MINNEAPOLIS- D-LIST MAGNET OF AMERICA
7-9-06 POST RATED: The Nelson Brothers, The Incredible Hulk, Lou Ferrigno, Minneapolis
As beautiful as the chance encounter of a sewing machine and an umbrella on an operating table I discovered Surrealism in an airport in Minneapolis Minnesota. No more strange an encounter will you find than an Art Juggernaut, the Incredible Hulk, and the Nelson Twins within five feet of one another.
I was just about to hop a flight back from a recent Family Reunion / Funeral when in the airport I spotted two middle-aged bleach blonde dudes who were dressed in clothes that people a third their age have grown out of. I said to my girlfriend TRACY, "Those guys have got to be in a band or something." She said "Yeah but they can't be any good, they're getting out of a rental car." They started pulling out guitars and things, unloading the car they had driven themselves. It was a valid assumption considering they were lugging their own gear, but then I read on one of their cases "NELSON". These were THE NELSON BROTHERS, Matthew and Gunnar! Ricky Nelson's kids!
They had a few hits back in the 80's when hair bands were all the rage. I only know they exist because my friend Mike's older sister Dawn had one of those pinup posters over her bed for years.
My cousins and I first tried to strain our brains and remember any of the songs they made. We couldn't come up with any. My 19-year-old Alabama cousin KATY (Who I'd never met before this weekend) mentioned she had seen the chubbier of the brothers on VH1 CELEBRITY FIT CLUB. I kept joking that I was going to introduce her - till she started punching me. We were right behind them on the long line for the metal detector and every time the line would loop we would be facing them. The Nelson Brothers were flying coach like us! Holy crap, talk about taking the fast train from the lime light to "WHERE ARE THEY NOW? LAND". Where were they now? The answer would be "FLYING COACH OUT OF MINNEAPOLIS."
In the middle of our joking around from out of nowhere LOU FERRIGNO came hulking towards us. My cousin Ben is a fitness major so Lou is one of his idols. Ben shook Lou's hand and then Lou barreled past us to the first class express line (We didn't want to make him angry, you wouldn't like him when he's angry. . . that's a Hulk joke). I snapped a few shots off as he was going through the metal detectors. I actually really dig Lou. Tracy and I are big The King of Queen fans, and he's a regular character on that show, so props to him. He also beat Arnold for Mr. Universe in pumping iron, so that just automatically makes him cool.
After we got through the metal detectors the Nelson Brothers were still standing there putting all their various metal rock and roll objects back on. We walked into the main hallway to try to find a place to get a bite to eat. Just then the Nelson Brothers walked out and stood right next to us looking for their terminal or something. I turned to them and said in my most honest sounding voice.
"You guys rock."
To which they responded: "Thanks man." "Thanks man." One right after the other, like they were taking turns. We walked away and when they were just out of earshot we broke out laughing.
When I got home and jumped on the net I learned some interesting things about Lou and the Nelsons. They are worlds apart, yet they share something in common. Both The Nelson Brothers and Lou Ferrigno are in the Guinness Book of World Records Holders.
ACCORDING TO LOU'S WEBSITE:
"
Lou was only 21 when he won his first Mr. Universe title, a Guinness Book record that stands to this day. More incredible, at age 22 he won again - and to this day remains the only person to win consecutive titles! Lou carried the world of bodybuilding to new heights and himself to superstardom with the film documentary, Pumping Iron, which chronicled the fabled exploits of the youngest and only person to ever become Mr. Universe twice in a row!'
ACCORDING TO NELSON'S WEBSITE:
"The Nelson family are the only family in history to have unleashed three successive generations of #1 Hitmakers ." (Guinness Book of World Records)
