Famous People

Okay, I will play. I’m old enough to have met a lot of famous people. It’s hard to narrow it down to 4 so my criteria will be the ones that I enjoyed meeting the most and/or left me with a story to tell. In no particular order:

Nolan Ryan

Lee Tevino

Barry Switzer

John Daly

Hell I forgot Lee Trevino! I was supposed to caddie for him in Iowa City a long time ago (1969?)and had finals!!

I also forgot John Denver. I helped a young musician haul his equipment into the building and I did not even know who he was!

Good Knight:

Tommy Lasorda, Willie, Sam Jones, Earl Morrall [my roommate at MSU]

were in my phone index.

Bob Gibson only spoke by his "fast ball". It sounded "up and in".

Bob

Define "met." Does it mean having a conversation one on one, or, does it mean you saw them shopping in a store or walking down the street?

Oh hell I have been "Frannied"!

@Good Knight posted:

Oh hell I have been "Frannied"!

Yes you have

@Francis7 posted:

Define "met." Does it mean having a conversation one on one, or, does it mean you saw them shopping in a store or walking down the street?

C’mon met. Met means talked to. And more than hello.

Joe Biden (got a dozen roses from him and Jill after hosting them at our home about 12 years ago and they found out it was our anniversary)

Carole King (played happy birthday to my husband and you have a friend on the piano in my living room while she was at a campaign event)

Venus Williams was the guest of honor at an event held by the Des Moines Register honoring high school athletes

Joe Klein (political columnist for time magazine).

We are located 15 miles from the Des Moines airport and during caucus season, we are inundated with people running for president. I once walked from my house to events for Rudy Guiliani, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney all in one day. We have a rule, if a candidate shows up with walking distance of our house, we go see them.

I also forgot Omar Bradley. I was a young ARMY Captain at Ft Bliss TX. As I walked into the Officers Club I saw his Mercedes Limo out front with 5 stars on the front.

He was getting his hair cut and had a Full Colonel guarding the hall.

But the Colonel got a phone call and stepped away.

I had to try so I walked in and introduced myself and told him my father served with him in WW!!.

He shook my hand and looked over my shoulder and said " I think the Colonel would like to speak to u!"

Got my butt chewed but it was worth it. The last 5 star in the USARMY!

@Francis7 posted:

Define "met." Does it mean having a conversation one on one, or, does it mean you saw them shopping in a store or walking down the street?

Good question!

My neighbors brother is Chi Chi Rodriguez if you are into golf you know who that is. He is the most fascinating person I have ever met. Long conversations about his baseball days in PR all the famous guys from PR as well as stories about his golf days.

Everyone else was just a hello glad to meet you. I count that as a quick meet and greet.

Way to go Iowamom23!

@TPM posted:

Good question!

My neighbors brother is Chi Chi Rodriguez if you are into golf you know who that is. He is the most fascinating person I have ever met. Long conversations about his baseball days in PR all the famous guys from PR as well as stories about his golf days.

Everyone else was just a hello glad to meet you. I count that as a quick meet and greet.

Way to go Iowamom23!

Chi Chi Rodriguez was a character. Personality wise he was ahead of his time as an athlete. I’ll never forget him due to Les Nessman’s pronunciation of his name on WKRP.

@RJM posted:

Chi Chi Rodriguez was a character. Personality wise he was ahead of his time as an athlete. I’ll never forget him due to Les Nessman’s pronunciation of his name on WKRP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djp82kDSc4I

Ted Kennedy - Family had a summer home two streets over. We would run into him on the dock of the yacht club. The Kennedy’s also had a summer party where they invited the neighbors. I met several famous people there. But they don’t make the top four.

John Kennedy - Same thing. When he was in Hyannisport with Darryl Hannah there would be at least five hundred photographers roaming the streets trying to get a quality pic to sell to the rags for 10K.

Rush Limbaugh - When I lived in the NYC area my mother and I had been seated at Patsy’s (restaurant) in Manhattan. Limbaugh walked in with Bill Bennett (former Sec of Education). My mother knew Bennett. We were invited to dine with them.

Paul Newman - Warner Brothers (Burbank) was one of my accounts when I worked in the corporate world. My contact asked if I wanted to meet him.

@Good Knight posted:

I also forgot Omar Bradley. I was a young ARMY Captain at Ft Bliss TX. As I walked into the Officers Club I saw his Mercedes Limo out front with 5 stars on the front.

He was getting his hair cut and had a Full Colonel guarding the hall.

But the Colonel got a phone call and stepped away.

I had to try so I walked in and introduced myself and told him my father served with him in WW!!.

He shook my hand and looked over my shoulder and said " I think the Colonel would like to speak to u!"

Got my butt chewed but it was worth it. The last 5 star in the USARMY!

You obviously don’t understand your own rule of limiting to 4 !

I think u will find that it says 6!?

@Good Knight posted:

I think u will find that it says 6!?

Right you are! I have heat stroke and can’t read apparently.

Trump, Shaq, Hillary Clinton… at the same event, and they were all friends.  Sting the singer when I was 6 or 7 years old. Teddy Ballgame and Yaz.

Also played poker with a handful of “famous” CEO’s. Forgot, I grew up in the Tampa Bay area and regularly met professional wrestlers (Hogan, Macho Man, Steamboat, Brutus the Barber, Valentine).

well adbono in all fairness I did edit the 4 to 6.

Of course that in itself doesn't mean you can't read.

worked in and around politics for years, so most of my famous contacts are politicians (most of whom are really not very exciting).

1. Mikhail Gorbachev (had a brief conversation which was an absolutely incredible moment)

2. Barack Obama (during his first campaign)

3. Alan Greenspan (I staffed a 30 minute mtg with him)

4. Magic Johnson (at Obama's first inauguration)

5. Charles Barkley (bought him a drink at an SF club)

6. Mr. Padre, Tony Gwynn (met him on several occasions - my son was on a 'Jr. Aztec' club team that was loosely affiliated with SDSU when Tony was the HC. Very kind, incredibly personable.)

Nice topic Good Knight — interesting to see there are a few famous people who apparently get around and more than one of us have met!! I met Bob Feller too — at the museum grand opening.

@Good Knight posted:

I think u will find that it says 6!?

You are changing your own rules..lol!

I will drop some interesting peeps I have met and talked with over the years that might be interesting.

AJ Pierzynski and Michael Barrett - Had a 10 minute conversation at a restaurant in spring training the year before their famous on-field meeting in Chicago. I asked AJ at lunch about Barrett at lunch a couple of weeks ago with AJ and things have not been as cordial since that afternoon on the northside.

Axel Rose - Spent 15 minutes talking to Axel (mixed drink in hand at 11 am). Learned some interesting things about the formation of the band and his relationship with the female attorney who drew up the legal docs for GnR.

Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell and Matt Hughes- Had dinner with both one night in Vegas in the mid 2000's.

Rob McClanahan - Stood along the glass next to Rob from the 1980 Miracle on Ice team for 2 years while our daughters played HS hockey together.

1. John Gault - I know who he is

2. Willy Lowman - met at sales 101 seminar

3. Lawrence Taylor - in an elevator, frightening

4. Tony Soprano - at a diner.  Most memorably Journeys Don’t stop believing was playing. Then you will never guess what happened.  

5. Hannibal Lector - we had a nice meal together

6.  Jon Snow - I am actually the king of the North, north Florida that is. We met at a Ron DeSantis rally

So one more with a little story — this is for the old folks who remember Soupy Sales. He grew up in my dad's hometown of Huntington, West Virginia. I met him when he was having dinner with my great aunt one night. Apparently, when he was younger, he applied for a job at my family's lumber yard, but didn't get hired. He didn't want to tell his mom so he went to the lumber yard every day, sat on the bench in front of the shop, and ate the sandwich she made him for lunch. Not sure when she noticed he wasn't getting paid!

I always loved that story and rarely get to share it. Thanks for the opportunity!

Brooks Robinson.  I jokingly tell people my mom "lived" with him when he was in high school.  My mom was from a small town in Arkansas and she and her best friend moved to Little Rock after they graduated from high school.  They needed to move out of the apartment they were living in.  Brooks happened to be their newspaper delivery guy and told them his mom rented out rooms in his house.  They moved in for a year.  He was about 15-16 at the time and she would have been about 19.  Years later, after he had retired, he came to the local VFW/Lions Club, etc for a charity event - meet and get autographs.  My mom took me and my brother and she introduced herself to him.  He sat and talked with us for about an hour once the event ended, reminiscing about the time my mom lived in his house.

Famous people I have met?  @Adbono. I will leave it at that.

Through college and work I've met and worked with some fairly well known people, but keeping it to sports...

Spent an afternoon talking '70s baseball with Fergie Jenkins at a travel ball tryout...he told me he was amazed at how much knowledge I had of the players of that time which remains the best compliment I've ever received.

Played high school basketball with Pat Ewing (he stole my starting spot)...years later caught his attention at a Knicks game at MSG and we shared a laugh

Had a chance to workout with Howie Long as he had a connection at our college and would come into the weight room sometimes in the Summer

In the late '80s I took off the summer after college graduation and tended bar in Boston at the place most frequented by the Sox and Celtics...details are classified.

Hmm. Helped write a speech for Harry Belafonte when I was in grad school and spent time with him preparing for it. Bill Cosby when I was a little girl (it was a fundraiser and he let me pester him and was very kind to me). Dominique Dawes (married to a friend of my husband. I was a gymnast growing up and was a bit star struck when I met her). I made a vanilla latte for and chatted with Steve Forbes (also in grad school—took a side job at Starbucks to pay for our rehearsal dinner). On the sports side because of hubby and daughter  I’ve had a chance to meet quite a few pro basketball players like Shaq and Mutombo (his niece was on my daughters HS team and he would come to big games).

That’s my six I suppose.

Just thought of another. My Dad grew up with Patti LaBelle. They all went to the same church and my grandmother used to babysit her. She used to come to family reunions and parties.

If a meet and greet for an autograph at a baseball card show counts then here's my list.

1- Ted Williams

2- Mickey Mantle

3- Hank Aaron

4- Willie Mays

5- Ernie Bamks

6- Mike Schmidt

With many others not making the cut.

If an in depth conversation is required then just Jeff Reardon.

My job sometimes puts me in touch with some interesting people such as #1 and #3.  Baseball #2 and #4  

1. Vernon Jordan - read his book, watch his documentary. RIP. Fascinating person who I had the pleasure of working with on numerous occasions.

2. Brian Cashman - had seen him many times but has great convo with him at HeadFirst. My son was on mound and he liked what he saw. His son was about to get up when my son finished on mound.

3. Michael J Fox - we hosted a charity day focused mainly on Parkinson’s disease.  He came for a few hours.  He was gracious and focused on raising money for cure.

4. Todd Boehly - our sons played little league together.  This was right after he lead a team to buy the dodgers. Very accessible, nice guy. He piled the whole team into a bus and put them in skybox - Mets vs Dodgers at citifield

I have met others for brief convos - Mark Cuban, Ross Perot. Paul O’Neil, like @IAmThatGuy I met LT, I did get to hear Shinzo Abe speak and shook his hand (very sad today). Brian Williams NBC news, Mitt Romney, Tommy Lasorda - which leads me to this question  what does Tommy Lasorda, Mike Piazza, Geno Auriemma and I have in common? I know you don’t know me but the other three might give it away.

@jaketaylor posted:

Famous people I have met?  @Adbono. I will leave it at that.

You have led a sheltered life my friend

Johnny Bench

Deion Sanders

Evander Holifield

MC Hammer

Ralph Sampson

Here is what comes to mind on an early Friday AM.....

Willie Mays, Tommy Lasorda, Ron Darling at a media event at the Waldorf Astoria for Mays back in the late 80s.  Talked with each for about 5 mins.   Had a great conversation with Ron Darling.

George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush when they lived at the White House.   A co-worker and I were walking around the White House (back when their was a road around it) and Barbara showed up with Millie and her puppies.   The puppies were going in and out of the iron fence while we're carrying on a conversation.  George joined her a couple minutes later with some guys in sunglasses.   We talked about the Texas Rangers/Red Sox as they were playing a series at the time.   I invited the Bushes to my wedding which was a couple months away and 1/2 mile from their Kennebunkport house.  President Bush told me it was unlikely they could attend on short notice.  ;-)

Nolan Ryan at a restaurant in Round Rock, Texas.   The restaurant had a safe (used to be a bank) and Ryan was having dinner with friends inside the safe.   A coworker and I peaked in the safe room and he invited us in to talk.   We talked mostly about the Round Rock Express minor league team.

John and Patrick McEnroe, Carol Alt and Ron Duguay at a NYC upper east side bar that a friend and I used to frequent when I lived in NYC.   Actually met them several times at the same watering hole.   Carol Alt had the bluest eyes I've ever seen.  These folks liked to party.  I had played Patrick McEnroe a bunch of years earlier at a tennis tournament in Connecticut.   He crushed me.  I asked him if he remembered me, and he said "no".  I said "good" and we shared some cocktails.

Coming out of the bathroom, I almost knocked over one of my musical icons....Steve Winwood.....at a Microsoft Tech event in the New Orleans Superdome.  Had a five minute conversation about his music while Cheap Trick was on stage.

I didn't meet Andy Warhol, but I did attend his wake at his house in mid-town NYC.   It was my first day living in NYC, and I had just moved in when my roommate suggested we go crash Andy Warhol's wake.  It was a couple blocks over from my illegal sublet apartment.   Andy had a beautiful house.

Living in New York City for a few years, I saw famous people every now and then.   I'd seen Dick Clark, Joan Collins, Kurt Vonnegut on the street or in restaurants.  When it comes to famous people, I think you've got to "read the room" quickly to determine if they are comfortable and willing to chat or they don't want to be bothered.     

Met Michael Dell several times related to his business ventures.

That's all I got for now.....

Magic Johnson.  Real extended conversations 2 different times.  And he was one of the most rude, inconsiderate, and generally full of BS people I’ve ever met.  That taught me at a young age to never assume that I know somebody based on how they appear on TV.

@Gunner Mack Jr. posted:

My job sometimes puts me in touch with some interesting people such as #1 and #3.  Baseball #2 and #4  

1. Vernon Jordan - read his book, watch his documentary. RIP. Fascinating person who I had the pleasure of working with on numerous occasions.

2. Brian Cashman - had seen him many times but has great convo with him at HeadFirst. My son was on mound and he liked what he saw. His son was about to get up when my son finished on mound.

3. Michael J Fox - we hosted a charity day focused mainly on Parkinson’s disease.  He came for a few hours.  He was gracious and focused on raising money for cure.

4. Todd Boehly - our sons played little league together.  This was right after he lead a team to buy the dodgers. Very accessible, nice guy. He piled the whole team into a bus and put them in skybox - Mets vs Dodgers at citifield

I have met others for brief convos - Mark Cuban, Ross Perot. Paul O’Neil, like @IAmThatGuy I met LT, I did get to hear Shinzo Abe speak and shook his hand (very sad today). Brian Williams NBC news, Mitt Romney, Tommy Lasorda - which leads me to this question  what does Tommy Lasorda, Mike Piazza, Geno Auriemma and I have in common? I know you don’t know me but the other three might give it away.

You listed three more people I didn’t have in my top four. I met them at a Norristown PA sports banquet.

@RJM posted:

You listed three more people I didn’t have in my top four. I met them at a Norristown PA sports banquet.

You got it.  I was born in Norristown PA. Both sides of my family settled there when they came from Ireland and Italy.  

Jodie Foster

Warren Beatty

Albert Finney

Kevin Costner

John Lithgow

Justice Clarence Thomas

The first five I met when I worked in Hollywood in the late 80s.  They were actors/directors working on film projects either I or my husband worked on.  I also met a lot of other less famous and/or B list types, but this list would get really long if I included all of those.

The last was because after 3 years in LA, I realized Hollywood was not for me and went to law school.  I met Thomas as a young lawyer while clerking for a federal judge.  I also met Justice Kennedy, but I'm guessing he's not as famous.

As with some others, my job affords some interesting opportunities. Biggest names with lots of interaction are probably Jerry Seinfeld, Patrick Dempsey, Paul Newman.  But the most amusing/entertaining ones (if not most famous) are:

- Oasis. Far more of a big deal in the UK/Japan. But buddy of mine & I went to see them in Indy on their first US tour in ‘95 (?). Second song, someone throws a shoe onstage and hit Liam. Band walks off. Buddy & I figure out what hotel they are at, head to the lobby bar, they arrive 30 min later, hilarity ensues till late in the night.

- D.L. Hughley. If anyone flew DL at LAX a lot in the 2010s, you probably remember the tunnel between terminal 4 and 5. Nowadays it’s painted and decorated, but it used to look as stark as Oregon State hospital. Heading to a red eye, I found myself heading down the escalator with D.L. in front of me. As we start walking through the tunnel (we are the only ones in it), he turns to me and says “Man, this is some creepy a$$ sh!t! The hell are we?” We keep chatting through the tunnel and at the gate, end up across the aisle from each other on the plane and chat till takeoff.

But the most rewarding was Elizabeth Smart  at an SLC coffee shop. Such an incredible young woman.