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I talked to someone today who talked (Original Post) applegrove Mar 2013 OP
I've talked to Jerry Brown, the current governor of CA... CaliforniaPeggy Mar 2013 #1
Oh your friend is so lucky. applegrove Mar 2013 #4
He was involved in politics, and it does go with the territory... CaliforniaPeggy Mar 2013 #6
I had a friend in public school who applegrove Mar 2013 #2
I know a woman who does hair on movies olddots Mar 2013 #3
I was on a basketball team with a girl applegrove Mar 2013 #5
I used to do sound for everyone in the peace & freedom movement olddots Mar 2013 #7
Marilyn Monroe. progressoid Mar 2013 #8
Friend posted an old photo with Mother Theresa recently. bluedigger Mar 2013 #9
My biological mother (I was adopted) when she was pg truegrit44 Mar 2013 #10
So your birth mom would have applegrove Mar 2013 #11
I suppose it's possible........ truegrit44 Mar 2013 #12
My mother mimi85 Mar 2013 #58
Sidney Pollock (before he was a director) HeiressofBickworth Mar 2013 #13
My father served in the Marines with Lee Harvey Oswald Sedona Mar 2013 #14
Michele Sindona In_The_Wind Mar 2013 #15
Got a few, actually union_maid Mar 2013 #16
Arlo Guthrie In_The_Wind Mar 2013 #29
Let's see -- some famous, some infamous TuxedoKat Mar 2013 #17
Hmmmm. I knew Jim Nabors' dog when I was a kid. And: nolabear Mar 2013 #18
A friend of mine BarbaRosa Mar 2013 #19
I have Penny Marshall's autograph. Bertha Venation Mar 2013 #20
I had dinner once with speculative fiction writer extraordinaire Harlan Ellison. Aristus Mar 2013 #21
I am green AnneD Mar 2013 #52
Here's a pic of the two of us at a Fantasy Lit Con in Bellevue, Washington: Aristus Mar 2013 #59
My mother went to high school with actor Gig Young Kingofalldems Mar 2013 #22
I think he committed suicide. Very sad. I think he was an alcoholic? Honeycombe8 Mar 2013 #38
Oh I never met him. Kingofalldems Mar 2013 #45
I had lunch at a truck stop sharp_stick Mar 2013 #23
. tk2kewl Mar 2013 #24
I had breakfast with Jerry Garcia and his then-wife Anita LiberalEsto Mar 2013 #25
Well clearly, you win. CrazyOrangeCat Mar 2013 #48
Actually this was before the Grateful Dead got huge LiberalEsto Mar 2013 #53
Sounds like a blast! CrazyOrangeCat Mar 2013 #54
Who do you know Flashmann Mar 2013 #26
My claim to shame: antiquie Mar 2013 #28
My late grandfather jammed with Merle Travis in the 40's CBGLuthier Mar 2013 #27
my husband was good friends with Arthur C. Clarke Flaxbee Mar 2013 #30
Can't believe I forgot about Flashmann Mar 2013 #31
I grew up LWolf Mar 2013 #32
Ricky Nelson...what a handsome man he was. nt Honeycombe8 Mar 2013 #39
my sister danced with Ted Danson's father at a wedding. Kali Mar 2013 #33
My brother let me know he communicated with Keith Olberman today Paulie Mar 2013 #34
Linda Hunt's sister was once my boss. HereSince1628 Mar 2013 #35
Isaac Asimov Ron Obvious Mar 2013 #36
My BIL worked with Cybil Shepherd and James Garner in advertising. MiddleFingerMom Mar 2013 #37
Charleton Heston was on plane I was on. Honeycombe8 Mar 2013 #40
My Niece is The Poet Laureate of Los Gatos, CA..... becca da bakkah Mar 2013 #41
I've met most of the Star Trek: Deep Space 9 cast... AmyDeLune Mar 2013 #42
My niece was an intern with Rep. John Dingle during the health care debates csziggy Mar 2013 #43
shit i just dropped some names on the floor . olddots Mar 2013 #44
Many years ago, I met Orville Redenbacher of popcorn fame. greatauntoftriplets Mar 2013 #46
Tommy Lee Jones LeftInTX Mar 2013 #47
Hmmm... Tommy_Carcetti Mar 2013 #49
Brushed by greatness???? AnneD Mar 2013 #50
Bill Keane (Family Circus) and the drummer? for the Safaris, and Mat Nastos Viva_La_Revolution Mar 2013 #51
My current favorites: Buckminster Fuller, Robert Ballard, and Hans Bethe. hunter Mar 2013 #55
Arty type peoples I knew BEFORE they became famous ... kwassa Mar 2013 #56
Some of the folks I've worked with - Hell Hath No Fury Mar 2013 #57
My sibling. MissB Mar 2013 #60

CaliforniaPeggy

(149,298 posts)
1. I've talked to Jerry Brown, the current governor of CA...
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 01:26 AM
Mar 2013

And a friend of mine has met Bill Clinton.

The same friend has met Al Gore.

 

olddots

(10,237 posts)
3. I know a woman who does hair on movies
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 01:29 AM
Mar 2013

the stuff she knows about who has problems is fascinating ...

I had a conversation with Jim Carry once -- he asked to bring his car around and start the air conditioner . that's real impressive dots zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

 

olddots

(10,237 posts)
7. I used to do sound for everyone in the peace & freedom movement
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 01:46 AM
Mar 2013

talked with lots of famous peacenicks but it doesn't count because they are so down home

progressoid

(49,825 posts)
8. Marilyn Monroe.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 02:04 AM
Mar 2013

I found out that a friend of the family once treated Marilyn Monroe when he was a resident. It was at a small ski resort. He was called to make a "house call" to an unnamed person. Turns out it was Marilyn. Apparently it was a minor flu bug.

bluedigger

(17,077 posts)
9. Friend posted an old photo with Mother Theresa recently.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 02:22 AM
Mar 2013

She was in India and spent some time volunteering at one of her clinics I guess. She is well connected, probably knows a lot of people.

My ex-HS coach became the personal coach for Mary Decker Slaney, former world record holder.

Oh yeah, ex-wife's family had a camp next door to Radar O'Reilly (MASH). I never met him.

eta:Margaret Chase Smith, famous Maine Senator, gave me baby shoes when I was an infant. I think she was friends with my grandparents.

Probably a lot more, the older you get, the more paths you almost cross...

truegrit44

(332 posts)
10. My biological mother (I was adopted) when she was pg
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 02:56 AM
Mar 2013

with me was working for Adrian of Hollywood and Clark Gable, Joan Crawford etc. use to come in there. She said I actually in a round about way met them while in her stomach. She took a leave of absence from there with the story she had to go back east because of sickness in her family before she started to show. She gave birth to me had me adopted out and then returned to work for them.............

applegrove

(118,021 posts)
11. So your birth mom would have
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 03:05 AM
Mar 2013

breathed in some of clark‘s molecules. Ding ding ding we have a ‘TOUCHED BY GREATNESS‘ winner!

truegrit44

(332 posts)
12. I suppose it's possible........
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 03:10 AM
Mar 2013

she did say that every bad thing they said about Joan Crawford tho was true as to her association with her anyway. Said she was a bitch............so hope I didn't breath any of her molecules

mimi85

(1,805 posts)
58. My mother
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 09:16 PM
Mar 2013

went to Hollywood High School in the 40s and actually had lunch with Frank Sinatra (along with some other girls). Not sure if it was a contest or what. Sure wish I'd talked to her more about this and a jillion other things when she was still alive. She got married very young (just out of high school). She was offered a movie contract a couple of years later, but my dad said no, of course.

They knew quite a few people in the movie industry, but the one that impressed me the most was Billie Burke, who played the good witch in the Wizard of Oz. She still was beautiful, even if older by the time I met her. Hard to believe she was 54 when she did the Wiz! (Thank you imdB)

I've met several celebrities and athletes (guess they're one and the same these days). I was a marketing manager for a cable company back in the day when cable was still cool and there were some extravagant parties at the annual cable convention in Anaheim, but none of them, even Willie Mays, compared to the following story.

My dad was in the hospital for a few days and when we went to visit, Fess Parker was there visiting his nephew (I think). I thought my life was complete! Got his autograph, wish I knew what happened to it. I think I wore my coonskin hat for days! I was about 6-7. Ha, I think my mom got pretty flustered also for entirely different reasons. What a good looking man!

As far as politics go, my dad MADE me go see LBJ when his plane landed at El Toro. I did NOT want to go, remember “Hey! Hey! LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?" but dad said it was a chance to see a prez live which didn't happen often. Dad was a staunch Republican, but still. He sure wasn't like the current GOP, he must be spinning. Anyway, it was a warm day and I fainted. Ha, not because of LBJ but because I was pregnant and had no idea. My dad figured it out somehow right away. I'll never forget THAT day! We got married on New Year's Eve of 1967 - hard to believe we made it this long!

HeiressofBickworth

(2,682 posts)
13. Sidney Pollock (before he was a director)
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 03:41 AM
Mar 2013

was best man at my Aunt's wedding -- he was a childhood friend of the groom. I was a flower girl. He knew my parents. When he was filming The Slender Thread in Seattle, my mother and brother met him for lunch.

union_maid

(3,502 posts)
16. Got a few, actually
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 06:46 AM
Mar 2013

Actually a lot for someone who does not even have what could be considered a social life now. It's been a while, for various reasons, since I've even been much of anywhere besides work, home, errands and doctors for mr. union maid and myself.

Terrence McNally - knew his husband before they ever met and have met Terrence a number of times and been comped twice to plays of his. One of them was a gypsy run-through, which means that the audience is full of Broadway musical people. Was following Tom to our seats as he was greeting all sorts of people, including Liza with a Z. Went out for a cigarette and Rosie O'Donnell was out there, too, hanging with a bunch of chorus boys.

Arlo Guthrie - met him many, many times. Still on friendly "hello" terms with much of his family, as well. Or was anyway. As I said, been a while. Of course, meeting folk musicians is one of the more likely things that'll happen if you go to where they play. They're not mostly a stand-offish lot.

Met the entirety of .moe when my son's band opened for them and he sat in with them for most of a set. In a one degree of separation thing, he played the jamband scene for years and has met a whole universe of famous and somewhat famous musicians.

Several decades ago, mr. union maid and his brother were out east on Long Island and stopped for a hot dog at Grace's hot dog stand, which was a popular stop for people on their way to the Hamptons. Joey Bishop stopped there too. They approached him and ended up having a dog with him. Said he was very nice.

There are actually more. Considering I've lived my entire live in total obscurity and most of it in a very unremarkable suburb I'm kind of surprised about it when I write it down together like that, which I've never done before.

TuxedoKat

(3,818 posts)
17. Let's see -- some famous, some infamous
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 09:54 AM
Mar 2013

I used to work at a major airline hub and as a flight attendant too. I told Art Linkletter and Joe Paterno where their gate connections were. Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant were on flights I was on once. Andre didn't want the lunch that was served, just wanted to sleep, probably worn out from all the travelling. Willem Dafoe was sitting up in first class where I was as well once, coming back from Barcelona. I was dressed up in order to be able to sit up in first as an airline employee and one of the passengers asked one of the flight attendants if I was someone famous too. The flight attendant, who knew I was just an employee, had a good laugh at my expense relating that story to me, but I enjoy telling it too. There were other more minor celebrities, that's all I can recall right now. Oh, wait, Sally Jessy Raphael was on one of my flights once too.

nolabear

(41,915 posts)
18. Hmmmm. I knew Jim Nabors' dog when I was a kid. And:
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 10:21 AM
Mar 2013

And I know Nancy Nordhoff, who knows Gloria Steinem (I've met her).

And I know a slew of people who know Richard Simmons, as do I.

My mother in law is close friends with Rosemary Harris (Aunt May in Spiderman movies among others) and her daughter Jennifer Ehle (great actress also).

A friend is close friends with Calvin Trillin.

(I think there are others but it's early)

On edit: Can't believe I forgot! I have a friend who was Bill Clinton's right hand man when he was in office. I can't recall the title right now. And did I get to meet him? Nooooo...





Bertha Venation

(21,484 posts)
20. I have Penny Marshall's autograph.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 10:33 AM
Mar 2013

LOVE her accent. She was a hoot.

First edit: And I met Jackson Browne. But I was only 13 and didn't really appreciate him yet.

Second edit: And June Lockhart visited me in the hospital when I was a baby. I was famous (first infant (3 mos) in California to have open-heart surgery).

Aristus

(66,096 posts)
21. I had dinner once with speculative fiction writer extraordinaire Harlan Ellison.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 11:09 AM
Mar 2013

What an incredible experience...

Aristus

(66,096 posts)
59. Here's a pic of the two of us at a Fantasy Lit Con in Bellevue, Washington:
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 09:19 PM
Mar 2013

This is back in 2005. (By the way, I've lost about 40lbs since then; I was a chunk...)

Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts)
38. I think he committed suicide. Very sad. I think he was an alcoholic?
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 10:36 PM
Mar 2013

Did he seem drunk when he lived down the street?

Kingofalldems

(38,361 posts)
45. Oh I never met him.
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 07:47 AM
Mar 2013

This would have been long before he was famous, in the early 30's. It was in Washington, DC and his name then was Byron Barr. His life was really tragic for sure.

sharp_stick

(14,400 posts)
23. I had lunch at a truck stop
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 11:16 AM
Mar 2013

with the entire band Midnight Oil back in about 1987 when they were touring for Diesel and Dust. They were fantastic and a lot of fun to hang out with. I still sometimes regret that I didn't ask if they wanted another roadie.

I also once shared a boat fishing at a trophy trout lake with James Best who was once known as Roscoe P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazard.

On the who do you know who knows someone famous. My brother is really good friends with one of the voice actresses on My Little Pony - Friendship is Magic but he doesn't like it to be common knowledge or the bronies will flood his office and home begging for contact info.

 

tk2kewl

(18,133 posts)
24. .
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 11:37 AM
Mar 2013

Last edited Wed Mar 27, 2013, 11:14 AM - Edit history (2)

people I have gotten to meet once:

Bill Clinton
Jackie O
Kathryn Kennedy
Peter Boyle
Carl Bernstein
George Soros
Mario Cuomo
Roy Scheider
Rudy Giuliani
Mike Bloomberg
Gene "Stick" Michael

People I have met more than once:

Carolyn McCarthy
Phil Donahue
Marlo Thomas
Nile Rodgers

 

LiberalEsto

(22,845 posts)
25. I had breakfast with Jerry Garcia and his then-wife Anita
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 12:15 PM
Mar 2013

in 1970. Partied backstage with the band during concerts at Bucknell and at Princeton in 70-71. Met Jesse Jackson Sr. during the May Day war protest on 1971.

Interviewed WNEW-FM DJ Pete Fornatale as a college student writing for an alternative newspaper in the 70s. Knew the late Mike Celizic, a sports reporter on MSNBC and the Today Show, from our hippie days.

As a reporter for regular newspapers, interviewed a number of not quite well known people like scientist and environmentalist Barry Commoner, GOP politician Jack Kemp. Slightly knew a couple of NJ governors, Brendan Byrne and Thomas Kean. Met Al Sharpton in the early 1980s while covering a demonstration he led. Probably others, but can't remember.

Almost forgot: paid $1.75 to see Bruce Springsteen and another NJ band (the band I actually wanted to see) at Rutgers U. some time in the early 70s and sat on the floor right in front of him.

Completely forgot (added on edit): Met and interviewed Roy Rogers, the well-known cowboy of TV and film. He was opening a chain of his restaurants on the NJ Turnpike, almost 30 years ago, and I happened to be the reporter covering the NJ Turnpike Authority for my paper. Most difficult interview I ever had in my career. No matter what question I asked him, he replied "Let me tell you about our crispy fried chicken" or something along those lines. Still have a photo of myself with him (I was 7 months pregnant at the time).

One of my now-husband's nephews, a commercial artist in NYC, worked with George Lucas on the design for one of the Star Wars films.

Worked with an editor who knew Brooke Shields at Princeton.

For $5, I'll let you touch the hem of my garment



CrazyOrangeCat

(6,112 posts)
48. Well clearly, you win.
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 05:12 PM
Mar 2013

My five bucks at the ready, cuz you ate breakfast with Jerry Garcia. At the height of his mighty and weird powers.

Most duly impressed.



And then there's my claim to fame. When I was about 7, which would've been '66 or so, I got to shake Festus' hand. At the American Royal Rodeo. And he let me pet his mule, Ruth.

So there. Maybe we should just trade fives, and be done with it . . .

 

LiberalEsto

(22,845 posts)
53. Actually this was before the Grateful Dead got huge
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 05:50 PM
Mar 2013

In 1970 they were playing small gigs in college gymnasiums for a few hundred students.

I got free tickets for myself and two other women at Rutgers through a high school friend who managed concerts at Bucknell.
Someone we knew at Rutgers, who was from California, told us to look for a Dead roadie called Spider, tell Spider we knew this guy, and we'd probably get invited backstage. We found Spider, and he was happy to hear from his high school buddy. We all got high together backstage.

We were staying at the same motel the Dead were staying in, and that's how we ended up eating breakfast with them. They invited us backstage when they played in Princeton a month later. That was a trip! We also saw them in Central Park a short time later, and met a few members of the New Riders of the Purple Sage there. Then suddenly they became extremely popular and started playing in big venues, and we didn't think it would be possible to go backstage any longer. We liked the Dead, but we were never Deadheads or groupies.

CrazyOrangeCat

(6,112 posts)
54. Sounds like a blast!
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 06:11 PM
Mar 2013

I lived in Jersey for a couple years in the late 80's. Morristown, tho my wife worked in Princeton part of the time. Beautiful, photogenic state--had lots of fun there.

Flashmann

(2,140 posts)
26. Who do you know
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 12:32 PM
Mar 2013

In and of the political world I knew,as a kid,the late former Illinois State Senator Stanley B. Weaver,who early in his career as Mayor of Urbana,Illinois,was a frequent golf partner of my Dads.His family and ours got together at his home or ours many times..Nice guy.

These days the only famous persons I can claim to know,would be Blues guitarist "Smokin" Joe Kubek and Blues/Jazz guitarist Bnois King,both of whom tour and record together.My wife and I have the pleasure of their acquaintances,by virtue of knowing Joes Mother and his brother,who writes some of their songs,from our years living in Las Vegas.

We got to meet many other performers,mostly backstage at shows,through Joes brother.Among them were "Guitar" Shorty,brother in law to the late Jimi Hendrix,Coco Montoya,Duke Robillard,Rod and Honey Piazza and Joe Bonomasa.

I knew,again as a kid,Greg Philbin,REO Speedwagons original bassist,from being his paper boy and,a few years later,Terry Lutrell,their original singer,and who I still occassionally run into.

 

antiquie

(4,299 posts)
28. My claim to shame:
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 12:43 PM
Mar 2013

My late uncle's ex-wife (Aunt Susie) was a cousin of Richard Nixon's and my mom was a couple of years behind him in high school.

CBGLuthier

(12,723 posts)
27. My late grandfather jammed with Merle Travis in the 40's
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 12:38 PM
Mar 2013

guitarist Extraordinaire and probably the author of the song Sixteen Tons.







Flaxbee

(13,661 posts)
30. my husband was good friends with Arthur C. Clarke
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 12:48 PM
Mar 2013

we were planning a trip to see him in Sri Lanka when he fell ill for the last time.

Another friend was Jimi Hendrix's publicist for a while, so he knows tons of music people pretty well...

Flashmann

(2,140 posts)
31. Can't believe I forgot about
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 02:04 PM
Mar 2013

Anson Funderburgh,of the "Rockets",who we first met through close mutual friends.Through knowing Anson,we also knew the late Sam"Deacon of the Delta"Meyers,who sang and played harmonica for the band and drummer Wes Starr.

The last time I saw any of them,sadly,was in the winter of '01 or 02 at a night/dinnerclub in St.Charles,Illinois.Wes ,the bass player and I were backstage watching an NFL playoff game that had gone to overtime,which led to the band beginning their show about 20 minutes late.

We were going to hook up in Las Vegas,in '05 but Sam took ill,forcing the cancellation of the show and tour.Sam passed away just a few months later.

LWolf

(46,179 posts)
32. I grew up
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 06:18 PM
Mar 2013

in the SF valley in the 60s and 70s. Famous people were everywhere. A few I had more than chance meetings with; some, well-known then, are less-known or not-known now, lol:

Bob Newhart and his wife
Bob Eubanks
Diane & Erin Murphy
Danny Bonaduce
James Stacey
Geoffrey Lewis
Ricky Nelson

Kali

(54,990 posts)
33. my sister danced with Ted Danson's father at a wedding.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 08:28 PM
Mar 2013

she was 6 or 7 years old

(I was there, too - family friends)

Paulie

(8,462 posts)
34. My brother let me know he communicated with Keith Olberman today
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 08:36 PM
Mar 2013

He knows of him from Sports Center didn't know he was a moderate talk show host.

I personally got to meet Paul Wellstone in the late 90s at a conference back when I was a member of DSA Chicago. Still have my green Wellstone for president 2000 bumper sticker and button in a box (one of the draft Wellstone people gave to me)

 

Ron Obvious

(6,261 posts)
36. Isaac Asimov
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 10:03 PM
Mar 2013

A friend of mine once met Asimov who composed a limerick about her on the spot. She didn't even know who the guy was at the time.

My wife once went doorbelling with our current governor early on in his political career.

That's it, really. I don't recall ever having met anyone famous myself, let alone talked to one.

MiddleFingerMom

(25,163 posts)
37. My BIL worked with Cybil Shepherd and James Garner in advertising.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 10:32 PM
Mar 2013

.
.
.
He said Shepherd was the biggest jerk in the world and Garner was the regularest regular guy in the world --
preferred playing poker with the camera crews to hanging out with the marketing execs.
.
.
.
(edit to add) He also worked closely and even socialized some with Orville Redenbacher. Said Orville was
a pretty adept drinker and my BIL and sister were scared he was going to die of his hangover in their back
seat as they were driving him to the airport.
.
They liked Orville a LOT.
.
.
.

Honeycombe8

(37,648 posts)
40. Charleton Heston was on plane I was on.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 10:39 PM
Mar 2013

He was in 1st class. I was not. I was walking past the 1st class passengers slowly, when I noticed him...I noticed him because he was looking straight at me, in my eyes! I looked away...didn't want to seem starstruck or intrude in his space. When I got to my seat, I told the passenger seated next to me, "Did you see Charleton Heston?" I was pretty excited (I didn't know he was the way he was...but even so, he's a big movie star, and he was a big handsome hunk).

becca da bakkah

(426 posts)
41. My Niece is The Poet Laureate of Los Gatos, CA.....
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 11:10 PM
Mar 2013

The son of Brian Jones, originally of the Rolling Stones, before he OD'd in a swimming pool, and the stepson of Donovan, (Mellow Yellow & Sunshine Superman) used to live down the street. My brother was close friends with the writer/poet Kenneth Rexroth. AND, an ex boyfriend was once an extra in a movie with actress Kyra Sedgwick, (The Closer) wife of Kevin Bacon.

I guess that makes me 4 Degrees of Separation from Kevin Bacon!

AmyDeLune

(1,846 posts)
42. I've met most of the Star Trek: Deep Space 9 cast...
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 02:52 AM
Mar 2013

Comic book writers Brian Michael Bendis and Kurt Busiek.

The guy in the left on the photo (Eric Martin Reid) is also a barista at my local coffee shop
[IMG][/IMG]
Grimm episode "Natural Born Wessen"

On the someone who knows someone front, I was sitting outside The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon back in 2008 (I had tickets to see Hamlet starring David Tennant* and Patrick Stewart**) when a woman came out of a side door carrying an overstuffed paper bag. The bag ripped and out fell a ton of stuff clearly autographed by David Tennant. She looked at all of us looking at her (there were some understandably strict autograph rules in place for Tennant and Patrick Stewart) and then down at her stack of stuff on the bricks. The person closest to her leap up and helped her gather it up, laughing and said "Hey it's not who we know, it's who *you* know!"

*David Tennant was the 10th Doctor on Doctor Who at the time.
**Patrick Stewart...do I really have to say?

csziggy

(34,120 posts)
43. My niece was an intern with Rep. John Dingle during the health care debates
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 03:07 AM
Mar 2013

While she was looking for a paid position.

ETA - My grandmother taught Gov. & Sen. Lawton Chiles in Sunday School when he was a kid. She was friends with Gov. & Sen. Spessard Holland's wife and when we went to Washington (I was 12) we visited him at his office and accompanied him to the Senate through the underground tunnels.

 

olddots

(10,237 posts)
44. shit i just dropped some names on the floor .
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 04:14 AM
Mar 2013


I know lottsa people who knew people--actually knew them .I have worked for and with famous people but never really knew them except for Roy Bitten who has been with Springsteen since 74 when he left the band I was in with him .Oh yeah there are other musicians I knew from back east who became super stars but they sure quickly forget their old chums and that is a very sad fact .

the best kick I ever got was doing sound for Steve Allen before he died ---he was sort of my hero and a real progressive liberal .

greatauntoftriplets

(175,698 posts)
46. Many years ago, I met Orville Redenbacher of popcorn fame.
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 08:18 AM
Mar 2013

A friend has met President Obama at social occasions several times.

LeftInTX

(24,554 posts)
47. Tommy Lee Jones
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 03:57 PM
Mar 2013

He had just gotten divorced and was at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens with his daughter. She was just getting potty trained and he didn't know whether to take her to the Men's room. I offered to take her to the Ladies' room, but he decided not to let her go with a stranger.

She was a cute little girl that kept saying, "I have to go potty" over and over.

About 7 years later, my daughter and his a daughter were in a play together.

Tommy_Carcetti

(43,085 posts)
49. Hmmm...
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 05:26 PM
Mar 2013

My own personal experiences with celebrities?

Once said hello to future Vice President Biden at an event while heading to the restroom (he was heading in the opposite direction.) He gladly said hello right back.

Met former US Attorney General Janet Reno, twice.

Shook hands with Howard Dean, John Edwards (a big deal at the time, not as much now), Bill Graham, Bill Nelson, Evan Bayh. I'm somewhat acquainted with a pretty big former name in Florida state politics, and I've met numerous local and state politicians.

Never said anything to him, but one time I was walking into Sports Authority and I saw Pete Rose walking out of it right in front of me.

In terms of degrees of seperation--I went to school with and studied with the future wife of 2003 NL Rookie of the Year pitching phenom Dontrelle Willis.

Remember Plasmatics singer Wendy O' Williams? Yes? No? Well, I remember as a kid going to a party of one of my dad's co-workers and seeing this pretty flamboyant tattooed woman with spiked hair. I was told that it was Wendy O'Williams, who was dating a guy who knew the guy who was the co-worker of my dad.

AnneD

(15,774 posts)
50. Brushed by greatness????
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 05:32 PM
Mar 2013

Celebrity Category:
All the original Star Trek save for Kelly. I am a Sci-Fi fan from way back with some World Cons under my belt.
A pascal of celeb kids..my daughter went to Cal Arts and I met lots of Hollywood Kids that shall remain private out of respect for their privacy.

Sports Category:
Earl Campbell
Dan Pastorini
Bum Phillips
Jeff Bagwell
Nolan Ryan

Authors:
Art Buckwald..had a nice chat-loved him
Issac Asimov
David Gerrold screen writer and one cool person
Molly Ivins
Jim Hightower

Politicians (this is a big category as I am active and lobby and hubby is musician):
Barry Goldwater...he fondled me, of course I was a 9 month old and he was just starting to run for office. It was in front of his store in AZ. For years I had the picture to prove it.
John Kennedy Jr.
Hillary Clinton
Howard Dean...smartest politician I ever met (I didn't meet Bill). I would follow him where ever he wants to go. A real leader of the people.
Tom DeLay... lots of contact, but he never took me dancing.
The Bushes...many of the clan...bleech.
Henry Cicero's another victim of the Rove smear machine.
I have been in the same room as Karl Rove and had the chance to press the flesh but the guy totally creeped me out. I could not get out of there fast enough.

Texas Gov's
Perry...all hair, no brains and I swear he is closet.
GWB...What an ass hat and I tried to warn everyone.
Ann Richard First saint of Texas politics
Nellie Connelly ok spouse of gov
LadyBird

Lt. Gov of Texas:
Dewhurst
Perry Bullock
Ben Barns

Local State Senators and House Reps:
To Numerous to count and boring to list...Politics-Hollywood for ugly folks.

Lawyers
RaceHorse Haynes
Jaworski
Ramsey Clark

Musicians (our local music seen is great and a great way to catch up and coming ):

Ravi Shankar on many occasions (hubby plays sitar)
A mega long list of Indian Musicians.
Cleo Lane
Anita Bryant..forced
Bobbie Brown...insecure and egotistical at the same time. Whitney deserved better.
Vic Damone
Beyonce and Destiny's Child-they are local kids
Selena again a local kid for years
Battlefield Band
The Chieftains
Clandestine and assorted small Irish folk rock bands that come our way.
The Dixie Chicks -played at our company picnic before they got famous.
George Strait.. in his rodeo days
Randy Travis..
Willie Nelson...and my mom use to chat with him before he went on stage when she worked in Ft Worth. He wore a white shirt, bolo tie and his hair was short and he drank Dr. Peppers back then. Clever man.
Jerry Jeff Walker... loved him but he had a serious alcohol problem at the time.

Because of my activities in politics and Hubby's musical performances and touring, we cover a lot of diverse ground. I do not bother folks if they are busy and always try to be polite and not take up too much time. The local politicians are always nice and know the importance of constituents. I have only had 2 politicians be rude to me, ever. One was John Cronyn that stood up a group of us that travel to DC to met him and the other was a local. Remember, they work for you and you pay their salary.

All this brush with fame and $1.50 won't buy you a cup of coffee, but it is fun to remember.


Viva_La_Revolution

(28,791 posts)
51. Bill Keane (Family Circus) and the drummer? for the Safaris, and Mat Nastos
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 05:33 PM
Mar 2013

I made a special trip to the mall (that I hate) and stood in line and paid $25 to have him draw a personalized comic for my brother.

Friday happy hour at Chili's where one of the regulars used to be in the Safaris and was now a tech worker.

Mat Nastos - soon to be famous Author of the Cestus Concern, already hot stuff in comics and TV (he writes those wicked awesome cheesy sci-fi disaster movies) We are twitter buddies, and I am his most favorite unofficial proofreader.
http://www.authorgraph.com/r/bb0dc0a

hunter

(38,264 posts)
55. My current favorites: Buckminster Fuller, Robert Ballard, and Hans Bethe.
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 06:50 PM
Mar 2013
Buckminster Fuller invented the geodesic dome, Robert Ballard found the Titanic, and Hans Bethe figured out how the sun worked.

We shall say NOTHING of Donnie and Marie Osmond, Sheriff John, Hobo Kelly, or Bozo the Clown.

Hans Bethe was a wonderful gentleman. I was a star struck college newspaper science reporter doing a telephone interview and he invited me to a fancy charity dinner as one of his guests. People were paying thousands dollars for that, and me, I had twelve cents in my pocket, I was hungry, my car was broken so I had to take the bus, and I was living on a friend's sofa. It was a wonderful dinner even though I was underdressed. There were wealthy old widows flirting with me, the hot young furniture moving stud. Alas, I was already in a "committed" relationship that later crashed and burned when I jumped out of her moving car on the streets of Berkeley. But we've all lived happily ever after, once the bleeding stopped.

I met Robert Ballard one day at lunch. The University Center was crowded and there were few seats left. Dr. Ballard asked if he could sit down at the table I was occupying and I said yes. We talked about shark and dolphin evolution.

I've had a few similar experiences since, but mostly on account of my Doctor/Doctor/Professor wife, if you don't count internet stuff. I've become a creature of the internet.

Any more than that I prefer to remain anonymous because it would embarrass my kids. I'm the ultimate embarrassing dad. There are things I don't dare ask google, they have all those usenet files. One of them is hot sexy young me wearing only a hat on the shores of Mono Lake. But let me tell you, scraping salt and mud off your skin just so you can sleep isn't sexy. Mostly it itches.


kwassa

(23,340 posts)
56. Arty type peoples I knew BEFORE they became famous ...
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 07:07 PM
Mar 2013

due to going to art school with them.

1) David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz as fellow students who later formed the Talking Heads. David and Chris were in a band called The Artistics at school.

2) Gus Van Sant, film director, who worked on my college movie.

3) Chris Van Allsburg, author of Jumanji and The Polar Express and other children's books. He was a sculpture graduate student.

4) Mary Boone, who became the most famous art dealer in New York by age 28, and made artists such as Julian Schnable and David Salle famous in the 1980s.

5) Dale Chihuly, who was then a teacher of glass at the school, left soon after and became superfamous.

6) Martin Mull, who had already graduated but performed a show there

7) Bonnie Raitt, who just performed there with her guitar at age 19 or so. No band yet. A girlfriend of mine in LA had gone to high school with her.

I also lived in LA for a long time and ran into many famous or semi-famous showbiz types. It is inevitable if you live there.

 

Hell Hath No Fury

(16,327 posts)
57. Some of the folks I've worked with -
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 08:05 PM
Mar 2013

or known through other channels:

Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas
Chris Isaak
Radiohead
Too Much Joy
Peter Weller
Roman Coppola
Thomas Dolby
Tom Waits
Neal Young
GE Smith
John Lasseter
Timothy Hutton
Nora Dunn
Michael Douglas

and a few others.

Forgot to add: the voice talent for "Barney" - yes, the Purple One. Great guy, does web development now along with voice work in LA.

MissB

(15,800 posts)
60. My sibling.
Thu Mar 28, 2013, 12:38 AM
Mar 2013

My sibling flies a Hollywood director around the world. Premieres and such. Vacations. Research.

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