Every now and then we mistake an "ordinary person" for a celebrity.

One time, however, I mistook a celebrity for an "ordinary person." And it was embarrassing.

In what was certainly not my most shining moment of brilliance, several years ago in the lobby of the Hollywood Renaissance Theater, I approached a man who bore such a striking resemblance to my Uncle Phil - who lives in Southern California - that I approached the man with open arms and a greeting of: "Hi Uncle Phil!"

Turns out, it wasn't Uncle Phil. In fact, it was Frankie Avalon, the hip 1950s and 60s teeny-bopper movie star famous for the beach-oriented flicks with Annette Funicello like "Beach Party" and "Beach Blanket Bingo."

Although I made an utter fool of myself in front of Mr. Avalon, the good-sport in him insisted that I continue to call him "Uncle Phil" if it would make me feel better.

A class act who still has the playful teenage gleam in his eye, my encounter with Frankie Avalon is one I won't soon forget.