The Story Behind the Photos
July 1978
I had just returned to work after being out almost 6 months from a torn Achilles tendon and surgery which I had on Friday, January 13th. Although I had worked a little with a walking cast and a crutch I had just become free of both and was returning to normal walking.
Bob Howard who was working on the assignment desk that morning got a tip that Kate Jackson, the actress of Charlie’s Angel’s fame, was in Boston with her boyfriend Andrew Stevens trying to get a marriage license. Our first bit of information was they were at Boston City Hall so I raced there and they had already left.
Next Bob got information they were headed for Martha’s Vineyard to get married. I raced to Logan Airport. The newsroom checked the flights for the Vineyard out of Logan Airport and they came up with a couple of flights and it was my job to look for the couple.
I arrived at one of the terminals and standing there was Mass State Trooper Tom Chamberlain who I had known for many years as he was a classmate of my sister Renee’s. I asked him if he had seen Kate Jackson (everyone knew who she was due to the show) and he said no but that he did see Jackie Kennedy upstairs at a different airline. I said, “I will go there after I find Jackson.”
As I was walking out of the terminal, Kate Jackson and Andrew Stevens were walking in. I took a grab shot as I was always ready to bang off a shot or two. Jackson immediately put up her coat and one of them said “no pictures.”
I walked up to them and asked if I could take a nice photo of the two of them and they said no. I backed off a little and began taking photos anyway. Next things I know is Ms. Jackson backs me up against a wall (I did not resist, after all, she was a Charlie’s Angel) and said to me “You are a real asshole!” I said thank you and continued taking photos.
In the meantime, Trooper Chamberlain had been restraining Mr. Stevens and at one point I think Stevens might have taken a slap in the face from Chamberlain. He must have thought I had done it as he gave me the finger and told me, “I’ll be back for you.”
After getting the shots I immediately got out of the terminal and raced back to the office. The paper ran several of the photos but probably didn’t use the one of him giving me the finger.