With Jason Antone’s permission, I’ve put this story up. What a go-getter!
This story is from the June 2011 issue of the Chaldean News newspaper:
Jason Antone: Staying Strong (January 2006)
The last thing Jason Antone ever expected was to make a world record – twice over. But his tenacity in getting celebrities to call him on the phone has netted him two top spots from the Registry of Official World Records, which publishes the Book of Alternative Records — most congratulatory celebrity phone calls (246 in 3.7 years) and most unscripted TV appearances (116 in seven years).
The stars call Antone for spontaneous interviews that he replays on his local TV show, JROCK Show. He recently scored his 247th interview when Brett Michaels gave him a ring.
Antone, 29, has been doing the show for eight years and has interviewed the likes of Regis Philbin, Jimmy Kimmel and wrestler Shawn Michaels. Don’t ask him to pick his favorite. “Everyone asks me that, but I love all of them,” he said. “They all show me heart and love and respect.”
Antone works hard at these interviews, contacting Hollywood producers and agents tirelessly.
He’s never sure when or if someone will call. “If you told me that 247 celebrities would be calling me I would never have believed it,” he said. “I still don’t believe it.”
Antone has Friedreich’s Ataxia, a progressive disorder of the muscles and nervous system, but is happy to report that he can still walk. “I pray a lot,” he said, “and God helps me out.
Catch JROCK on West Bloomfield’s Channel 18 on Thursdays at 10 p.m. (and repeated often) or visit JRockTV.Tripod.com