I have to cut my arm off and count the rings to find out. Anyway.
Speaker 1:
Not only are you a master chef, you've written a book and you're a comedian. So those are three things. So let's talk about, first of all, the book you've written that's out right now and the one you're writing. Let's start with that. What's the name of your book?
Speaker 2:
the one that's out now is called about being loved.
Speaker 1:
Tell me about it.
Speaker 2:
Okay, well, it's an LGBT story, but I wrote it because here's what happens. Somebody broke my heart. I'd gotten sober and I guess it was the first of second year. I was sober and I met somebody and I thought this is it, this is one of the promises has come true and we dated for a while and I did. I really did get hooked on him and then he broke my heart. He said I thought you were the one, but then I realized you're not.
Speaker 1:
That's what we like.
Speaker 2:
That blood the blunt like that I Know. And then I realized he was a serial Dater because he did it to several other people friends of yours.
Speaker 2:
I tried to warn him, yeah, and I started to watch that do not. And. And they couldn't resist, because this guy is like a Magnet and you know you, he knows what to say, he knows how to say it and he knows what moves put on you and the next thing, you know, you're there, hmm, and so I try and of course it happened. It happened to three of them. I said the mother tried to tell you, but you wouldn't listen. Anyway, for some reason, you know, I lived in New York City and, and I did love New York, and New York gave me a lot of what I am today. I was made to be what I am today, and so I started writing this book and I put myself in one of the characters, but just slightly, because both the characters were fantasy and they lived the kind of life I wish I had lived in New York, hmm, and had the kind of love affair that I wish I had had.
Speaker 2:
Hmm and so I went up that took him to all my favorite restaurants. I loved how they met. You know how I arranged for that and and it just was a New York story. And the way I ended it at first was, you know, one way. And then a couple friends said, I, you can't end it like that. I said alright. So then I wrote an epilogue so that one of the characters would have a Extended story, and then I ended it and Then I thought to myself, no, no, no, it's got to end another way.
Speaker 2:
And I finally ended the way I wanted it, mmm so my friend and I'd be honest with you, it affected me so much that when I was writing part of it, sometimes it made me cry, especially when, yeah, yeah, and I thought, wow, how can this affect me? This is fiction, you know, I mean, this is not even real, and yet here I am, and so, anyway, that's with the book. And then I put the book away, but I hadn't entered it yet, but I had put it away, and then you know what the pandemic said Bring it out. And that's when I finished it, and the epilogue and everything. So then my friend, peggy Lauren, who you've met, was on your show. She wrote a book called Howdy Hollywood.
Speaker 2:
We've both been talking about writing books and the first, before I finished this book, I had started writing the other book, which is I've changed the name of what was called Confessions of a Hollywood Caterer. Now it's going to be called Catering with Dish. So it's about my escapades in the catering world and how I got there and how it, how it's been my journey with food. So basically I'm talking about food and how I got there and how I ended up in catering and how I ended up back in LA after leaving New York. And it's a little dishy. I mean, it's like I'll tell you one story, okay.
Speaker 1:
Oh please, people want to know because I waited before you start, I previewed and said the caterer to the stars.
Speaker 2:
Yes.
Speaker 1:
You are that.
Speaker 2:
What is a star?
Speaker 1:
Well, someone more renowned than we are, Of course.
Speaker 2:
I'm a star. Star, Not a TikTok star like me, but a star star oh no, but I was confused because I didn't hear an R on the end of star, a star.
Speaker 1:
A star.
Speaker 2:
You've been out here 90 years. I haven't come yet and lost that accent Anyway.
Speaker 1:
Oh, your teeth look very good.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, see over here.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, what's what's happening there?
Speaker 2:
I didn't put the plate in this morning.
Speaker 1:
Are you going to have implants over there though?
Speaker 2:
Honey, I'm. They've already done all the work. All I gotta do now is I'm going to get the impression and then they're going to put the teeth in Beautiful October 11th. Thank God, I got a fucking plate.
Speaker 1:
I hate that plate. I kept mine for you know what? I kept my fathers and my mothers.
Speaker 2:
actually, I have all of mine too, and I'm going to do an art piece with it one time.
Speaker 1:
Good.
Speaker 2:
Well, I'm going to call it chew the annoying thing to chew.
Speaker 1:
I had my fathers and my mother's plates and the. I might still have them. I don't know why in this safe.
Speaker 2:
Yeah, that's kind of that's a little spanky. You know, I had a date with this old guy, by the way, and you know what.
Speaker 1:
What he took his teeth out.
Speaker 2:
No, he was so old that he he gave me a hickey on my neck and he left his teeth in it.
Speaker 1:
Really, oh my God, oh my God. I've taken my teeth out a few times when I had plate honey.
Speaker 2:
Nobody left it in the hickey.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, my.
Speaker 2:
God, I had a date with another old one, you know what? What? It's a really nice restaurant and some of the bitch croaked Right there at the table and I thought shit Really, so real quick, I went into his pocket and got his American Express card and paid the damn bill with it. Oh my God, oh yeah, he wasn't gonna miss it. I should have. I said can I have some caviar to go?
Speaker 1:
You did.
Speaker 2:
I should have.
Speaker 1:
Oh, okay, anyway, let's talk about your catering adventure.
Speaker 2:
All right. So, okay, I'm going to tell you a story. So there's circumstances. I ended up with Barbara and Frank Sinatra as a client, and the way it came about was that I, my friend Tony Melia, had a house man named Eugenia Negri, and he was from Italy and his close friend was Roger Moore's wife, louisa, and so I did a lunch for Louisa in Hidden Valley, which is a private street off of cold water, and so she loved the food and, by the way, sophia Loren was there. So I'm packing the car and Sophia Loren comes out and I said can I get a picture with you? And she said, sure, and I love the poached salmon. I thought, oh my God, I'm ready to die. Anyway, so I get the camera. The fucking battery was dead.
Speaker 2:
Oh no, and her car came to pick her up. She couldn't wait so I could turn her another way. And this is before cell phones. This is like 91. You know, when you have a big clunk. It was mine and it attached to the car.
Speaker 1:
I still have a camera.
Speaker 2:
Well, I do too, but I couldn't believe the damn battery was dead. There was my one big chance.
Speaker 2:
But I will tell you this about Sophia, going back to her before I finish with Frank. You know, one of the things I also did was I had a staffing agency and I would do the Oscars every year and some of the big events and bring a lot of waiters and they would ask me to supervise and be a captain. So one time I did the Oscars and she was being honored I don't remember if it was the Jean Holtzher, herschel the ward or not, but you know what? They assigned me to walk her when she came into the room, to get her into the auditorium. She is a movie star and she this is what a movie star is about. I mean, she walked in and you felt the presence and so I said may I walk you into the? She said I would be honored if she took my arm and just like, the crowd parted and she was regal and she was beautiful. And she got to her table and she turned to me and said I just want to say thank you very much for being so attentive. I mean, just like I said, okay, but so back to Anyway. So Barbara Sinatra was there too. She loved the lunch and I did a whole poach salmon and I did. I think I did my chilled avocado cucumber soup.
Speaker 2:
I got the right Marilyn Lewis's son who owned the Hamburger Hamlets, right, and so she asked me to come do a party out at the beach. So I did, and then I started doing Like some Every weekend. They would play poker and she had me do tea, sandwiches and drinks and hors d'oeuvres and then I'd make dinner for all of them. So I did it like every Sunday. It was great. That was my church, my movie star church Don't take me, god, I'm in heaven Anyway. So uh, and then of course I met Frank and by the time you know he was had slowed down a lot and.
Speaker 2:
And he'd just be sitting on the couch watching his watching tv and and I would walk in, I would see him and I'd go over and say, mr Sinatra, how are you? He'd say I'm fine, kid, how are you? And then that was, that was it. And so, uh, it was her 20th wedding anniversary and they redid their vows, 1996. And then she, um God, it was 18 years ago, no longer than that. It's 20, 28 years ago. Wow, how time has flown. So, anyway, uh, she said I want you to do our anniversary, a dinner and reception at the house, the house, when we come back from the church. And I said, fine, now, every A lot of the stars were were older, and, uh, but they were there, by Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, jerry Vale, all those people, stephen Edie you know, which are great don Rickles, and who was also a client, and you know, it's just that I was so busy that I I didn't really have time to interact with anybody.
Speaker 2:
But after that served the dessert, and I mean the cake, I said to her, I said I'd like to get a picture with Frank if I could. She said was honey. He said here's the deal, if you, uh, you get the photographer ready. You catch my eye, I'm gonna bring him over and you got to get the picture. No talk, no, nothing, just get the picture and that's it, because then he's gonna want to move. So she brings him over.
Speaker 2:
Had the photographer ready, I start to get the picture and Dick Martin Calls to him over here on my Right and I'm just getting ready to get into the picture and Frank turns his head like that, and so I didn't really. I got my picture with him, but it's not like one of those like hey, pal, how are you? And so then, after dick Martin, so then he turns back to me he says who the fuck are you? And his wife says oh honey, he was the caterer. Big kids of marinara. Marinara is damn good, I know, but that was it and it was great, but it was wonderful to be there, you know. And, uh, I just thought to myself sometimes.
Speaker 2:
You know, one of the other things that's in my book also is that One time that Marvin and Barbara Davis, who were really one of my best friends and they had this magnificent house in in Beverly Hills that you know d Laurenti's had once owned and Bill Clinton came for a fundraiser and there were like 150 guests and they had cleared out the dining room and their living room and the Entertainment that night was Barbara Streisand. So we do the dinner, you know, and I had all my waiters and tuxedos and it was, and they all looked great and of course it was a high powered crowd. You know, if a bomb had gone off, that had been in to Hollywood at that time. So I know she's gonna go sing. I just feel it because David Foster was there and Kenny G was playing on his horn, was warming up, and so she looked a little bit nervous and so I see her. I would catch her on the way walking from the dining room to the where she's gonna sit and perform, and I brought her some.
Speaker 2:
I just knew she always had that cup of tea on stage with her. So I bring her a cup of tea and she says, oh no, I'd rather have warm water. I said, well, let me get it. She said, oh no, this will be fine, and she drank it and then I stood 10 feet from her and she sat on a stool and sang two songs and it was amazing. I mean to me that close. And she is an artist. I mean she really is. I mean you're a great singer too, honey, but God has really.
Speaker 2:
He didn't sprinkle stardust on her, he dumped it on her and she and and, and she is, or was, the biggest star in Hollywood at one time and I remember time before when it was a Christmas party and I walked her from the Inside party to the tent to her table. It took us about 15 minutes to get there because everybody stopped here. Can we catch? Let's catch lunch next week, are, you know, got an ideal, a project in mind, like talk to you about it. You know, just, you know. And then I got her seated and I introduced her to the waiter who was going to take care of her that night and I said I'm Michael, you know, just catch my if you need anything. And it was great, you know, it's just, it's just those, those kind of stories I have. They haven't been any really bad stuff, but well, I've worked for Robert Evans. I think that could be a book.
Speaker 1:
I Remember the time lighting company.
Speaker 2:
Oh honey, yes, that's why, see, I did I, you know, I always wanted to work with the people I knew, because I knew they were the best. They would do what they said they do. And that's what it was about. You know, you get shit done. So when I, you know, I Called you because we're on top of that damn house I'm sure it's not going to be that way now, but on top of house were all those light bulbs and he liked those pink.
Speaker 1:
Display pink because it display pink makes your skin look young and beautiful. That's why.
Speaker 2:
I know. You see that I have it on me now. Yeah, mine is a filters of Peggy Lee pink.
Speaker 1:
Well, we've got about three to four minutes to finish up.
Speaker 2:
Well, let me just tell you so anyway. Um I, I, he liked all those pink lights and we were spending a fortune on them. So I called you and I said do you take care of this lighting? And you did, that's Hollywood. Call my business manager, they'll take care.
Speaker 1:
You and I kept call. It was like a hundred bucks or something, come on Anyway. So in your look, look at this story History you've had in Hollywood. Oh my god, and how's your new house, your book?
Speaker 2:
Okay, here's what's going on the book. Right now I am tweaking it to send it to the editor. That means I am going back through the recipes making sure there's no mistakes and that I haven't made like. I did find a mistake last night. I said that's of course I used to be. I'm an alcoholic and so of course you know what I always. When it's cooking with wine and I put six cups of sherry, I said that cannot be right. Right, I think it was like a cup of sherry, but right, it is six. So I'm just tweaking those. I'm trying to get the pictures in order and it's driving me crazy. So I've got a hundred and sixteen pictures to go in the book. Wow, I'm trying to organize. You're in it twice With Debbie Reynolds and then when I that and it's your wedding, when I was helping you put the garter on or something.
Speaker 1:
Yeah, it's a great picture of us oh.
Speaker 2:
It's a great nice party really great party.
Speaker 1:
You did a great job Wow.
Speaker 2:
It was a lovely day and, listen, you were friends and it was important and you know that's what it's about. You know, in my business is that when I'm doing that I create memories. I do, I do a lot of those because most of the time I'm doing something is for A great event in somebody's life. You know. Maybe they're celebrating something, maybe it's an anniversary, maybe it's a birthday, and a lot of times it's a celebration of life and it's and sometimes it's weddings, you know.
Speaker 1:
Hmm.
Speaker 2:
I tell. Questions of life are the ones I work the hardest on, because they need to go out with a bang and some good food.
Speaker 1:
Anyway, I love you and I want you to tell your audience, because it's gonna be on Spotify and I know people will be excited to listen to you. Hopefully they already heard the old ad me. Tell me about what. What's the message you want to give out to people?
Speaker 2:
Okay, you know, you talk. Maybe you got some dreams in your head and you keep saying, oh, I'd love to do this, I'd love to do that, you can do it, but the only thing that's gonna stop you is you. So if you got a dream and you just sit down with a pen and paper and figure out what you need to do to do that Dream and then, one thing at a time, start doing it, I mean you might want to be a singer, and you got it. Take voice lessons, learn some songs, find a piano player, work with them in the afternoon, you know, and then go to open mics and start putting it out there. You want to.
Speaker 2:
Same thing as I mean might want to be a painter, you might want to be a landscape artist, you know, put fingers in the dirt, hmm. Whatever. You want to be an interior designer, go to school, learn, learn it, hmm, and then you know, then go to work for a well-known designers and apprentice and learn. I mean you can do these things and it doesn't matter about how old you are. If you get your ass out of bed, you're not in the obituary column. You got another shot that day exactly.
Speaker 1:
Michael Hollingsworth, if no one told you they love you today, then I love you because you're you did you write that song? Well, I said the thing, but then a guy put the music to it, whatever.
Speaker 2:
Now, I have a question to ask you. Behind you on the wall is Gidget goes to Rome right in that movie?
Speaker 1:
No, but I just collect Gidget post. Is it's a thing of mine? No, I was never and I dream. That's why I came to LA. But that's my story.
Speaker 2:
I know your story honey.
Speaker 1:
I know you do honey. Anyway, I love you. Please listen, get Michael's book, the one that's out now.
Speaker 2:
Say about being loved available on Amazon com. Go to books, click it, put it about being loved in there. And it's also on Kendall. Oh working on putting it on audible.
Speaker 1:
Oh, that's perfect. I love you, michael Hollingsworth. Thanks for coming in to my Sj Brown. Mendelsohn brown. Don't forget, the Mendelsohn got to keep my father's name in it, all right all right, darling, you know. I love you.