Who have you personally met who is recognizably famous? Not just at a concert or somewhere where you were near someone famous, but have actually talked with them one on one.
In 2001, I met Brig. Gen. Paul Tibbets, pilot of the "Enola Gay", along with Dutch Van Kirk the navigator. I also had a couple of telephone conversations with Robert K. Morgan, pilot of the "Memphis Belle" in 1999. He was an extremely humble man.
In 2006, I was a dinner guest of TV evangelist Charles Stanley.
Paul Tibbets - Pilot of the "Enola Gay".
Todd Eldredge is my cousin. (World Champion Figure Skater)
Michael Egan is a client. (Founder Alamo Rental, Nantucket Nectars)
J. Richard Fennel is a client. (The guy who made acetaminophen work plus he invented that big q-tip to pull a culture for strep throat)
David Angell was a client. (Producer or something for Cheers and Frasier)
Larry O. Williams, Jr. was a ball player who stayed at my house for a summer. (He's an actor - usually a speaking role extra, he was the gang member who spoke in Rising Sun)
Thaddeus Thorne - When he was the owner of Attitash Ski Resort (He adjusted my rentals)
Brent, Derek, Mark and Will - Founders of Newport Storm Brewery (Went to college with them)
Maybe not the most famous group, but a good list all the same.
Mario Andretti at church, at church picnics and at his home. I was never too involved with the conversation as he loved speaking in Italian with my father. The first time I met Mario was actually an oops when I literally accidentally bumped into him in an auto parts store. My brother who went to school with Mario had his laughs at my expense.
Larry Holmes and Muhhamad Ali at a concert. I worked with Larry Holmes father in law at Bethlehem Steel.
While at Bethlehem Steel I had my most interesting day, one on one for about 6 hours with Jack Loizeaux founder of Controlled Demolition, Inc as I guided him through the Bethlehem Steel Plant looking for things for him to blow up or down.
Paul in PA
The more interesting question would be, what famous people would remember you? That defines a greater degree of interaction than just a chance meeting or business transaction.
But to a lower standard:
-I have spoken with several famous people after their public lectures, including Carl Sagan, James Van Allen (for whom the space radiation belts are named), Freeman Dyson, Buzz Aldrin, and Jimmy Swales who founded Wikipedia.
-I was in a long technical discussion with Dr. Irving Reed, who has mathematical codes named after him that are used in every CD produced, and who advised the car companies on the schemes used in the remote-unlock key fobs.
-As lead sound tech at a non-profit venue I have worked with about 500 bands, some famous at least within their genre, including pop oldies Janis Ian, The Roches, and Maria Muldaur; folk singers/singer-songwriters Tom Paxton, Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul, and Mary), Peggy Seeger, John McCutcheon, Geoff Muldaur, Bill Morrissey, John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky, Eliza Gilkyson, The Wailing Jennys, and Greg Brown; Cajun and zydeco bands BeauSoleil, Buckwheat Zydeco, C.J. Chenier, and Balfa Toujours; four groups of Tuvan overtone throat singers; celtic musicians Battlefield Band, Kevin Burke, Danu, Old Blind Dogs, Tannahill Weavers, and Karan Casey; blues players Guy Davis, and the Holmes Brothers; others include fiddler Mark O'Connor, and Playing for Change.
Loretta Lynn waved at me.
I shook the hand of Harold Ford Jr.
That's about the best I can do.
General Jim Jones at my nieces wedding (friend of my brother in law)
Garrison Kieller, show in Hyannis last year (and a few other times)
Kris Kristofersson, Melody Tent Show, Hyannis, back in the 80's.
The Grateful Dead. Jerry, Bobby, Keith, Bill, and Mickey (in Tuscaloosa AL when I worked on the flight line at thr airport during college. maybe 1978 +/-)
Johnny Cash came through the office once when I was working in Nashville, he shook everyones hand.
Conway Twitty when I was laying out Twitty City in Nashville
Did a job for Gordie Howe (Greatest Red Wing ever). He lives here, at least part of the year.
IDK. Not many.
First one was Gene (Mean Gene, Gene Gene the Coke Machine) Chilton who is my first cousin's first cousin who went on to play pro football and lives about 15 minutes from me. We've done some work for them and hes a cool guy. Big guy, but a cool one.
Second, Chris and Craig James of Alto. Chris played pro baseball and Craig pro football and is most notorious for taking on Coach Mike Leech and getting him fired from Texas Tech over an incident with his son. We do at least one job a year for both of them.
Third, I've met a lot of surveyor celebrities on the speaking circuit and a host of local TV news anchors, although I don't think that counts.
Finally, my cousin is married to Kasey Lansdale who is a country music singer and she has many other music friends we've been in the same room with. She had an interesting wedding for sure. 🙂
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 shook the hand and drank a beer with Scott Lucas of the band Local H at one of their shows. So did everyone else there but......
Joe Dimagio when I was a kid in little league. Had my picture in the paper with him.
Christopher Reeve. He was a fellow pilot and we met in an airport lobby while waiting for our planes to be fueled.
Pat Robertson was a client. Great client and really nice person face to face.
George Allen - Governor of Virginia, etc.
When I was in college I was the set-up guy for the BoxTops when they played at my school.
There are some other semi-famous (and infamous), but they are the ones that come to mind.
I really enjoyed this video 🙂 (be patient funny part is a few minutes later)
Julian Jackson, "The Hawk" retired 3 time world champion boxer from the VI.
A friend of his, a "Native Son Surveyor" tried to survey Jackson's property and had it all wrong. So Jackson called my employee, who he grew up with in the projects here. We got it all straigntened out with his house back on the property.
Personally, I have no use for boxing, but this man is is wonderful. He is quiet, gentle, gracious and does everything for the young men in the VI, including his 2 sons who are rising stars in boxing.
Jimmy Buffett and Glen Fry of the Eagles band. They were on Jimmy's boat which pulled into a marina in the Dominican Republic. I was on the only other boat there. We partied a day or so then the two of them flew back to the states. I was asked to be a crew member on the boat for a week or two headed to another port which I did.
Actress Mercedes McCambridge, The Lettermen, Children's Book Author and Artist Edgar Parker and Cela Ward.
I have a picture somewhere of me sitting on Edward Teller's lap when I was about three. Nothing says early sixties cold war nuclear family like the Sandia National Laboratory staff summer picnic.
Lived next door to Mary Decker for a year. Had dinner once with William F Buckley when I worked for his nephew.
A lot of well known politicians before I started surveying, but that's for the "Famous Mustelidae You Have Met" thread.
Walt Disney shook my hand at the premier of Mary Poppins.
"Sweet" Connie Hamzy gave me her phone number one night at a pool hall called Slick Willy's.
DDSM;-)
> Walt Disney shook my hand at the premier of Mary Poppins.
>
> "Sweet" Connie Hamzy gave me her phone number one night at a pool hall called Slick Willy's.
>
> DDSM;-)
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Premier of Mary Poppins? Wow, you gotta be ancient! LOL
James Lehrer was a client.
Susan Eisenhower and her former husband Roald Sagdeev were clients.
I once met Stephen Stills when I was working on a survey crew in CO a hunderd years ago.
> Wow, you gotta be ancient! LOL
Naw...I was only 9. My Dad was a propmaker for the movie and we were invited to the premier.
DDSM:-)
When I was on a sabbatical from surveying in the late 80’s/early 90’s, I worked at a camera store. Pete Seeger’s wife is an avid photographer, so they were in quite frequently, one day I answered the phone and it was Don McClean inquiring if his pictures were in yet.
While working in the Permits Division of the Dutchess County (NY) DPW I got a call from the contractor on a driveway permit that the owner wanted to talk to me about relocating the driveway, so I headed out to meet Ric Ocasek and Pavlina Porizkova.
Of course there are the survey celebrities that I have met, had a nice long talk with J B Stahl in Anchorage last year, as well as some short conversations with Walt Robillard and Northern Surveyor. Met Bob Dahl the year before and Don Wilson the year before that. But most of you guys have probably met most of them as well.
