This is a fun story, Tynan! It is also a mirror image of something that happened to me over 20 years ago.
In my version, the luminary giving the talk at the university (Furman) was Kurt Vonnegut. For no particular reason, I was wearing a big, bushy, heavy metal-style wig over my regular, conservative haircut when I went up to ask my question: "Do I look better with long hair..." removed the wig, "..or with short hair?"
"You look fine either way," he said, "but if you want to get a job, keep it short."
The most amazing thing is how the audience reacted EXACTLY the same way you describe, with the cheers and money and phone numbers and such!