Paparazzi! True Stories of a Party Crasher!

People always asked how I got all of those Celebrities to pose with me. My response is that I always use the phrase "May I have a photo with you real quick" and surprisingly they never said no!

My name is Michelle LeClech. I live in Seattle, Washington but I worked in Washington D.C. for 15 years as a secretary for the Federal Government. While I was there I noticed it was like Hollywood, always having fundraisers where the politicians and movie stars would gather. The tickets were quite expensive and I couldn't afford them, but I wanted to have my "brushes with fame".

As a lifelong hobby, I've always had the desire to take photos with rock stars in the 60's in Seattle and then later on in life when I moved to Washington, D.C. I read the newspapers daily and that informed me of the parties & fundraisers coming each week. So I planned my course from there.

While in D.C, I got the opportunity to take photos with celebrities such as, Sylvester Stallone, Jackie Chan, Mother Teresa, Liz Taylor, Princess Diana, Vincent Price and more. The moment I got off of work, I would put on party attire and throw a few cameras over my shoulder and start my quest. I'd tell the doorman I was there to take photos for the Washington Post or a local magazine. It worked every time, but most of the time I'd breeze in through the back or side doors. Over a 20 year period, I managed to get over 250 famous people in front of my camera or to let me pose with them.

Over the years, I've appeared on TV shows such as, Evening Magazine, Almost Live, and NW Afternoon. I've also appeared on radio shows and many newspapers talking about my "eccentric hobby", as most called it. A few years ago, I was on the Dave Ross (Rossfire, podcast) for the second time to talk about my book and the stars I've met.

Dave Ross and staff members at the Seattle Times suggested I should write a book someday entailing my escapades of paparazzi life.It took quite a while, but I finally finished it after 20 years of trying to compile everything together and other things going on in my life. I've gotten great reviews from those who have read it.

My aunt used to get annoyed at my excitement whenever I told her I met a famous person because she told me they were just people like us. I told her I don't know why I get excited, but I just do. Perhaps it was because of my ADHD that kept me thriving and gave me something to talk about in circles. As the years go by, I realized she was right. They were just normal folks like us. I just thought it was fun and wanted to see who's cranky or nice in person after reading about them in the paper or magazines. Like Princess Diana and Mother (Saint) Teresa in D.C. and Queen Elizabeth when she was visiting Seattle. I also had photos taken with myself with four Presidents (before or after they were President), and the countless movie stars, comedians, and other politicians.

I just can't get being paparazzi out of my blood.