GRAMMYS 2018: Long Island Man Finds Himself Sitting Among The Stars
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A Long Island man has quite a GRAMMY story to share.
He became the luckiest fan at Music's Biggest Night when he was allowed to walk the red carpet. But what came next and how far he got were a total surprise, CBS2's Dick Brennan reported.
Bruno Mars may have been the night's big winner, but many fans are now finding themselves jealous of someone else – David Kilmnick.
The Centereach man, CEO and founder of the LGBT Network, found himself seated right near the star during Sunday night's show.
"I got rushed into row five and I sat in row five the entire time," he said. "I had Cyndi Lauper behind me, Bruno Mars to the left of me."
GRAMMY TV cameras did not capture Kilmnick on screen, but he says he was in the heart of it all as musician after musician walked up to receive their awards.
"I just stood back and took it all in, because I never thought I was going to experience it again," he said.
How he got into the VIP row is ever more impressive – turning his back-row ticket into a behind-the-scenes looking, starting with the red carpet.
"When it was time to come in for the show to start, I followed Sting, Shaggy, and Gaga's entourage into the elevator," he said. "I didn't know what was going to happen."
To blend in, he says he acted natural, snapping only a few photos and selfies with the stars along the way. But he couldn't resist when he heard a familiar voice warming up.
"I look up, and Lady Gaga was right in front of me. That was my Oh my god moment," he said.
He took a photo of the singer right before she went on stage to perform – bringing down the house with her vocals and nearly distracting Kilmnick from his mission to get one of the performers to come to Long Island.
"We have a population of 3.5 million people, and Long Island Pride should have one of these big artists that were at the GRAMMYS," he said.
Last year, the CEO had Rachel Platten perform at their annual Pride weekend. This coming June, he wants another big star.
"I pitched it to Cyndi Lauper, and she was quick. I thanked her for her work on behalf of LGBT youth," he said.
Risking it all for a shot to get to the stars' ears, his daredevil approach gave him the story of a lifetime.
CBS2 reached out to Madison Square Garden to see how Kilmnick was able to do this. The arena said it is still reviewing security.
There was no word on whether any of the musicians plan to perform for his organization this summer.