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Thread: Brush with greatness thread?

  1. #1
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Brush with greatness thread?

    I seem to remember there was a thread on the old PE about Musical Brushes with Greatness. But I don't remember the exact title. Any chance of restoring such a thread? I was going to start a new one but was hesitant.

  2. #2
    Moderator Duncan Glenday's Avatar
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    I don't remember a thread like that.

    I did a search (including deleted threads) and did not find one.
    Regards,

    Duncan

  3. #3
    well what it was all about? Personal experience with the "prog celebrity"? Or your personal fame?...

  4. #4
    I remember it. Don't remember anything about it but it existed. I think the conclusion was famous people are douches, but only slightly famous people are less douchey, unless they're even more douchey.

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    Member Just Eric's Avatar
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    My musical ones are meeting John Battema of Ephemeral Sun and Matt Lebofsky of miRthkon and Secret Chiefs 3.

    Political - My sixth grade class got to meet Ronald Reagan when he was Governor of California. All I remember was eating jelly beans from the big jar on his desk.

    Actors - I was an extra in Wisdom, a total B movie from the 90's, and met both Demi Moore (she was a total bitch) and Emelio Estevez, he was totally cool.

    Oh yea, I talked to Laura Dern outside of Green's restaurant in San Francisco. We talked about kids, not anything famous. And one time while in a sports bar in Atlanta Michael Jordan walked in and stood next to me to order drinks. I was too terrified to say anything, but I did text my wife back home and told her he was next to me.

    Boy, I suck at brushes with greatness.
    Duncan's going to make a Horns Emoticon!!!

  6. #6
    I spoke and was blessed by John Paul II in the private ceremony in Vatican, back in eighties. I recall he was very charismatic person, surprisingly also very approachable. (despite that encounter I have and end up an atheist ).

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    Moderator Duncan Glenday's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Just Eric View Post
    My musical ones are meeting John Battema of Ephemeral Sun and Matt Lebofsky of miRthkon and Secret Chiefs 3.

    Political - My sixth grade class got to meet Ronald Reagan when he was Governor of California. All I remember was eating jelly beans from the big jar on his desk.

    Actors - I was an extra in Wisdom, a total B movie from the 90's, and met both Demi Moore (she was a total bitch) and Emelio Estevez, he was totally cool.

    Oh yea, I talked to Laura Dern outside of Green's restaurant in San Francisco. We talked about kids, not anything famous. And one time while in a sports bar in Atlanta Michael Jordan walked in and stood next to me to order drinks. I was too terrified to say anything, but I did text my wife back home and told her he was next to me.

    Boy, I suck at brushes with greatness.
    Music-wise - quite a lot, though 'greatness' means different things to different people. I've certainly met with many people who I put on a pedestal, alongside Yes or The Beatles, when I was a teen.

    But more conventional 'greatness' ... the best I can offer is:
    - I had dinner with Mike Ditka
    - I rode 45 miles with Lance Armstrong (while he was famous, not infamous)
    Regards,

    Duncan

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    I had just flown in to las Vegas from Seattle with my wife for a short vacation and had walked 50 yards down the terminal when I stopped and turned to see my wife with a carry on bag issue. All of the sudden I get hit in the back of the knee and I hit the ground. I look up and Alan White is apologizing as he picked me up. His kid , age 5 not looking where he was going took me down. Yes had played Vegas the night before,I knew it but couldn't get the day off, and he was on my plane back to Seattle. He lived there at the time. He signed my boarding pass. My prog brush with greatness.

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    Member Joe F.'s Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by proghutch View Post
    Alan White is apologizing as he picked me up. His kid , age 5 not looking where he was going took me down. Yes had played Vegas the night before,I knew it but couldn't get the day off, and he was on my plane back to Seattle. He lived there at the time. He signed my boarding pass. My prog brush with greatness.
    He still does. I run into him at shows all the time. Nice guy.

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    Member LASERCD's Avatar
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    I once met Steve Feigenbaum at Nearfest. He was a bit of a dick.

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    Member nosebone's Avatar
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    I've met a few over the years, Roger Glover ( regular guy), Steve Morse ( brainy genius), Eddie Jobson ( rock star), Leslie west (jovial), Peter Erskine ( great regular guy).
    Plus many jazzers that worked at my brother in laws recording studio.
    no tunes, no dynamics, no nosebone

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    I got a kiss from Kate Bush when she visited the record shop I was working in promoting Never For Ever...and a life-long (albeit one-sided) love affair was born!

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    Member Just Eric's Avatar
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    Forgot sports figures -

    I once rode in first class with Manny Ramirez but didn't know who he was at the time. Plus I was too busy flirting with his drop dead gorgeous wife.

    At a summer league basketball game in Sacramento I sat next to Otis Thorpe, then a player for the Kings, and Bill Russell, then the GM. I remember how big they looked sitting in bleacher seats. Both were very nice and approachable.
    Duncan's going to make a Horns Emoticon!!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stevie B View Post
    I got a kiss from Kate Bush
    No more calls, we have a winner!!!

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    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    I met Ian Anderson, Steve Hackett, Peter Hammill and Guy Evans. Of those, Hackett and Hammill were the most pleasant (quite, in fact). Ian Anderson was kind enough to stop for a photo and an autograph even though he was late for soundcheck. But he was a tad more serious. Guy Evans did not want to talk to me at ALL. I've also met and chatted at length with all five guys in Marillion, numerous times, and they are all super cool guys. I've also had very brief brushes with Mike Portnoy, Steven Wilson and Mikael Akerfeldt.

    Oh, and a guy called "Squids" or something...? What a WEIRDO he was.

    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

    *** Join me in the Garden of Delights for 3 hours of tune-spinning... every Saturday at 5pm EST on Deep Nuggets radio! www.deepnuggets.com ***

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    Moderator Duncan Glenday's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by headcrash View Post
    No more calls, we have a winner!!!
    I thought my dinner with Mike Ditka ir my ride with Lance Armstrong would be a winner. But let's face it, Kate Bush is far more sexy
    Regards,

    Duncan

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    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Tull 004.jpg

    HUGE moment for me. I doubt it will be topped, barring an unforeseen encounter with the girls from the ZZ Top "Legs" video. (Oh wait, they probably aren't hot anymore.)
    Interviewer of reprobate ne'er-do-well musicians of the long-haired rock n' roll persuasion at: www.velvetthunder.co.uk and former scribe at Classic Rock Society. Only vaguely aware of anything other than music.

    *** Join me in the Garden of Delights for 3 hours of tune-spinning... every Saturday at 5pm EST on Deep Nuggets radio! www.deepnuggets.com ***

  19. #19
    Member nosebone's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tom unbound View Post
    Gandolf?
    no tunes, no dynamics, no nosebone

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    ^ Yes, just before he entered into the Mines of Zoellner at Nearfest in 2009.....

  21. #21
    I once had a class with Alan Parsons
    Met Christian von Grumbkow
    Attended a Hoelderlin rehearsal
    Was with Saga backstage.

  22. #22
    Highly Evolved Orangutan JKL2000's Avatar
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    Definitely can't top a kiss from Kate Bush - I'll never wash Stevie B's cheek again!

    I thought an ongoing thread like this would be good to have, since various "brushes" always come up. My most recent - the reason I was asking about the old thread - is that I was recently on a flight to Orlando and Thomas Dolby was on the flight too. I just thought it was cool. He noticed me noticing him.

    I've had a few other good ones - fewer musical ones than actor ones, but:

    Once gave a ride to Fish.
    Was friends with Phish's Jon Fishman before he was in Phish.
    Once passed Pete Townshend in the street - was too overwhelmed to say anything, and he didn't look in the mood.
    Once waited at a streetlight standing next to Stevie Ray Vaughn.

  23. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by JKL2000 View Post
    Definitely can't top a kiss from Kate Bush

    I have many ideas how you could top it...

  24. #24
    Moderator Duncan Glenday's Avatar
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    Charlize Theron used to live catty-corner behind my parents. I met her a few times when she was still a kid. My parents used to bump into her and her family regularly, as my my Dad's best friend was their next-door neighbor andd often had to help out with various (rather complicated) family issues.

    Charlene, Princess of Monaco (aka Charlene Wittstock, wife of Prince Albert of Monaco) went to my old high school. (Sadly, she was born after I'd already finished school, so I can't claim to have known her while she was there )
    Regards,

    Duncan

  25. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by Duncan Glenday View Post

    Charlene, Princess of Monaco (aka Charlene Wittstock, wife of Prince Albert of Monaco) went to my old high school. (Sadly, she was born after I'd already finished school, so I can't claim to have known her while she was there )


    missed her by that much...
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