DOCUMENT: Celebrity

Harold Ford Superstar

U.S. Senate wannabe's tour rider anticipates fan swarm

Harold Ford, Jr.

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Harold Ford Superstar

FEBRUARY 5--Like Jay-Z and Lady Gaga, Harold Ford, Jr. has a tour rider.

The former Tennessee congressman, who is now trying to carpetbag his way to a Senate seat in New York, banks about $20,000 when he gives speeches booked by the Greater Talent Network agency. According to this contract for an appearance Wednesday at a Missouri college, Ford demands that when his limo driver picks him up, the chauffeur must be carrying a sign reading "H.F.." Presumably, if the Democrat's name was spelled out, hordes of fans/groupies would be alerted to his impending arrival and swarm him (something that has bedeviled the Jonas Brothers).

On the security front, if he is appearing before a packed house, Ford, 39, needs an "alternate entrance & exit at the venue," to, again, apparently avoid the crush of devotees. While the hospitality section of Ford's rider does not address his backstage preference when it comes to M&Ms, it does note that an allergy keeps shellfish off Ford's menu. (2 pages)