This is a VERY long story of how I got to meet the band and everything that was leading up to that moment. Also, Click Here to see pictures of us meeting Cinderella on Oct. 11th, 1998!

It all started in August of 1998, my mom was looking for a job, so she had me run to get a newspaper from the laundry room in our apartment complex, as she was turning the pages of the newspaper she let out a happy scream, I jumped up and much to my and hers shock a small add with nothing but text announced Cinderella as an upcoming show at a club/biker bar in Yucaipa! (we live in Southern California) We were so friggin excited! But I later found out that not being 21 years old yet, I couldn't go, I was crushed.

Getting a ride out to Yucaipa, was impossible as we don't have a car, so we took the bus. It was HELL on earth!!! We sat on the bus for 3 hours just to get there, and then we were lost, the bus driver didn't even know where we were because he had taken us so far out! We eventually got off in the middle of nowhere, in the 110° F summer heat, and go into a almost deserted liquor store to ask for directions, this guy that works there can barely speak English, then someone in the store has a heart attack and is picked up by an ambulance. We finally leave and start walking down a street getting some more directions, yet the new direction giver isn't sure which way it is, we start back on our trek, then, even more bad luck, we have to walk down a street filled with vicious dogs, that are all loose! AAHHHH! There is also a bad lightning storm chasing us, (and I'm not even kidding, there was lighting sriking down to the ground not even three city blocks behind us) by that time were running down the street, and my mom has blisters from her boots, and it starts to rain.

We finally reach our destination, me and my sister have to wait outside while my mom gets two tickets, she comes out and we all gaze apon them as if they are made out of solid gold. LOL! We then walk across the street, and go in a resteruant, not a crappy fast food kind of place. We sit down pennyless and wonder how to get home, not knowing the bus schedule, freeky dogs down the street, and a full on storm outside, thunder, lightning, hail, 50 mph winds, and rain! Someone that works there heres us talking and gives us a ride to the correct bus stop, (Thank You!) we get on and go home.

The day came for my mom and her friend (my mom's the one in the white shirt) to go to the Cinderella concert. She's SO excited! When she left, she had with herself a portfolio of Cinderella art, (and I'm saying this is DAMN GOOD artwork, and I'm not just saying that because she is my mom) that she wanted to show the band if she ever met them. She left about 3:00 p.m. and didn't come back until 4:00 a.m.! Me and my younger sister stayed up playing Nintendo while my other two sisters went to bed. Finally my mom walks in the door, I was expecting her to be happy from seeing Cinderella for the first time in 10 years, and kind of bummed from not meeting them, (that's what I thought) but she was overjoyed! I would have never expected what was coming next!

I asked her how was the concert and all, and she was just talking a million mph! Lol! First she said that she was front row center, (it was first come, first serve seating) and Tom held her hand for a chorus of Nobodys Fool and looked right into her eyes and sang to her! If that wasn't cool enough, when the show was over she stood outside in the freezing desert night and waited to met of them. Eventually a roadie came up to her and saw her amazing artwork. He then called another roadie to come take a look. Then one of the roadies took her by the hand to come meet Fred and Jeff. Eric was off somewhere and Tom wasn't coming out. Then the roadie called Fred over to my mom and Fred procceded to look through her art, his reaction was like, "Wow man, these are great! Tom will love these!" Everyone turned around and looked in shock because Tom wasn't going to come out. As Fred lead her by the hand to Tom's room, someone yelled out, "hey, how come she gets to meet Tom!?" Then another person shouted out, "It's 'cause she's got tits!" My mom turned around and said, "No, I got talent!" Lol!

When Fred opens the door, there is Tom Keifer himslef! She said she was like freakin' out on the inside! But she wouldn't let it show. The door was closed, leaving them alone, what she talked about with Tom she said is private, all except this. She showed him some art of Tom by me and my three sisters, he then asked my we weren't here, she then told him that it was a over 21 venue and they couldn't come but they really wanted to.

HERE COMES THE BEST PART!!! Tom then says, "because your kids couldn't come, we are doing two shows in Santa Ana, I will pay for all of their tickets, front row center, and give you all backstage passes."

OH MY GOD!!!!! Isn't that the coolest!?!

A week before we go were all gettin' ourselves psyched out for the conert, we even went out and made Cinderella shirts! We all looked like a bunch of Cinderella groupies! Lol! (From left to right: My Mom, Noelle, My sisters, Gwynn, and Brandy, Me, Adrian, and my other sister, Vivian.) The day came, my moms friend that took her to the first concert took us. The whole way there, (about a three hours drive) we listened to all of Cinderella's albums just to make sure we were getting the lyrics right! Hehe. :) When we got to the place they were performing called the Galaxy, (go figure!) we all got out and stretched and stuff like that, on our walk up to the front door, Jeff walks past us! I didn't recognize him with strait rainbow colored hair and a nose ring! He looks at my sister Vivian and says, "cool shirt, rock on." My mom says to us, "did you know who that was? It was Jeff!" And where all like, whoa! We get to the door and a personal friend of the band comes out and thinks that were all badass! Lol! After talking with us for a while she runs backstage and grabs us all Tom Keifer and Jeff Labar guitar picks and a Cinderella sticker! Cool! (Thank You To!) When we get inside, this place is dazzling! This club is like the Shanglarah of clubs! We go sit on the floor before anyone else comes in to take our places. :) (there were no seats) Only the floor was filled when three opening bands, Brat Prince, Beyond Control and Union were on. Now its Cinderella's time to shine!

All of the lights were off and the music from the opening bands was so loud you couldn't hear someone screaming next to you. Anyway, Cinderella's stuff is set up, and all the lights are off, there is a slight opening in the curtain that blocks that backstage, EVERYONES eyes are on it to see a glimpse of one of the guys. You see roadies walking around, and then, you see a guitar, a top hat, the boots, and the cheetah scarf, but last but not least, Tom! Everyone YELLED at once as soon as they saw him, all of the sudden the whole floor is packed all the way to the door and up the stairs two stories to the bar!!! A full house! They came out, everyones on their feet! Cinderella starts the first chords of The More Things Change, and as it got started the stage was flooded with lights! BAM! CINDERELLA!!! It was awsome! As they ripped thru each song, they never missed a beat! Tom's voice was awsome! Push, Push, Hot and Bothered, Shelter Me, Night Songs, Somebody Save Me, Heartbreak Station, The Last Mile, Coming Home, Fallin' Apart at the Seams, Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone),and during Nobody's Fool, Tom held all of my sisters hands and my moms, one sister was kissing his boot, and another started crying! Gypsy Road, and Shake Me as their encore! A very funny thing happened during the encore, the lead singer for Ratt, Stephan Pearcy came on stage and sang a verse of Shake Me with Tom. The funny thing was, he had put on so much weight and cut his hair, I didnt even recognize him! I'm thinkin to myself, "Who the hell is this fat ass?!?! And why is he on stage?!?!" LOL!!!

Jeff would spit water over the crowd alot, even though it was kinda nasty, it was refreshing because it was SO hot in there! LOL! Eric slung his head around like he alwas did, and Fred got of the drums and came up to sing the Chorus of Heartbrake Station! It was cool! When the show was over everyone was yellin', screamin', whistling, and appluading! GO CINDERELLA! When it cleared out, only the people who could, and the people who were trying to get backstage, were still there. While we were waiting, we were all sitting at a table, (one sister short) drinkin' coke and stuff, when Bruce Kulick walks in front of us, his back is turned, but we all froze, (we as a family LOVE KISS too!) the "missing" sister then comes running out of no where and slams right into Bruce! He turns around with a startled surprise look on his face, we all laughed, then talked, then he gave us some Union guitar picks and he was off. Cool! The time had come to met Cinderella! We were let in through a door into the backstage area where we were greeted by Fred and Jeff! Jeff kept calling my sister "Smiley Girl" because she was all smiles! He even drew a smiley face when he signed her ticket! Then I met Fred, I showed him a drawing of him I attempted to do from the Night Songs album. He said, "That's me? Alright. Cool!" ~*~he probably thought it was crappy, lol~*~ I never really met Jeff. I got Eric to sign a Cinderella sticker, then he was off, then Tom! He came down a flight of stairs, my heart stopped, it was like, 'Oh my God, there he his...' Almost everything after that was a blurr, but I do remember giving Tom copies of my art, and he signed my original art, vidoes, tour books, tickets, shirts, passes, and stickers. And I still have the pen he used to sign a few things too! I got Tom Keifer to sign the Night Songs LP! We all tooke pictures, Jeff, Fred, and Tom took a group picture with all of us. And then there was the single pictures, most were of me showing Tom some of my stuff while Tom was just smiling away. :) After that, I can't remember much else. But, when we were leaving Fred ran out to the car as we were pulling out and playfully asked if he could have some Doritos! He reached his arm into the car to get some then said thanks and all that stuff and then we left.

Thank you Cinderella for the memories! I will never forget them and I look forward to seeing you again even though I missed the summer 2000 tour. :) A true fan for life, Adrian Ruehl.

The crappy thing was, is that the camera was broken, and to make things worse it was fine after that. >:( All of the pictures turned out like crap!!! Everything was super blurry, you could tell who was who, but it was just shapes and colors! AAAHHHH!!!!! Oh well.