Famous person/people you have met

bbbamI

bbbamI

Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Joined
Dec 29, 2006
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Location
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While driving to see our relatives.... :p.....I thought about this forum and an idea for a topic. Famous people.

DH met Steve McQueen in 1976 at (DH) place of business.

We met Doug Ingle (Iron Butterfly) in 1984. He sat at our table for a while and chatted. At the time he was married and had 7 children. He earned his living by playing music and painting houses...not pictures of said houses, but the outside of them. :eek:

About 4 years ago, I met Burton Gilliam (Blazing Saddles). He gave me a copy of the screen play for "The Green Mile" signed by Tom Hanks. This was for an auction for our volunteer center.

May sound corny, but they were :cool:
 
Met Rosie Greer (All Pro defensive lineman for the L.A. Rams in the '60s & 70s) and Donna Douglas a.k.a. Ellie Mae Clampett of the Beverly Hillbillies in '82.

Had dinner with Meadowlark Lemon (of the Harlem Globetrotters) around '89.

Had visited with, and eaten dinner with Billy Walker "The Tall Texan", (a member of the Grand Ole Opry) several times over the years before he and his DW were tragically killed in an auto accident a couple of years ago. He also had sung at the funeral of one of our mutual best friends.

Another one of my best friends BILs was a member of the band 'Super Tramp', and I had visited he and his family at their home on a few occasions. Got stage passes and front row seats from him for one of their concerts in Chicago several years ago. One of her other BILs was a TV producer in L.A. until he and his DW FIRE'd and moved out east to open their own restaurant.

Another friend of mine played keyboards for the Oakridge Boys years ago, and also for Ronnie Milsap, before coming off the road and going into the ministry.

Also have met many other nationally and internationally known musicians/singers/speakers/sports figures, through various friends in the 'industry' and have dined with and/or chauffeured them when they've been in this area on business or pleasure.

I've never gone 'ga-ga' over any personality....and have never gotten any autographs from any one.
 
I met George Lucas in line in a K-mart in Kona Hawaii.
It was either easter sunday or the day before (i forget which now)
He was buying a bunch of easter baskets full of the typical K-mart easter crap.
I was buying a pair of cheap drawstring shorts and some toothpaste.
I said "Hey.." to him....

...He said "hey" back.

That was it...
 
I just saw my sister on cable a few minutes ago. Does that count? (She was on America's castles on the Biography Channel talking about a house she used to be a curator at.)
 
Normally, since the idea of meeting famous people does not interest me, I'd let it go and not even post on this thread. But the relatively universal fascination with celebrity [irrespective of the qualities of the person] stumps me completely. I guess I am an oddity.

I have had friends tell me: "Oh, I run into [insert name of local news anchor here] at the Home Depot all the time. Do you know, we have even talked?", or "I met [minor local political functionary] at a party. Yup, you know -- he is married to my sister's husband's cousin's next door neighbor!"

How does such an encounter affect our lives, other than the artificial importance that people attach to it? Who cares about the degree to which others do or do not recognize the people we interact with? If for instance I spied Paris Hilton at the super market, I would just avoid being anywhere near her, because from all indications, she is a self-centered, self-absorbed little snot who I would not pee on if she were on fire. Ditto most other 'celeb' people that we loft to such heights.

Now, the chance to sit and talk (whether they had even been known by the public or not) with Hemingway, Einstein, or Curie... the thoughts, the ideas, the chance to glimpse into minds that had such ideas -- THAT would be worth doing, but not because of 'status', but simply because they really did represent unique insights that would seem worthy of hearing first hand. But, subsequently getting an autograph from them? No thanks.

IMHO, something is severely wrong with our collective psyche for us to place any import on being near the famous.
 
I met Mr. Rupp. He lived down the street from me on Chambers Hill near Harrisburg. Mr. Rupp isn't really famous to anyone but me. He was at the battle of Gettysburg. He was riding with his father when he was hauling milk. He saw Lincoln give the Gettysburg address but didn't pay attention.

He lived to be over 100 which is how I was able to meet him.

I've met other people that have been in the news but none of them impressed me like an old man that was simply at a turning point in history.
 
2B, I don't think there are too many people alive that have spoke with someone that saw both the battle and Lincoln's address at Gettysburg. Pretty cool!
 
My brush with fame was almost a disaster. I forget the guys name (John something I think) but he was the Father on the Roseanne show. We were walking onto a Casino boat in St Louis and I turned and he was right next to me with two beautiful women. I made the serious mistake of patting him on the shoulder and saying hi John how you doing?. He was very, very drunk and did not like being touched - he said that if I ever did that again he would throw me into the river. I immediately stopped in my tracks and his drunken stupor momentum carried him away from me. Saw him later on the boat surrounded by people whose sole job seemed to be to make sure that he didn't get into trouble.

I was young and stupid then - today I would touch him again, take the toss in the river, sue his ass and FIRE away. :LOL:
 
My best friend's little brother when I was a kid grew up to be Ray Benson, leader of the country swing group Asleep At The Wheel. When they played a concert at RFK Stadium we got to hang out with the band on their bus.

Met Spiro Agnew (disgraced V.P. under Nixon) at a Whitehouse reception for gov't interns (1970). Should have skipped that one!

Met Dinah Shore when DW and I appeared (briefly) on her TV show during a visit to Vegas.

Met a number of Olympic and world record holding swimmers when my son was competing against them - Tom Dolan, Brad Schumacher, Ed Moses, Summer Sanders, Mark Henderson ...

Grumpy
 
Roger Moore (Bond, James Bond)
Princess Anne
Carlos Menem (former president of Argentina)
Bill Clinton
Sir Don Berwick (one of the most influential people in healthcare)
Two prime ministers of Canada and numerous other policitos
David Suzuki (environmentalist)
Romeo Dallaire (UN general in Rwanda)

The fact is, I get around, and so do they. It's just circumstance. When I meet a famous person I try not to bother him/her unless I have a specific reason to approach them, because in their shoes, that's what I'd want. It must be a real strain to be always "on".
 
DRiP Guy said:
Normally, since the idea of meeting famous people does not interest me, I'd let it go and not even post on this thread. But the relatively universal fascination with celebrity [irrespective of the qualities of the person] stumps me completely. I guess I am an oddity.

I have had friends tell me: "Oh, I run into [insert name of local news anchor here] at the Home Depot all the time. Do you know, we have even talked?", or "I met [minor local political functionary] at a party. Yup, you know -- he is married to my sister's husband's cousin's next door neighbor!"

How does such an encounter affect our lives, other than the artificial importance that people attach to it? Who cares about the degree to which others do or do not recognize the people we interact with? If for instance I spied Paris Hilton at the super market, I would just avoid being anywhere near her, because from all indications, she is a self-centered, self-absorbed little snot who I would not pee on if she were on fire. Ditto most other 'celeb' people that we loft to such heights.

Now, the chance to sit and talk (whether they had even been known by the public or not) with Hemingway, Einstein, or Curie... the thoughts, the ideas, the chance to glimpse into minds that had such ideas -- THAT would be worth doing, but not because of 'status', but simply because they really did represent unique insights that would seem worthy of hearing first hand. But, subsequently getting an autograph from them? No thanks.

IMHO, something is severely wrong with our collective psyche for us to place any import on being near the famous.
Click to expand...

For many years, I have lived on the same planet as an enormous number of famous people. I must be special.
 
Meadbh said:
David Suzuki (environmentalist)


When I meet a famous person I try not to bother him/her unless I have a specific reason to approach them, because in their shoes, that's what I'd want. It must be a real strain to be always "on".
Click to expand...

I agree with your approach. Did you happen, though, to get a chance to talk to Mr. Suzuki, or was it just a 'sighting'? I used to like his programs on PBS very much, and although I am not exactly panting for the chance :LOL:, just as would be the case with some of my other previously listed folks, hearing them discuss their experiences, thoughts, observations might be nice, but I would not want to bug them -- I am sure anyone even moderately famous gets their fill of intrusive folks...
 
My name is found a few times at nobelprize.org. I've met many Nobel prize winners. They are just regular folks. I've had some of them complain that folks don't approach them anymore just to chat. It's a shame they sometimes end up eating alone in a cafeteria because students won't go sit with them.

I shook hands with George Wallace in his office in the Alabama state capitol when I was in cub scouts.

And I am the biological father of Anna Nicole Smith's young daughter.
 
DRiP Guy said:
Did you happen, though, to get a chance to talk to Mr. Suzuki, or was it just a 'sighting'? I used to like his programs on PBS very much, and although I am not exactly panting for the chance :LOL:, just as would be the case with some of my other previously listed folks, hearing them discuss their experiences, thoughts, observations might be nice, but I would not want to bug them -- I am sure anyone even moderately famous gets their fill of intrusive folks...
Click to expand...

Suzuki was the keynote speaker at a fundraiser and briefly came to chat at our table.

Interesting issue about the extent of contact. Whether you "just happened" to be there, or came along to get a glimpse of the person, or actually had an indepth conversation with him/her.

Met Roger Moore 10 years ago in a hotel elevator in Rio de Janeiro, where he was visiting as a UNICEF ambassador. He was also revisiting some of the locations used in Moonraker (1979). Getting old, but still a very handsome man.

Also met Li Ka Shing, one of the richest businessmen in the world. This was on a business trip to China. Our group was a guest of his. We were treated royally, got to meet all the most important people. Mr. Li had had his staffers research every one of us and had specific questions for everyone. In my case, one of his partners had a niece who was interested in becoming a physician, and he introduced me to her. In China it's all about relationships (Guanxi).
 
Meadbh said:
Mr. Li had had his staffers research every one of us and had specific questions for everyone.
Click to expand...
:eek:

Heck, I don't like the idea of anyone even Googling me, I would be a bit freaked out if I found my host had built a dossier on me... I have visited China, and as you say, it's about relationships. Even though it is not as overt as it used to be, the state also keeps up on 'things'.... ahem, "could you speak closer to this lampshade, please?..." Now those are relationships I can do without...

Li Ka Shing is interesting... I think he was into "plastics" even before the movie "The Graduate" gave it's now oft quoted advice... :D
 
Canned Heat (how much is that dating me!) in the 70's. They were performing at the Miami Beach Hotel I was staying at. Met a couple of them in the elevator.

Joan Rivers---I was on her shoe for a book I wrote. This was in the early nineties so she hadn't quite as much plastic surgery, but still had enough to have that plastic surgery look. And way too skinny, even though the saying goes that you can't ever be too rich or too thin.

Met Al Gore at a political rally.

DH met Bryant Gumble in a hotel restaurant.
 
Bob Dylan in the mens room (actually at the next urinal) at Orchestra Hall in Chicago in 1964. This was the acoustic Dylan whose show that evening was him alone, no backup whatsoever, just him, a microphone and a stool with a couple of harmonicas and a glass of water. Limited conversation as he seemed focused on peeing.

Bill Monroe at the Woodstock Opera House. He was standing to one side of the CD sales table after a concert so I just walked up and said hello. He talked my ear off for five minutes or so.

Bobby Kennedy. Interviewed him for a radio station I was working at in Madison, Indiana.
 
Ok shameless name dropping ahead.

Being pretty early in the computer field, and spending much of my career about 4 cubicles from Intel CEO Andy Grove, I meet a ton of technology company founders and/or CEOs. I guess it is relevant to this forum cause all of this guys and gals were worth 100 million+ and many quite a bit more and they could all retire early but didn't!. Not sure if they are all famous but the do have Wikipedia entries

Apple: Steve Wozniac nice guy my buddy use to play a card game with him and his son, Steve Jobs arrogant A*hole, Andy Hertzfeld designer of the Mac software, knew him at college
Adobe: John Warnock, Cofounder. Meet he and his family touring the Kremlin after a Russian Computer conferences
Borland Software: Philippe Kahn, founder hung out with him while he gave away money to kids on the street in Moscow at the same Russian conference
Compaq Computers: Rod Canion founder, CEO
Dell Computers: Micheal Dell founder
Gateway Computers: Ted Waite founder
Google: Eric Schmidt, CEO. He was probably the best teaching assistant I had in college, and meet him later at Intel meeting I was impressed he still remembered me 15 years latter
IBM: Lou Gerstner, CEO
Intel: Andy Grove CEO, Gordon Moore co-founder postulated Moore's law, Bob Noyce co-founder, co-inventor of the integrated circuit, Tedd Hoff, inventor of the microprocessor
Lotus Computer: Mitch Kopor, founder, Jim Manzi CEO and pretty much all of the pioneer of spreadsheet software from my days of writing spreadsheets
Microsoft Corp: Bill Gates, and a number of other execs there
Sun Microsystems: Bill Joy co-founder, another teaching assistant at college
Trilogy Computer, Amdahl Computers: Gene Amdahl founder, knew his wife the curator of the Boston Computer Museum quite well
Venture Capitalists
Arthur Rock: Started venture capital in Silicon Valley: Investor behind Apple, Intel, showed him how to surf the web.
Ben Rosen: investor behind Compaq, Lotus got bumped to 1st class and sat next to him and talked the whole time.
Ann Windbald: dated Bill Gates meet her a couple of times and her husband in Hawaii

Others:
Jodi Ann Paterson: Playmate of the Year 1999: Guess what she really is stunningly gorgeous with clothes on and no airbrushing
Huey Lewis. singer actor, meet him at the fabulous cafeteria at Lucas's Skywalker Ranch
Glenn Seaborg, Nobel laureate: Chemistry teacher
Allan Kellog: Medal of Honor Recipient, worked on Senator McCain campaign with him
Chuck Yeager: First man to fly faster than the speed of sound
Kelly Johnson: famous aircraft designer designed the U2, SR71 and F104
Kevin Pollak: Comedian, Actor (a Few Good Men, Wedding Planner, Avalon) he starred in a video I was the executive producer of, very funny guy.


However, my all time best celebrity week was back in 1989. It started with me going to Penthouse founder Bob Guicionne's apartment building in Central Park for advertisers in his Computer magazine. Unfortunately for us computer nerds, not only were the fabulous pictures of Madonna, clothed paintings of the religious icon, and not the singer like we hoped, but the only Penthouse Pet present was pushing 50... Oh well a spectacular place.

I then flew back to California. A couple of days latter, came back from lunch, and the admins in the office were all excited, because Marlon Brando had called me. I very nonchalantly told them "oh yes I was expecting his call". A few minutes latter his office called and I spent a 1/2 hour talking to the Godfather about using computers to generate extras for epic western he was thinking about producing. I told him that in about 5 years he could do what he wanted. Yes he sounds just like the Godfather on the phone.

Strangely enough 15 years before my sister and her husband met Marlon in bar when they lived in Tahiti, he owned an island there, and my dad who was a pharmaceutical rep calling on Beverly Hills doctors meet him going in a doctors office, so I was third my family to met him.

That Friday night, I went to a rave where I met Dr. Timothy Leary the Harvard professor turned LSD advocate. I am not sure if was high or the drugs had fried his brain, but he was in bad shape. Between the Russian computer conference, making a movie, and a bunch of celebrities sighting 1989 was heck of a lot of fun, I remember thinking Intel didn't even have to pay me.
 
Ok, clifp.....I think you have won the prize!

Now, I just have to figure out what that prize is. :-\ :D :LOL:
 
Me, DD and a friend hangin with a couple of buds back in the day :LOL:
 
my uncle & best friend (both deceased) are in wikipedia and each have a few hundred entries when i google their names. what more credentials would anyone need?

never met my uncle (died way before i was born) but one of his friends was fats waller and when dad was a little kid he sat on fats' lap during a performance at harlem's apollo theater.

sorry i can't offer up uncle's or friend's names; don't think that would be appropriate.

some in my family still seek fame. for me it is too ego driven. i'm quite certain that my friend and i never would have become friends during the peak of his career (when he was probably the highest paid actor on television). his ego would have been over inflated and i would have been too young to even consider tolerating that.
 
I've never met anyone famous but, this thread made me remember this. My husband and I were in Hawaii a few years ago. We were snagged into one of those deals where you could get a FREE whale watching trip IF you sat thru a hard sell time-share pitch. The saleman had a picture that he shared with us. It was a picture of Julia Roberts and this saleman. He must have thought that since HE knew a famous person that we hicks from the midwest would really be impressed and buy his product. He sure wasn't happy with us when we left, but, we did get to see a lot of whales. :LOL:
 
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