Have you ever met a famous person?

[ScorpsFan]

I went to High School with Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Dan "Homer Simpson" Castleneta.

Was lucky enough to go backstage several times with The Scorpions (not too big a stretch, hmmmmmm) a great group who always take time for a quick quip or a joke and plenty of photos with fans.

The Rockbottom Remainders, a charity "garage band" consisting of Stephen King, Dave Barry, Amy Tan, Ridley Pearson, among others, always a real pleasure to be around.

and most recently Michael Connelly (my wife is a big fan of mystery writers)

Add to that some 25 years of festival work with groups ranging from The Rascals to Three Dog Night, The Marshall Tucker Band to Martina McBride and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy to Billy Ray Cyrus (is he still singing? No offense to any C & W folks out there).

I've had some great experiences and some not so great, with the "ends of the spectrum" those "just starting out" and those who had "had made it" being the most personable and who spend the most time with their fans.

And nicoltl, best of luck, don't lose sight of your goals or what or whom helps you attain them.

[Cal Blacksmith]

Not much to report from here, Nicolas Cage grew up accross the street from me, I was best buds with his older brother. Family would stop by now and then like Francis Ford Coppola. Nickey would put on about 4 "shows" a year for the neighborhood. I never went as he was about 10 when I was 17. My sister did though she said the shows were well done with props and the works. I think she was the only one to ever go to their shows.

[formica]

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On 6/8/2005 3:56:51 AM nicholtl wrote:

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On 6/8/2005 3:34:37 AM chuckears wrote:

nicholtl,

Is that famous, or infamous? Exactly what are you planning, and should the Authorities be notified?

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In 10 years time, watch what will then be the 85th Annual Academy Awards. When the category of Best Director comes up, that'll be me. =)

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Don't forget to keep us in the loop...

[garymd]

When my father was having colon cancer surgery at Johns Hopkins a few years ago, Robert Duval was visiting a friend on the same floor. We rode the elevator together a few times and chatted. Knowing my father was a big fan, I got him to stop by his room to say hello. Biggest suprise was how short he is.

Spoke briefly to one of my all-time heros, Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead bass player) before a show in DC. I happened to be in the right place at the right time. I quickly got my wife (home with my sick daughter) on the cell phone (she's a huge fan also) and he said hello to her. Really nice guy.

When I was a kid, my father took me to a MD basketball game. We got there early and there were 2 people in our seats. My father, not knowing any better, politely asked them to leave. As they were walking away I told him who they were. It was Joon Ree and Greg(?) Smith, one of the top blackbelts in the country at the time. They were doing the halftime show. My father told me if he knew who they were he would have kicked their a$$es! LMAO!

Another time my father ran into Jack Klugman at a restaurant and when he went up to say hello, Klugman told him to "**** off." Nice guy, eh?

There are others but no stories attached. I've played golf with many ex-Redskins and Orioles at various tournaments. I also see Phil Chenier quite often at the golf course and we chat on occasion. He was a great shooting guard for the Bullets in the 70s and is now the color commentator for the Wizards on our local sports cable station.

[oscarsear]

Need to add:

Steve Allen

Mickey Rooney

and the Lennon sisters...they baby sat me (not all of them at once).

[Amy]

How about is anyone related to a famous person?

My dad's cousin's wife's cousin is Cameron Diaz. Never met her though

[picky]

It was around 1972 and I was at the Reno Airport back when they only had 2 gates. I saw Charo standing there all by herself, holding a Chihuahua and surrounded by her bags. She was covered in white mink from head-to-toe. I approached her and introduced myself. She looked relieved to see me. She extended her hand and I shook hers. Her dog snapped at me. She exclaimed, "He no like coochy-coochy.", and then she laughed, lightly smacking the dog's snout. I chucked too while thinking to myself, "What an ugly, little rat it was." There's no doubt that Charo (who was 30 at the time) was a very beautiful woman. But, I was shocked at how short she was. She could not have been taller than 4' 11" yet those legs of hers on TV always seemd to be a mile long! ...yet, another dream shattered. {Sigh!} I understand that even today at the age of 63 that she's still quite a little hot tamale! Ole!

[cluless]

I met white rabbit at Disney world and Goofy at Disney land.

[jacksonbart]

I saw Elvis buying some Philly Cream cheese in the express lane at the local Acme last Tuesday.

[fini]

picky,

Charro is cool, man! I saw her, I think, in Reno one time. Great show. Once on Carson, she came out riding a donkey. Johnny helped her down, and back at the desk she asked, "You like my ***?" My kinda gal, for sure!

I worked on Robert Redford's mom's house in Tiburon, building a "granny unit" for the caregiver. Bobby (as we like to call him ) was in town, and stopped by to check things out. He even helped us carry an old sofa down a stairwell. To be honest, he was not much help.

Later, we asked him if he'd mind a photo. He said "Sure, no problem, you want an 8X10 head shot?" I said "No," handing him the camera,"I'd like you to take a picture of me and Tim (my boss)." Bob (as I like to call him now) says, "Oh, OK." and starts fumbling with the camera. I laughed and told him I was just kidding, we'd like a shot each of him with us. You know, something for his office wall.

I've also run into Willie Mays at the airport (I have a great shot of my Mom with Willie around here somewhere), was inches away from Sophia Loren when I was 7 years old, Put in the kitchen for Huey Lewis drummer Bill Gibson, and met an extremely drunk (but friendly) Chill Wills on the streets on Vegas about 35 years ago.

[Ray Garrison]

Issac Asimov

He was speaking at the University of Bridgeport (CT) about, uh, 15 / 18 years ago (?) - lots of good anecdotes. (My favorite - he'd written a short story while he was college, and in one of the classes he was taking that story was the topic of study. The instructor was making all sorts of claims about the allegorical meaning of various elements and characters. Asimov spoke up, saying "I wrote that story, and I have to tell you that none of the things you are claiming were actually intended." The instructor responded "Mr. Asimov, just because you wrote the story, what makes you think you have any idea what it's about?")

Anyway, he wound up, auditorium started clearing, he was picking up notes and putting them in his satchel. I thought "...what the hell..." and walked up to the stage and asked him if he had to get going, or if I could buy him a cup of coffee. He was like, "Cool, somebody actually came up and talked to me." So we went to a diner and I bought him a cup of coffee and some pie (don't remember what kind) and talked for about an hour, then I dropped him off at the Residence Inn.

Really great guy, was sorry to hear of his passing.

Also, at Rensselaer in 1974, Harlan Ellison was speaking. Had a chance to spend some time with him at the Rathskeller buying a couple of beers. Fascinating person, but I liked Asimov a lot better. Harlan was way bitter about a lot of stuff, mostly having to do with the way screen writers and editors hacked up and screwed up his stories.

[fini]

Oh, yeah, a very good friend's sister was the producer of this year's Oscar-winning annimated short!!

http://www.oscar.com/oscarnight/winners/win_34474.html

[picky]

fini: For the record; I liked her *** just fine! Very cool photo by the way. But, who's the young guy?

I saw "Bob" myself back in 2002. We were on a sailboat cruising around the lagoon on St. Maarten in the Caribbean. We looked up at Redford's house on the hillside. He and a woman were waving back at us. I have it on videotape. We didn't see any furry carpenters with beards, though.

[Mighty Favog]

I used to sell boat parts and supplies to Bengals runningback Rodney Holman when he was still playing. A nice but very quiet man.

My sister used to date a Top 40 DJ (WKRQ = Q102 in Cincinnati) named Mark Sabastian. She was just one of his many "conquests" but he was nationally known and was voted "Best DJ in America" in the early 80's. After that, the contract/money offers started pouring in from across the U.S. Just after he got that award he got really drunk, locked himself in the DJ's booth and played "Everybody Wants You" by Billy Squire. He played it some 73 times.

A few months later I was working at a popular audio/dept. store called Swallen's. Mark Sabastian came in with a rather arrogant demeanor and asked me what was the best Walkman you got (his choice of words). I said it (this) Panasonic and comes with this-this-and-this... He said "wrap it up". I came back with one and was filling out the hard copy. I got to gettign his name and said "I need yoour name, sir." He said "Mark Sabastian". I replied "Sabastian...Sabastian....how do you spell that?" He got a little pissed that I was 18 and projected an image that I didn't know who he was. It was great.

Got to meet Pete Rose just a few years ago (signed a baseball for me). I worked for the wife of a local polititan and Pete was touring the unfinished Great American Ballpark in downtown Cincinnati. Pete and I grew up in the same part of town (Price Hill/Sedamsville) in Cincinnati so we already had some provonance with each other. We even had the same teacher at Western Hills High School (Mr. DePolo). That high school also has the distinction of having more professional baseball players come from there than any other in the country (18).

Same High School that a couple of the Beach Boys went to and wrote the song "Fun, Fun, Fun" after a Frisch' Big Boy across the street (used to cruise there myself).

Cal Collins was playing at a local college bar (University of Cincinnati) and the joke of the night was the quality of the pizza. I walked up to the stage and gave him a piece.

CNN Reporter Bill Hemmer went to my rival High School (Elder High School) just up the street from where I lived. He's just another rich kid that got ahead in life by being goegeous. Yea, he looks like all Elder boys too (roll eyes).

Been to Marge Schott's house a few times (former majority share holder for the Cincinnati Reds). Yes, she called me "honey" more than once. Her St. Bernard "Schotzy" is very friendly.

[J.4knee]

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On 6/8/2005 3:56:51 AM nicholtl wrote:

----------------

On 6/8/2005 3:34:37 AM chuckears wrote:

nicholtl,

Is that famous, or infamous? Exactly what are you planning, and should the Authorities be notified?

----------------

In 10 years time, watch what will then be the 85th Annual Academy Awards. When the category of Best Director comes up, that'll be me. =)

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Why ya planing on rushing the stage streaking or something?

[jtkinney]

I met Barry Goldwater when I lived in AZ. He spoke at the local ham radio club and invited the members to come visit the station at his house. The station was used to route all personal messages from those stationed in SE Asia back to their families in the states. I visited a couple of times, and he was actually there once, and sat and talked for quite a while. A very gracious man.

I work for NASA and have met and trained many shuttle astronauts.

[cyclonecj]

I used to turn a wrench at a Ford Dealer in Berkeley right across from Reggy Jackson Chevy. We saw him many times firing people in the street. He also had a few Ford's that we worked on. Mostly, not a real nice guy.

A's pitcher Dave Stewart always brought in his Bronco for work. Had many chats with him. One of the nicest guys ever.

In Jan '96, I had to "escort" a female gymnast to the elevator. After a show in Reno, I took my kids to the hotel where they were staying for autographs. While they were talking to others from the show, I felt something bump into me from behind, so I turned around & saw nothing. Then I looked straight down..... She was just slightly taller than my waist. She snuck up behind me trying to hide from a few hundred fans on her way to her room. She asked me if I could walk to the elevator so she could hide behind me. I don't want to post her name, but I will say that she became very famous in the '96 Olympics.

[dodger]

John Walsh

Ike and Tina Turner Revue

Canned Heat

Duane Allman

Berry Oakley

BB King

Son House - Rediscovered living in Rochester by

Jimi Hendrix

The Moody Blues

Grant Fuhr

Wayne and Keith Gretzky

Buddy Guy

Muddy Waters

Back up Band for the Blues Brothers when they were the house band at Mussel Shoals AL Studios

(Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, etc.)

Foghat

John Sebastian

Peter Noone

Gene Cornish (from Rochester)

Chuck Mangione (from Rochester)

Gap Mangione (from Rochester)

Robert Culp

Gregg Allman

Jai Johanny Johanson

Anne Murray

Stevie Nicks

Ray Charles

Duke Jupiter - Original and replacements

Gordon Gow

Terry Britton

William Sessions FBI

R. Constantine NYSP, DEA

D. Luitweiler NYSP, DEA

To name a few

[justin_tx_16]

My dad met Bob Hope at a urinal and talke for about thirty minutes... haha

I met beyonce and then destiny's child.

i spent my birthday with jason mraz.

I have pictures with Mr. Belding from Saved By the Bell

Hmmm... I met CoCo Peru during an event I was producing... haha

That's my story

Oh, I also hung out with the almost entire cast of realworld/roadrules (those who sold their soul to MTV) the night before mr belding, the cast of biggest loser and tons others at this fun conference i went to. it was a blast!

[garymd]

Charles Dutton (star of the show "Roc" along with many movie appearances) lives near me (grew up in Baltimore) and I see him at "The Crab Shanty" carryout about twice a year. Very friendly guy. Uses Visa to pay for his crabs.