An acquaintance and 5 string virtuoso, Mickey Flatts, introduced me to Earl, Randy and Gary of the "Earl Scruggs Revue" before an evening show at the Amphitheater in OKC..probably '83 or '84. Just some real folks that make real good music.
He's been my hero since I bought my first 5 string in 1966. I was honored.
Yogi Berra three times starting in 1961, Mohammed Ali at the old Garden in 1967, Jack Tatum in High School in 1967, Phil Simms at a book store signing, Roger McGuinn in college at a concert with the Byrds, singer Melanie, John Mayall and his Bluesbreakers post Clapton, Billy Preston, Kc and the Sunshine Band twice (ex loved Disco), Coach Herb Brooks at a Staples in West Orange when he coached the Devils, and my favorite, surveyor supreme Scott Zelenak!
I think that is it.
Glen Beck & family walked by my office last summer.
I have spoken briefly with Craig Cameron.
I reckon I don't get out much.
Red Skelton. A bunch of us worked security at a show. Me and a few others were on the personal security detail. He bought us all dinner after the show. Easily in the top-5 nicest people I've ever met. Circa 1980.
A.J. Foyt. I met him at a dinner party at our neighbor's house - circa 1971. The neighbor was Gordon Johncock (2 time Indy winner). Also at the party was Al Unser Sr. and Jr. Jr. crashed a mini-bike in our backyard. The next day I was helping Mrs. Johncock clean up the house. She went out to do some errands and left me there. A.J. called on the phone about 6 times while she was out. We chatted quite a while.
When I was 17 or so, my Dad calls me up at the house asking what I was doing for the afternoon. Nothing. He volunteered me to go pick up Gavin McCloud (Capt. Stubbing form the Loveboat show) and take him to the airport. We spent the better part of the afternoon waiting on his flight. He had on a straw hat and sunglasses so he was pretty much unrecognizable - right up until someone heard him speak. He got hit up for about a dozen autographs while I was with him. I asked him if that got old. He said he didn't mind it at all explaining that without fans he would be nothing. He's quite a religious man and I would put him in that top-5 nicest people I've ever met.
Lord only knows how many actors I've met. There is a live theater in our little town back home - The Little Theater On The Square (Sullivan, IL). Dad served on the Board so he hosted lots of opening night parties at the house. He would volunteer me to carpenter a lot helping to build sets and some lite electrical work.
I was almost run over by Bob Villa while locating the edge of pavement in a gated community.
Gloria Laura Vanderbilt - (born February 20, 1924) is an American artist, author, actress, heiress, and socialite most noted as an early developer of designer blue jeans. She is a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family of New York and the mother of CNN's Anderson Cooper.(This I did not know)
My dad did a survey on a property owned by the Vanderbilt's. Gloria was involved in the survey for some reason. She called the house one day looking for my dad. I had just gotten home from grade school.
She talked my ear off. After awhile, I asked where she was calling from and she said a hotel room in Hawaii and that she was bored. I didn't know who she was other than some nice lady that wanted to talk.
http://mattmahermusic.com /">Matt Ma]Matt Maher[/url], probably not that famous outside Christian music circles, BUT he signed a CD for me. Would he remember me, NO! I have also met a few bands that have come to our church since I also mix sound, none I would call famous or even very well known outside the NW.
The only famous person that would remember me would be Jesus.
I always say there is very little difference between the poorest of the poor and the richest and most famous person in the world, the only real difference is material possessions, pretty sure we all put our pants on one leg at a time! We are all humans and therefore I have never put much interest in who I have met other than I try to befriend all.
SHG
Interesting.
NZ really must be quite isolated.
I've never even heard of eighty percent of the names you guys are dropping...
Dr. Demento
I met C. Everett Koop at a wedding of a relative and had dinner with him.
Peter Gennaro
Several of the Rockettes
I was at Radio City Music Hall in the summer of 1976 with a group from the Purdue Band and was part of the show. They were nearly bankrupt and needed cheap acts.
> They were nearly bankrupt....
It may be the Vicodin, but I initially read that as "they (the Rockettes) were morally bankrupt" and all I could think was "you lucky dog"
There were a few young ones, but most of them were old enough to be my mom.
> Although I didn't get to meet him. Our company has done surveying for Stan Belinda, used to be the pitcher for the Pirates as well as a few other teams. He's actually native to my area.
>
I'm sure there are many Pirate fans that unfortunately know exactly who he is. He shows up in their nightmares.
Joe Walsh..
almost...
Used to (ca. 1972) hang out a lot in a sleezy bar in OKC, with the rest of the mental giants of the day. There was a dingy (but cute) table lizard working there that hustled beers named "Rainie".
Rainie used to go on and on about how she used to be Joe Walsh's "old lady"...
(yeah, yeah, Rainie...get us another round and shut up...)
Anyway, Joe Walsh was on tour and was booked for a show in Dallas. Rainie asked the bar owner if she could have the weekend off. No way, not a weekend. She got mad and quit. Oh, well.
Rainie went to the concert. Met up with Joe. Lotsa Kodachrome pics. Who knew that dingy girl was telling the truth?
One of Joe's busses pulled up in front of the bar the evening of the day after the concert and Mr. Walsh and Rainie came in. Joe asked the owner if Rainie could have her job back. He was dumfounded and said sure. I was apparently at work that evening otherwise I would have gotten to meet Mr. Walsh.
Randy, the guy that owned the bar, kept a big smilin' pic of him and Joe Walsh up by the cash register for as long as I could remember. Rainie nick-named the owner "a__-hole" after that. Of course the name stuck.
Doc Watson.
I met Jeff Probst, the host of Survivor. The contestants, while waiting for the real stuff to begin, were staying in Palau at a beach property adjacent the the property of my wife. Jeff left on his way to town and we were leaving at the same time. They drove a little faster than we did. After about 5 miles we came on them as they were stopped on the side of the road. Learning that they had a flat tire we offered to help. They at first declined, but upon realizing they did not know how to access the spare on the Japanese vehicle, they accepted my help. I quickly learned that their spare was flat too.
Jeff and his co-worker accepted a ride into Koror. He is a very nice man and we had a pleasant conversation for nearly 30 minutes.
I have known the last several presidents of Palau and also the Federated States of Micronesia. Most know me because of my father-in-law and my work there over the past 30 years.
I have met many ambassadors and other dignitaries from Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Fiji and other areas of the Pacific, but few would remember me and I would not recognize them if I saw them on the street.
Jerry
Invited him to a Scouting event 1985 where we had a baseball through setup. He couldn't make it, health issues.
Went to school (Grade 12) with a terrific, nice person Gail Regan http://www.president.uottawa.ca/doctorate-details_724.html
Also same Grade, different person Connie Black http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conrad_Black. Nailed him in debate and left him gasping.
Surveyed in the late 1960s with my uncle, C. W. Gibson OLS, the second Tim Horton's in Oakville, Ontario.
Tim was a very nice man, the kind of person more should be.
Kent McMillan, a true renaissance man.
Cheers,
Derek
Does it count that when growing up I was regularly (like Allot!) told I looked like Elton John? Then when I got to my 30s, I started hearing that I also looked like Stephen King.
