Who have you met?

[rayinpenn]

Seems to me that some time ago I stumbled on a simple truth. “It is your deeds that truly reflect who you are”.

I was at one of Chase Manhattan’s Banks corporate gyms getting dressed, into the provided work out gear (yeah I know fancy) I struck up and conversation with an older gentlemen”. Seemed like a Nice fellow- Nothing flashy, just a down to earth guy . Finally I asked him his name “David Rockefeller” he said. I said “thats embarrassing” he then went on to explain that he had retired from being CEO just before i started and there was no reason to be ashamed.”

I did a little research and talked to some long term employees and I had called it right he had a reputation of being a well liked, great guy. I’ve read his philanthropic endeavors were legendary as was his art collection. My point is there are good, humble people at all economic levels in our society.

A simple jack of all trades and someone I respect said he had spoken in front of a big audience in a pair of jeans (likely the best clothes he owned) and later a well dress man took a shot at him and said “clothes make the man”. It got me to thinking I’ve seen all types in my 64 years and no suit or pair of wranglers ever had a sign “This is a good or bad man”. It reminded me of my friend Dave.

Funny I’m sure Bernie Madoff dressed swell.

 

[imoldernu]

Kate Smith and Ted Collins... The Inn at Lake Placid New York, circa 1970. We joined them for breakfast.. where I learned that Kate had maple syrup on her eggs.

yeah... I know... "who is Kate Smith?"

 

[REWahoo]

Kate Smith and Ted Collins...

yeah... I know... "who is Kate Smith?"

Actually, the question is "who is Ted Collins?" I'm guessing he was Tom's brother?

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Actually, the question is "who is Ted Collins?" I'm guessing he was Tom's brother?

I don't know Ted, but I sure like Tom. Of course, trying to find someone who can come up with him is pretty tough.

I once waited on Jerry VanDyke when I worked at Chili's. He was a very nice fellow.

 

[Jerry1]

I’ve never met anyone famous but I’ve been in meetings and events and know some very wealthy people and I’ve come to the conclusion that they are just like everyone else. Some are great people and some are complete jerks. Money does not typically define a personality and clothing does not typically define wealth.

 

[Rianne]

These are face to face with conversation:
Maya Angelo
Count Basie
Dick Butkus
Harry Reasoner (60 minutes)
Stevie Nicks
Ray Davies
JB Pritzker
Boy George
My mom met Bono of U2-he gave her a rose-they had a sweet conversation
forgot Mike Ditka and his wife and mom

 

[CardsFan]

Jesse Jackson: sat next to him on a plane
David Koch: Koch Industries had recently bought a vendor I dealt with. He joined us in a business meeting

 

[jjquantz]

Sally Ride- several business meetings to discuss educational initiatives.

Michelle Obama - one very brief face-to-face to discuss mechanics of a personal appearance.

Zach Johnson - many years before he won the Masters he was looking for monetary support and talked to several of us at our home course in Iowa. Played a couple of holes of golf with him. Should have made the investment.

Oh, forgot. In my career in teacher professional development, I met a few Nobel prize winners in Physics, Leon Lederman, George Smoot and Steven Chu.

 

[Sunset]

While I've met some rich folks, many of them were just like me only they had lots and lots of money. They came across as ordinary, people.

There have been very few who felt the need to dress to impress, and treat others like "the help".

I did once spend about an hour talking with Tom Green while we both waited at the airport for our flight. He was a lot nicer in person than how I thought he would be based on the movies I saw him in.

 

[COZICAN]

I actually touched Elvis. Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo early 70's. He was riding in a golf cart waving and I reached out and he touched my hand. That and I've met just about every driver in the Nascar circuit over the past 20 years.

 

[NYEXPAT]

Second base with a Royal well known in European classical music circles.

 

[lakerunner]

I used to work with a guy who loved driving his old pick up truck to home depot. I remember him complaining that when he replaced it, you could no longer get crank windows. Nice guy who never looked down on anyone.

He was also the guy who was invited to the white house to speak with President Bush during the flu crisis in 2009.

 

[Alvin Tostig]

Living and working in the NYC, you run into famous people from time to time... But i'll just mention those that I or my wife actually had a conversation with:

OJ Simpson - 1985
Nancy Lopez (golfer)
Billy Jean King
Patrick Ewing
Ed Koch
Rick Cerone
known MAFIA person (confidential)
former football player (he goes to the same watering hole as me - likes his tiquila - so I'll keep that on the QT for now.

There were many others.

Walking through the streets, I've seen dozens including Christie Brinkley, Goldie Hawn, Bill Bradley, Eliot Spitzer, Chuck Schumer, Jason Kidd, Christina Aquilera.

 

[travelover]

I actually touched Elvis........

Second base with a Royal well known in European classical music circles.

I guess you have COZICAN beat.

 

[pb4uski]

When I was in grad school we did a one week residency in Washington, DC and as part of the program we met with US Congressman Dick Cheney, who had previously been President Ford's Chief of Staff at age 33 IIRC and later became Veep.

Also, I once sat across the aisle from US Senator Jim Jeffords on a flight from Burlington, VT to DC.... before he famously left the Republican party to become an Independent during the G.W. Bush administration.

My mom once ran into Muhammad Ali in a hotel gift shop in Florida... she said he was very gracious.

 

[f35phixer]

hank williams jr / sara evans / Dierks Bentley / Almond Bros / Bill Cosby (A DICK Sorry) / Martina Mcbride / zz tops and many others Work the green room with SIL at our concert venue...

 

[sengsational]

This quickly turned into another "what famous person have you met" threads, hehe!


Limiting my answer to CEOs, I worked at a fortune 500 headquarters location, and just joined, so didn't recognize the CEO on the treadmill next to me at the company gym. Struck up a conversation, just a regular guy. Didn't know it until the big quarterly meeting when he stood up to "do the numbers" that it was him.


But I found it true throughout my career...those that are successful at rising to the top of a big corporation often appear to be very nice people. Not that they are not genuinely nice, they could be, and probably are. I noticed at several megacorps that "the big boys" seemed as nice to the janitor as they were to their fellow executive suite mates. Not true in the smaller companies I've worked for. Many of those those guys seemed like self-important petty backstabbers. Smallish sample size, though.

 

[aja8888]

In the 1980's, I played golf with Flip Wilson and Dick Butkus (two different tournaments). Both nice guys, and Flip was really fun to be with. Dick was in pain the whole round (knees).

There's more, I'll have to think back.

 

[Silver]

About five years ago my DH and I were dining with friends at the Ruth Chris Restaurant in Tampa. After being seated at a table, our waiter came over and started taking drink orders, and he seemed very animated and excited about something. He said "I need to warn you that the booth right next to your table is going to get very busy in about 20 minutes....George H.W. Bush is coming here for dinner."

Sure enough...in walked Mr. Bush with several other people around him, but just two of them sat down for dinner. We did not recognize the gentleman with him. The others stood around nearby.

Mr. Bush briefly looked our way, waved and said hello, and then seemed to enjoy his steak. It was pretty fun.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

Ross from Big Brother ( a couple weeks ago, shook hands)
Danny Devito
Jamie Lee Curtis
Steve Garvey
Micheal Cooper
Kim Fields
Larry Hagman ( I put mustard on his burger) He was walking around with a cane, because he had been "shot".

 

[NW-Bound]

I have not met or talked with anyone famous.

If I ran across some on the streets, I might not recognize them, although I might have heard or read the names. I guess I am not too observant.

 

[aja8888]

When I lived in Thousand Oaks, CA, I routinely played golf at the Westlake Village course where Mickey Rooney lived and played. I played in a foursome with him one morning. He was quite an obnoxious guy and was a real PIA to be around. No one liked him.

In the early 1980's, I was flying to NYC from LA and I sat with Mel Brooks in first class for the whole flight. What a delightful guy!

 

[braumeister]

Nobody famous has ever met me.

 

[CaliKid]

Second base with a Royal well known in European classical music circles.

So far the leader in the clubhouse according to my scoreboard!

 

[COcheesehead]

These are face to face with conversation:
Maya Angelo
Count Basie
Dick Butkus
Harry Reasoner (60 minutes)
Stevie Nicks
Ray Davies
JB Pritzker
Boy George
My mom met Bono of U2-he gave her a rose-they had a sweet conversation
forgot Mike Ditka and his wife and mom

Tell us about Stevie Nicks. I grew up on Fleetwood Mac music.