Famous people you've met

List and describe any encounters you may have had with a celebrity or otherwise noteworthy person. I haven't had any, so I can't share here.

 

i've met a few and learned an important fact. i have very little in common with any of them. so after saying hello you pretty much stand there looking at each other. them trying to, in some cases, being polite. you, grinning like an idiot. i met frank zappa in '67. i excitedly said, "i got all your records." to which he replied, "Cool." which was followed by several awkward moments of silence. i then said, "i guess you're busy." he said "yes," and walked away. most other encounters were about the same. sonny and cher, ernest borgnine, john waters, carroll shelby, pete townsend and john entwhistle, johhny unitas, artie donovan, brooks robinson. the sports figures were the most talkitive.

 

Met a few but the most amusing circumstance was when I worked in a university athletic department and was traveling with the women's basketball team for the sweet sixteen. One of the teams in our region was the University of Tennessee. We had our practice the day before the game and I was waiting outside the locker room as the girls changed, since I am a guy. I had to use the restroom so asked the security guard across the hall if I could use the empty locker room . He said sure and let me in. I was standing at the urinal, midstream when in walks Pat Summit, the UT women's coach. She showed up early that day. I was embarrassed and apologetic, but I have to say, she was very cool about the whole situation. Guess you had to be there!

 

Did you say, "It's Pat?!"
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Carbon McCoy

 

Haha

 

I got to meet guitarist Joe Walsh in his LA home (not his primary residence... but
it has a basement studio where all his solo albums were recorded - very cool!) back
in 2002 - I was interviewing him for a magazine article, and ended up getting the
cover photo to my credit, in addition to being the lead article. That was fun!

When I was a teenager I spent a week with writer Frank Herbert ("Dune") at a writer's retreat.

I've also met David Bowie at a backstage "meet and greet" in May 2004 and shared
champaign and cheese with him and his band.

Then a couple years ago I had the pleasure to meet Alan Parsons (the guy who
mixed Dark Side of the Moon, in addition to his own band, Alan Parsons Project).
We got to yak for almost an hour - SUPER nice guy.

And I got to meet the governor of Washington in 2008, and took a large number of
photos of her for a commemoration at Temple Beth El in Tacoma, WA. Not exactly
my political leaning ... but I thought it was cool anyway.

Nothing compared to some folks on this board, who THEMSELVES are "famous people"...
So add F-Chatter Anunnaki (Jerry) - he's a hollywood makeup artist... and add to that
Darth550 (Dave) - a former hollywood actor. Great guys both...

But I had fun meeting the folks I've got to meet. I'm sure there's a few others I can't recall.

Jedi

 

Kiefer Sutherland - hotel elevator in LA. He was actually quite talkative for the 30 second elevator ride.

MDS

 

I've met a lot of celebs at different functions. Just Friday I was with Anne Hathaway, Jamie Fox, and George Lopez at a PR event for a movie coming out this April I'm making products for.

The most famous that I've actually worked directly with are Steve Spielberg, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Silvester Stallone, and Joel Silver. All of them were situations were I was designing and presenting products of them for their projects or likenesses.

 

Maynard James Keenan - at a meet and greet last year. He is an icon to me and it was a pleasure to meet him. His music has made my life more enjoyable.
Wow Delp...Anne Hathaway is such a beautiful woman...I would probably be at a loss for words.

 

Wow!! Very cool story Bob.



Jedi

 

Very Cool! I love Arnold and Sly.

 

In my business, I run into a lot of A and B listers. I'm kinda lucky as I'm usually on each of the studio lots at least once a year -- Sony, Disney, Warner, Paramount, Fox, Dreamworks, etc. Sometimes I run into celebs for business and sometimes it's just in the amount of travel I do.

I helped Olivia Newton John get her luggage in Tokyo once. We were on the same flight together. That was in the 80's when she was red hot. The same with Chevy Chase at LAX. I was with Spike Lee coming back to LA after seeing a Knicks playoff game.

Another time I was on an airplane with Farrah Facett. She was in First class and I was right behind her in business. It was a midnight flight to JFK from LA. What was interesting about this event was she was going to be on David Letterman. That night was the "infamous" event when she looked drugged and out of it.

The weirdest was another flight from LA to JFK. I sat directly across the aisle from Paula Abdul. This was a few years before American Idol so she was pretty much a "has been" at the time. I don't think many recognized her but I did. I used to have this crush on her in the 80's. Anyway, I get back to LA and I tell everyone "Guess who I sat next too-- Paula Abdul!". They all said "who?" A couple of years later, she was back on top again.

BTW: Paula has very chubby fingers!

On the raciing side, my company prepped and crewed a car at the Monterey Histories for F1 champ Denny Hulme. I was checking the tire pressure on Friday before the event. Denny was directly behind me telling me what pressure he wanted. I hear someone yell "Denny!". I look over my shoulder and there is Denny chatting good ol' times with Jackie Stewart and Jack Brabham.

I thought I was in heaven....

 

So he has been there! Lying sack of sh*t!

 

Rod Stewart standing at the next urinal in LA

 

did you violate the unwritten law of urinal spacing (one in between)? I think I'd make an exception in that case...

 

Chevy Chase was red hot?

 

IIRC 13900 Blairwood Drive, Studio City... I have it in the GPS but I believe that's the place...
VERY close to the Sportsman's Lodge... that's how I discovered that hotel.



Jedi

 

I've met and played with and against many of the world's most famous footballers....all uber cool dudes

 

Since I worked close to Rangers Stadium (The Ballpark at Arlington) I met a lot of the Texas Rangers. Many became customers.....Kenny Rogers (pitched a perfect game), Jeff Russell, Bobby Witt, Pete (Inky) Incavelia, Juan Gonzales, Pudge Rodriquez, Rafael Palmiero (sold his 355 Spider for him). Rusty Greer bought a 328 Convertible for his wife....A good number of other Rangers..

Cowboys: Nate Newton. We had to replace his driver seat every six months or so. He kept breaking it down. Larry Allen. When I working at FoDallas he called me one day and said, "Hey James, I want a 355 Spider". I told him he would not fit and I would not feel right selling one to him. I told him he would not enjoy. He went ahead and found one somewhere else and bought it. A week later I looked up and here came Larry, driving the 355 up to the lot with his head actually above the windshield. He worked his way out of the car, all 6'4", 360 lbs. of him, and threw the keys to me......."Hey James, sell this thing...I hate it. I will not fit in it....". He ended up buying a black 360 coupe from me. We had the windows tinted very dark so people could not see how tightly he had to squeeze into it even though we took the seat rails off and bolted the driver seat all the way back and on the floorboard of the car.
Evander Holifield. Sold his yellow 355 for him.....

My favorite: Troy Aikman. True story. I had already sold him a 740il and later a 750il. He had bought his mom a Chrysler 300 and she did not like it. We also sold Cadillacs along with the BMW so he called and said he wanted to get her a Cadillac and get rid of the Chrysler. We made our deal and his manager brought the Chrysler over and picked up the Cadillac. I asked him if there was anything in the Chrysler they needed and he assured me that Mrs. Aikman had gone through the car and taken out everything they thought they needed and anything left in the car was just throwaway.....After he left I went through the car looking for a toll tag or possibly a garage door opener that are the usual items people leave in trades. I opened the trunk and found an old rolled up quilt and picked it up to throw it away but it was very heavy and apparently had something rolled up in it. I unrolled it, looked in awe and rolled it back up again.

The next morning I called Mrs. Aikman and told her that I had found something in the trunk I thought she might like to have back. She reassured me that anything left in the car was trash and that she had gone through the car thoroughly. I asked her that since it was trash could I keep whatever I found in the car. She laughed and said "I guess so. I honestly do not know why you would want anything I left behind". That afternoon I made a trip out to Troy's office at Valley Ranch. I went into the office and asked Carol, his secretary if Troy or his mom were in. Troy was out speaking but Mrs. Aikman came out to see what I needed. I laid the rolled up quilt on top of Carol's desk (still rolled up). Mrs. Aikman asked me why I had brought the old quilt back as she had said I could keep it or throw it away. I told her that I thought she should examine again what was in the quilt again. I opened it up and inside was Troy's crystal Super Bowl MVP trophy. She was pretty taken back and after a few speechless moments she said she had cleaned out the trophy case a month earlier and taken some of the items home to clean and guess she just forgot where the MVP trophy was. I told her that was okay and began to wrap it back up to leave but decided the best thing to do was leave it there............No, I could never have brought myself to keep it......

Troy sent J.J., our son, a box of signed photos. Many candid shots that I have not seen anywhere else. Then three days before Christmas Carol, his secretary, showed up carrying an autographed Cowboys football for me. She said Troy and his mom were talking and had decided they wanted to do something for my returning the trophy. Of course, cash would have been fine......just kidding..........the football is really cool.

The next time you see Troy on tv holding a football look how big is hand is. The first time he shook hands with me his hand wrapped totally around mine and overlapped. His hands are huge.

I have known LeeAnn Rimes since she was 12 and watched her progress from a childhood country singing phenomenom to the spoiled quick rich star, back down and now trying to bring herself back up. I have not spoken to her in about 8 years now but I always liked her especially in her early days.

Rode with Greg Ray (IRL National Champ and Indy pole sitter) when he bought his 360 Coupe. We had to give familiarization rides to every new owner. Greg drove and took me up 75 Central from the old Ferrari dealership in Richardson Texas. He was running about 110 mph and I cautioned him that maybe he should slow down. His response was "James, driving fast I how I make my living". I had to respond to him "yes, it is, but that is not how these other drivers out here make a living and they may not be looking out for you like you look out for other drivers". He slowed down.

There are a good number of others but I do not want to bore you any further..........

Oh, but I have met Rob Lay also. And that is a story in itself...................

 

I have had the good fortune of meeting some famous people through the years, and most were nicer than I expected.

Ate dinner with Norman Vincent Peale (The Power of Positive Thinking preacher) and his family several times in my teenage years. Grandfather had met him through Rotary, and ended up doing land deals in Texas with Mrs. Peale. Great , regular people.

Spent an evening in the early 90's with Dave Mason, who founded Traffic, recorded Watchtower with Hendrix, and toured with Fleetwood Mac. A buddy in Dallas had formed a record label with Neil Young, and they were pursuing Dave for the label. Picked up Dave at the Mansion, ate at The Palm where we got the rock star treatment. Back to the Mansion to smoke some of his real Cuban's while sipping single malt, and then out to the car to listen to latest 3 songs.It was amazing hearing those stories from the 60's and 70's, and all the rock legends he played with. Went to his concert this weekend in an old movie theatre in Dallas, and his voice and guitar licks were never better. Very nice guy.

Spent 15 minutes with Graham Nash with a buddy. He was signing lithographs of his hand written lyrics at Neiman Marcus, and we were the last people in line. He could have just signed our stuff and hauled butt, but when I asked where CSN got their harmonies, he told me to find the Music of Bulgaria, Paris 1957 addition. It was Gregorian chants, and makes sense when you relisten to their stuff. He told us some great stories, and signed my "Our House" lyrics with Phil, keep those hormonies coming... Graham. Great guy.

My shorter experiences were:
Having a Chris Farley moment with Don Henley at a car wash in Dallas. He was excited to talk about the MS Gala that night he was hosting and I was attending, since his wife had fought the disease. Was doing great until I mentioned playing his stuff with my buddies, and then his eyes glassed over and he eased away to get his car. Great concert with all the Eagles, Stevie Nicks and Trisha Yearwood, in a ballroom that held 1,500. Most left before the finale, and we walked up to the stage within 5' of Joe Walsh cranking it out.
Rode down the elevator with Trisha, and she started up a conversation to my surprise.

Walked up to David Crosby at the Princess Hotel Scottsdale singing Helplessly Hoping. He said " I know that song" and started up a conversation. He was there with his wife showing Appaloosas.

Sat next to Don Meredith getting his autograph at a Dallas Cowboy Club meeting in 1961.
I have witnessed the naked fire pit jumpers in the woods behind Rob Lay's house.

 

I wouldnt even know where to start...

 

then why post?

 

I worked in Hollywood in the late 80's as a Special Effects and set builder.. Here is a partial list if I can remember them all.
Evel Knievel.. And Robbie.
He lived next to me in AZ.
Lynn Andersen
Jimmy Stuart
Robert Wagner
Caroll Burnett
Joe Bologna
Rober Englund.. Nightmare on Elm St
Alan Thicke
Jay Underwood
Robin Livley
Katie Barberi
Dey Young

 

I can say I have met only two famous people, Jerry and Jedi. I have seen famous people from a distance, but I seem to get wrestled to the ground if I try and approach them.

I did meet Joan Jet once before she was famous. Her band was playing on campus.