In 1982, while I was in elementary school, Mrs. Gafarian’s fourth grade class was selected to write a Kidsday feature for the Sunday Newsday.

In keeping with tradition, four students were selected to interview a celebrity. Long before I had any idea that one day I would be editor-in-chief of a celebrity magazine, I was one of the four selected, along with three other classmates who, ironically enough, are all on my Facebook.

Our celebrity was Lori Singer, who at the time was starring in the TV show Fame and who in real life had attended the High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts in New York City, on which the show was based.

For some reason, I remember I was given the opportunity to ask the first of many pre-arranged questions that the students had come up with. Even stranger is that the first question I asked was not the first question on my list. “So why did you drop out of the High School for Music and Art?” I asked, to which Lori responded with a quick “Who told you that?!” Thank God everyone laughed at my bold question. Of course, I was not intending to embarrass Lori, I was simply asking a question that, as a 9-year-old, seemed appropriate and interesting. Needless to say, the question and answer never made it to print and everyone had a good laugh of it.

Lori was wonderful. She spoke with us for well over an hour and she gave us an in-depth look at what it was like to be on TV and how Fame differed from the real school, how hard she practiced the cello every day and why she became an actress.

I wrote to Lori a few times after the interview and always received responses and signed photographs. She went on to star in such films as Footloose opposite Kevin Bacon, The Man with One Red Shoe with Tom Hanks, and opposite Julian Sands in Warlock, as well as many others. She continues to play the cello.

I still have the Kidsday article from Oct. 31, 1982 and 27 years later I was able to show it to Lori at the 61st annual Artist and Writers Softball Game in East Hampton. She told me that she actually remembered doing the interview and that it was a great experience. It’s funny how at the time I had no idea that my career would be what it is. I know that Mrs. Gafarian would be proud. Despite the fact that she passed away some years ago, I know it’s not too late to say thank you.

Check out Daniel Simone's interview with Lori here