Brush with greatness thread?

[Gruno]

I was at a rock/metal music convention in L.A. around 1993 at the Beverly Garland Hotel. Turns out the hotel was the sponsored hotel for the Arsenio Hall Show's guests. LL Cool J was a guest on Friday. Saturday morning I am waiting for the elevator in the lobby. Seems it was broken and some of LL's guys were stuck in it. He was waiting in the lobby for them along with two other guys. After about 15 minutes he looks at me and asks, "Do you know how to play a little b-ball?" Of course I do (I was coaching two youth teams at the time). So, LL and me vs. his other two friends in a half-court basketball game at the hotel. Lasted about 45 minutes. We won 2 of the 3 games we played!

[WHORG]

I played a game of pool with Johnny Cash when I was 6 years old.

[JKL2000]

I have a friend who claims that when he was a child he was molested by Dom Deluise.


Ok, it just got weird.

[JKL2000]

I forgot a couple of sports brushes:

Back in college I knew future NY Nets player Derrick Coleman, future Miami Heat player Ronnie Seikaly, and future Atlanta Falcons player Tim Green.

Also met former NY Mets player Rusty Staub a couple of times in the restaurant he owned in NYC.

[Lopez]

In the summer of 1964 (man, I'm really showing my age), my family went to visit our grandparents in Corona and to see the World's Fair in Flushing Meadow, NY. I was 10. One day, my grandfather dropped us off at Jack Dempsey's restaurant before we took the subway to the Bronx Zoo. We had burgers at the restaurant. On the way out, Jack was sitting at a table by the door. He waved and said, "Thanks. Goodbye, folks." I was so impressed and thought my dad knew Jack Dempsey. He didn't deny it.

[Yodelgoat]

Ann and Nancy Wilson once watched us play (at a Jr high dance - their dad was a teacher)

Was once told by Roger Fisher that I had the best live Bass tone he'd ever heard before (apparently he hated the bass and preferred Keyboard bass in his live band)

Goldie McJohn (of Steppenwolf) once hung around our band for about a week and tried to get us to fire our keyboard player and hire him. I also bought him dinner at McDonalds because he had hit on hard times.

Met Doc Severinson in the Denver Airport. He started up the conversation with me. Very nice man.

Met Tony Snow at the Dallas Airport (Fox news) - He also initiated the conversation.

My Next door neighbor pitched in 4 games for the New York Mets this last summer.

Once drove Earl Leggetts (Chicago Bears) Cadillac all over the San Fransico area because I was dating his daughter. My only mode of Transport was a Motorcycle and he didnt approve of that, so he loaned me his car. I was 18. Had I decided to stay in SF for a couple more days, I would have had dinner with OJ Simpson. 'Hey OJ! can I borrow your steak knife?"

Sat next to Garrison Keilor on a flight from New York to Chicago. A guy tried to get me to switch seats with him, so he could interview Garrison. Mr Keilor told me to "Stay right where I was". He was also intested in my portable drum machine I had with me, as I was programming it during the flight. I honestly didnt know who he was until a work associate sitting accross from me told me "You're sitting next to Garrison Keilor!". (that didnt help). I eventually figured it out. We would see each other a few more times in the Chicago Airport and he would nod to me. Oh, and by the way, the first plane trip I sat next to him on almost crashed. Some other plane pulled directly into our landing path and the plane had to ditch the landing and come back around. After it was over, Garrison said "thats the closest I've ever come to dying".

[Prehensile Pencil]

I'll mention this one, on account of it was uncanny:

In 1998, my then girlfriend and I were on vacation in Istanbul, and wanted to visit the largest Mosque, the Hagia Sofia, but it was closed for renovation. Because she was a not hard on the eyes, she managed to sweet-talk our way inside.

In the big cathedral there was a huge construction scaffold, 200 feet tall, straight up to the center of the dome. I thought to myself that looked like a stairway to heaven, and began to softly whistle the tune under my breath, when I heard a man chuckle behind me. I turned around, startled, because I thought we were alone. It was Robert Plant.

[JKL2000]

I'll mention this one, on account of it was uncanny:

In 1998, my then girlfriend and I were on vacation in Istanbul, and wanted to visit the largest Mosque, the Hagia Sofia, but it was closed for renovation. Because she was a not hard on the eyes, she managed to sweet-talk our way inside.

In the big cathedral there was a huge construction scaffold, 200 feet tall, straight up to the center of the dome. I thought to myself that looked like a stairway to heaven, and began to softly whistle the tune under my breath, when I heard a man chuckle behind me. I turned around, startled, because I thought we were alone. It was Robert Plant.

No fucking way!

Did I mention that Charles Nelson Reilly made crepes for me?

Oh, some people we've seen in restaurants (you see a lot in NYC, they're everywhere):

Paul Newman
Paris Hilton (not greatness, but well known)
Kyle McLachlan & Linda Evangelista
Jackie Mason & Jerry Orbach
Eric Stoltz (he was the kid in the movie Mask, but he's a grown up actor now)

Just walking around NYC:

Karen Allen
Liv Tyler
Julia Roberts and Lyle Lovett (not together)
Tony Roberts (a lot - the guy in lots of the Woody Allen movies)
Kevin Bacon (forgot to mention I went to school with his wife, Kyra Sedgwick)
Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker (chatted with them because I went to school with Matthew - but he was kind of a dick in school)
Adam Sandler
Colin Powell
David Duchovny and Tea Leoni
Gabriel Byrne
Christy Turlington
Pete Townshend
lots more I can't even think of

NYC Mayors:
John Lindsay
David Dinkins
Ed Koch
Rudy Giuliani
Michael Bloomberg (there's a ton of ex-mayors walking around NYC! Or course, a couple of them are dead now. I went up to meet Giuliani - this was maybe a year after 9/11 - and he seemed inhuman. Like a zombie.)

[davis]

I played a game of pool with Johnny Cash when I was 6 years old.

do you run into Rick, Dave or Mary when they're home/not touring?

[Dave the Brave]

I have met and spent many hours of fun with

Dave Sr. and
LINO

Top that.

[WHORG]

do you run into Rick, Dave or Mary when they're home/not touring?

I saw Rick in the vintage clothing store (CH) about 2 years ago - that's it. Super nice guy - - -

They always play a December/holiday show at Cat's Cradle every year - it's a blast. I might not go this year as the Goblin/Zombie show is higher on my list - we will see.

~JK

[trurl]

Did I mention that Charles Nelson Reilly made crepes for me?

So many jokes, so little time

[Dave (in MA)]

Originally Posted by JKL2000
Did I mention that Charles Nelson Reilly made crepes for me?

So many jokes, so little time

http://hllhll.ytmnd.com/

[WHORG]

Todd Rundgren and I pissed together (at a man trough) in Houston.

[philsunset]

Tori Amos sang and danced for me on the street outside the venue she was playing at.

[trurl]

Tori Amos sang and danced for me on the street outside the venue she was playing at.

Naked?

[philsunset]

Naked?

That would have been sumthin but no.

[trurl]

That would have been sumthin but no.

Oh well

[philsunset]

Oh well

It was extremely cool (as was Tori). A great memory for me.

[davis]

I have met and spent many hours of fun with

Dave Sr. and
LINO

Top that.

Where/how is Lino? haven't seen him around in a long time unless he's changed his PE name & I won't know it

[Gruno]

Where/how is Lino? haven't seen him around in a long time unless he's changed his PE name & I won't know it

Seems to be a long, but simple, story. He's just not interested in being here.

[progeezer]

Forgot about the time that my (1st) wife & I were spending a few days in Woodstock (circa 1968) and sitting at another table having breakfast were Garth, Levon, Rick & Richard (no Robbie).

Was both too and starstruck at the time to do anything but coolly nod my head & smile as we were going out. Levon was the only one that acknowledged me.

[JKL2000]

Did I mention that Charles Nelson Reilly made crepes for me?

So many jokes, so little time

It's not a joke.

[JKL2000]

I always wanted to pass Paul Schaeffer on the street, so I could give him what he called the "silent 'yeah.'" Where you just kind of silently point at a person as if to say "yeah!"

[trurl]

It's not a joke.

I didn't say it was That's just not a phrase you hear everyday