Rocker Billy Idol to play at Seattle superfan’s birthday
Michael Henrichsen poses for a photo, Sept. 19, 2012 in his bedroom at his home in Seattle next to a poster of rock star Billy Idol. Henrichsen created a website and enlisted friends and celebrities around the world in a two-year effort to convince Idol to come play a concert on Oct. 26, 2012 at a Seattle music venue to raise money for charity and celebrate Henrichsen's birthday. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Michael Henrichsen, sings during a rehearsal of his 80's music tribute band, "Nite Wave," Oct. 3, 2012, in Lynnwood, Wash. Henrichsen created a website and enlisted friends and celebrities around the world in a two-year effort to convince rock star Billy Idol to come play a concert on Oct. 26, 2012 at a Seattle music venue to raise money for charity and celebrate Henrichsen's birthday. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Michael Henrichsen, center, sings during a rehearsal of his 80's music tribute band, "Nite Wave," Oct. 3, 2012, in Lynnwood, Wash. Henrichsen created a website and enlisted friends and celebrities around the world in a two-year effort to convince rock star Billy Idol to come play a concert on Oct. 26, 2012 at a Seattle music venue to raise money for charity and celebrate Henrichsen's birthday. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Michael Henrichsen poses for a photo, Sept. 19, 2012 in his bedroom at his home in Seattle. Henrichsen created a website and enlisted friends and celebrities around the world in a two-year effort to convince Idol to come play a concert on Oct. 26, 2012 at a Seattle music venue to raise money for charity and celebrate Henrichsen's birthday. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
The Billy Idol song "Rebel Yell" is shown at the top of a song list during a rehearsal of Michael Henrichsen's 80's music tribute band, "Nite Wave," Oct. 3, 2012, in Lynnwood, Wash. Henrichsen created a website and enlisted friends and celebrities around the world in a two-year effort to convince rock star Idol to come play a concert on Oct. 26, 2012 at a Seattle music venue to raise money for charity and celebrate Henrichsen's birthday. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Michael Henrichsen has ideas about how he might celebrate his 26th birthday this week.
First, Billy Idol rolls up in a limo and tells him to hop in. And later, when the British rock icon takes the stage and rips into “Rebel Yell,” 1,800 of his closest friends go wild.
Far-fetched? Maybe not. After a two-year campaign, the Seattle man has actually persuaded Idol to play his birthday party tomorrow.
“This is surreal,” Henrichsen says. “It should not be happening.”
In October 2010, he had just turned 24 and was having an early life crisis. Friends were getting married and moving away. He was working three jobs and making little progress paying off $40,000 in college loans.
Salvation came over the stereo at the Bellevue Square Mall’s Billabong clothing store, where he worked. It was “White Wedding.” Henrichsen turned to a coworker: “Wouldn’t it be cool if we got Billy Idol to play at my birthday party?”
She laughed. He laughed. No way, right?
But he went home and thought about it. Scoring Idol could also be a major coup for his resume. Henrichsen isn’t sure what he wants to do for a career — something in entertainment or event planning or PR, maybe — but he thought this could get it started.
The first step was getting a friend, Jim Stamper, to build him a website, playmybirthdaybillyidol.com. “I thought it was never gonna work,” Stamper says.
But the site didn’t start getting much attention until he decided to collect some celebrity endorsements. Comedian Kevin Nealon was first.
Endorsements from others followed: musician Rick Springfield, former Seattle Mariner Jay Buhner, porn star Ron Jeremy.
Local media outlets started to notice. And the Google news alerts made their way to Idol’s people. They called Henrichsen and told him the campaign was cool, but they couldn’t promise anything.
“We were inclined to see it as just another extreme idea,” said Idol’s manager, Tony Dimitriades. “But as Michael’s campaign continued, his persistence and resourcefulness won Billy over.”
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