Author Topic: Brush with greatness? (Read 6661 times)

Don R · « **on:** January 17, 2019, 09:13:02 AM »

Did you ever accidentally bump into anyone that was famous? I'm betting there are some good stories.

One of mine is Shirley Muldowney eating BBQ in Brownsburg In. I washed my hands and when I came back my buddy was red faced and trying not to crack up. It seems kids from a nearby table were loud and acting up and Shirley loudly told them they were just a bunch of brats. It was quiet the rest of the meal. We didn't bother her, just a wink and a smile.
John Muldowney visited us in the trailer at a jr dragster race, he was trying to start a driving school. We asked a few bracket racer questions and he said we might need a more advanced course than his.

Gordon · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2019, 10:29:36 AM »

I met Hondaman a couple of times. Rode with him once and he rebuilt my swingarm several years ago, so that's my real brush with greatness.

Other than him I met Johnny Cash at a convenience store in Jamaica, Tom Landry (Dallas Cowboys legend) on a school field trip, and Lily Taylor, Fred Schneider and Stevie Wonder while working in retail.

jgger · « **Reply #2 on:** January 17, 2019, 10:35:52 AM »

When I was in High School I had 2 jobs, a local Chevron station and International Trap and Skeet. One day at the gas station a guy pulled in and asked for a fill up, he handed me his credit card and I looked at the name........Roman Gabriel! I didn't follow football at the time so as a dumb kid I had no idea who he was.

Then one night at the Skeet range they gave me a score sheet to pull skeet for a squad and one of the names on the sheet was Bob?

? so big deal. After they were done I took the score sheet back to the sign up and the guy asked me if I knew who I just had on my field. Again being a dumb arse kid I had no idea, he told me that "Bob" was Robert Stack, go figure.

Oh yea I forgot, to say I saw Kobe Bryant at a convenience store in Newport Beach.

754 · « **Reply #3 on:** January 17, 2019, 11:53:09 AM »

I was an army Cadet about 1971, I was on the Honor Guard for the Queen , between where they exited the limo and the Dais where she spoke .
Someone pressed thru the crowd to give her a gift.. they almost made it , got intercepted.. I think the gift was given though...

carnivorous chicken · « **Reply #4 on:** January 17, 2019, 11:59:22 AM »

Met 4 presidents and a few prime ministers.

But I also interviewed Wayne Kramer, Dennis Thompson, and Michael Davis from the MC5.

jgger · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2019, 12:04:24 PM »

I have done some real dumb things in my life..........and I met God, he has been real good to me!

Top that one!

05c50 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2019, 12:59:52 PM »

In the seventies, I worked in a car dealership that was across the road from the Pittsburgh Steelers practice field. I was standing in the back of the shop and suddenly the shop seemed to get dark because the sun light was blocked out by something. When I got close to the door, I realized that the Steel Curtain was standing in the door waiting to drop off a car for service. To some, it might not be "greatness", but I was thriiled to meet Joe Green, LC Greenwood, Dwight White and Ernie Holmes all at the same time.

.......Paul

spotty · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2019, 01:00:30 PM »

Quote from: jgger on January 17, 2019, 12:04:24 PM

I have done some real dumb things in my life..........and I met God, he has been real good to me!

Top that one!

i was on a bus one day when i noticed a guy walking down the bus talking to everyone in turn, i straight away sussed be was probably a god botherer...when he got to me and asked if i'd like to talk about the lord, i asked him if he'd like to meet him in the very near future...he went away quickly

demon78 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 17, 2019, 01:19:07 PM »

Me no except maybe Oscar Peterson he stopped at the university I was attempting to be a student at we had a Steinway and someone wanted photo's so he tickled the ivories and talked to us for about 15-20 minute, Oh yeah and talked to Zoot Sims about doing a gig in my front yard, Got inspected by Liz the 2 and Phil 3 times, Margaret 1 and Pill the Duke once by himself but they were in a hurry so they didn't stop and chat.
Bill the demon.

rocket johnny · « **Reply #9 on:** January 17, 2019, 01:33:00 PM »

pumping gas in college ( back when that was a job ) winter of 1977,, glenwood springs co. i filled up marlon brando's motorhome and david crosby's new mercedes . brando was a real ass and crosby was as real and normal as you can be

ofreen · « **Reply #10 on:** January 17, 2019, 01:53:54 PM »

The most memorable famous person I’ve met is Lindsay Wagner. It was back in the Bionic Woman days and she was even more attractive in person than on TV, and that is pretty damn attractive.

Gordon · « **Reply #11 on:** January 17, 2019, 02:28:19 PM »

Quote from: ofreen on January 17, 2019, 01:53:54 PM

The most memorable famous person I’ve met is Lindsay Wagner. It was back in the Bionic Woman days and she was even more attractive in person than on TV, and that is pretty damn attractive.

I had a huge crush on her, Wonder Woman and Daisy Duke when I was a kid.

Bankerdanny · « **Reply #12 on:** January 17, 2019, 03:07:54 PM »

I met Bears legend Gale Sayers and bowling legend Dick Weber (and a bunch of forgettable Bears players) at a celebrity bowl-a-thon around 1994 or 1995.

I gave Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth an Uber ride a couple years ago.

Oh, and I served dinner to Scotty Pippen when I worked for Bennigans in 1990.

spotty · « **Reply #13 on:** January 17, 2019, 05:14:17 PM »

i met Wayne Gardner a few years after he had been world champion in a bike shop that my friends owned, he was kind enough to autograph a photo of him riding in a bike magazine

754 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 17, 2019, 05:16:39 PM »

I saw WonderWoman and Daisy Duke..
Okay so WW, car show, Kingdome Seattle in 78, I was pleased that she was there I thought she was sorta hot with the cleavage and the whip.
Well she was there, in Street clothes., .....man what a letdown..

So we are at Sturgis, and a buddy in the evening asks if I saw Daisy Duke downtown .. I said no I don't think so.. he said she was walking up and down the street checking things out.
Then I said hey what was she wearing ? CAMO PANTS and He says yeah.
I said, oh yeah I did see her, I thought man that is a nice looking woman... didn't recognize her..

I kept Roger Goldammer a few times.. he used to drop by my shop to see what cool parts I was working on..little did we know..

Gene · « **Reply #15 on:** January 17, 2019, 05:23:04 PM »

I've run into my share - David Byrne, Mose Allison, Nick Lowe, Sandra Bullock, others, I was lucky enough to audition for Oingo Boingo and met Danny Elfman and crew. My favorite, though, was the night I went to a book-signing/concert by Kinky Friedman (where I met Nick) and Harry Dean Stanton kept bumming smokes off of me all night.

Don R · « **Reply #16 on:** January 17, 2019, 05:34:17 PM »

I'm pretty sure I bumped into Tracey Walter who played the creepy guy in the bar in the Erin Brockovich movie. He was sitting on the front tire of a white bug plastered 33 ford hiboy sedan in a rest stop on I80. I couldn't think of his name and I think he could tell. I just smiled and said hi, my buddies ignored me and him.

333 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 17, 2019, 06:04:17 PM »

Dave Grohl shopped in the motorcycle dealership I used to work at (90s). He had a V-Max. A service writer claimed he gave out Grohl's cell number. In '85 or '86, King Hussein of Jordan shopped with us as well. He had a few Gold Wings.

754 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 17, 2019, 06:08:23 PM »

Quote from: Don R on January 17, 2019, 09:13:02 AM

Did you ever accidentally bump into anyone that was famous? I'm betting there are some good stories.

One of mine is Shirley Muldowney eating BBQ in Brownsburg In. I washed my hands and when I came back my buddy was red faced and trying not to crack up. It seems kids from a nearby table were loud and acting up and Shirley loudly told them they were just a bunch of brats. It was quiet the rest of the meal. We didn't bother her, just a wink and a smile.
John Muldowney visited us in the trailer at a jr dragster race, he was trying to start a driving school. We asked a few bracket racer questions and he said we might need a more advanced course than his.

I think I would have a hard time not saying..Cha Cha Cha..

spotty · « **Reply #19 on:** January 17, 2019, 06:27:21 PM »

Quote from: 333 on January 17, 2019, 06:04:17 PM

Dave Grohl shopped in the motorcycle dealership I used to work at (90s). He had a V-Max. A service writer claimed he gave out Grohl's cell number. In '85 or '86, King Hussein of Jordan shopped with us as well. He had a few Gold Wings.

and here was me thinking dave grohl had never done anything of note then i find out he had a vmax. a lot more interesting than i gave him credit for
it appears he's gone over to the dark ( slow ) side and the only pics of him on a bike now are on harleys, old before his time i guess

seanbarney41 · « **Reply #20 on:** January 17, 2019, 06:37:36 PM »

Quote from: carnivorous chicken on January 17, 2019, 11:59:22 AM

Met 4 presidents and a few prime ministers.

But I also interviewed Wayne Kramer, Dennis Thompson, and Michael Davis from the MC5.

...jealous, those dudes are god. Although I did meet Ron Asheton of the Stooges at a random show in Detroit, and then later went to an afterparty at Jack White's house...me and some friends were getting rowdy in his backyard and he told us to settle down...

Oh yeah, one time the drummer of Pantera was at the same party I was cuz he was bangin' the girl I knew from high school, who's party it was. I was scared to talk to him though cuz he was scary lookin' and seemed kinda pissed off.

spotty · « **Reply #21 on:** January 17, 2019, 07:14:04 PM »

years ago i met Ball Bearing who was prez of the local HA's at the time, does that count ?

carnivorous chicken · « **Reply #22 on:** January 17, 2019, 07:22:42 PM »

Quote from: seanbarney41 on January 17, 2019, 06:37:36 PM

Quote from: carnivorous chicken on January 17, 2019, 11:59:22 AM
Met 4 presidents and a few prime ministers.

But I also interviewed Wayne Kramer, Dennis Thompson, and Michael Davis from the MC5.
...jealous, those dudes are god. Although I did meet Ron Asheton of the Stooges at a random show in Detroit, and then later went to an afterparty at Jack White's house...me and some friends were getting rowdy in his backyard and he told us to settle down...

Oh yeah, one time the drummer of Pantera was at the same party I was cuz he was bangin' the girl I knew from high school, who's party it was. I was scared to talk to him though cuz he was scary lookin' and seemed kinda pissed off.

Hahaha!

I was supposed to interview Iggy when they did the Stooges tour with both Ashetons in 2007, playing only their first two records. Fell through.

Just finished Wayne Kramer's autobiography. Meh... not enough dope, guns and #$%*ing in the streets (hardly even mentioned the Chicago '68 convention) and a lot about his recovery. Which is good for him, but... But some of the nicest guys to sit down and talk with.

I've been a music writer for 25 years (more of a side job, but a steady gig). Got to meet Debbie Harry and Joan Jett, waiting for Chrissie Hynde to make the pre-teen crush trifecta.

J-Rod10 · « **Reply #23 on:** January 17, 2019, 10:11:24 PM »

Most famous, chatted with President Bush at spring training for 10-15 minutes.

bear · « **Reply #24 on:** January 18, 2019, 01:36:57 AM »

Quote from: spotty on January 17, 2019, 05:14:17 PM

i met Wayne Gardner a few years after he had been world champion in a bike shop that my friends owned, he was kind enough to autograph a photo of him riding in a bike magazine

On of the great things for me being able to compete in so many historic race meetings over the years has been the opportunity to meet many of my roadracing heroes.

And nearly to a man they have been great ambassadors for the sport and generous with their time. The only exception I can think of is Wayne Gardner. I wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire.

Different situations, different experiences I guess Spotty.

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Author Topic: Brush with greatness? (Read 6661 times)