I can’t say that I ever met anybody who later became famous. I did meet some people who were already famous when I was in college, at a conference: Madalyn Albright, Gerry Ford, Al Haig, Henry Kissenger, and some others.
My Dad, on the other hand, met tons of famous people. He met Charles Lindbergh once, and he shook hands with Jimmie Davis, former Gov. of Louisiana. He was robbed at gunpoint in Flint, Michigan one night by John Dillinger. He talked with Henry Ford on a few occasions. He saw Walter Reuther and Richard Frankensteen (the U.A.W. organizers) get beaten up by Ford Motor Company goons in Dearborn. He was in the Army with Leo Gorcey (one of the original Bowery Boys), as well as Frank Sinatra’s cousin. He also met General “Vinegar Joe” Stillwell during WW II.
Dad wasn’t on buddy-buddy terms with any of these people (especially not Public Enemy Number One), but he did meet them all. Sort of a Who’s Who of the late 1930’s and early '40’s.
I was in the same H.S. class as Bill Murray and Peter Fox (“Delta House”). Bill sang in a folk group with two other students who played bass and guitar.
For a while in the mid 70’s, Daryl Hannah (and Paige) and I had the same voice teacher. The voice teacher taught both classical and pop. Daryl once did “It’s Not Easy Being Green” in green leotards and makeup and a frog-like posture. Paige (10 or 11 at the time?) once did “Chantilly Lace!”
I went to school with Jim McMahon (Bears) - total asshole.
Was good friends with Cindy Brimhall before she became Miss October (I forget the year) in Playboy, a music video girl (mostly Van Halen and David Lee Roth. She is the redhead in black on the California Girls music video), and later a model for the Frederick of Hollywood catelog.
Although not well known in the U.S., I was good friends with L’Wren (not her real name) who is now one of Europe’s highest paid models.
I went to school with Brit (I forget the last name) who was cast as Lily on the soap opera Loving for a few years. I didn’t know her very well, but she seemed nice.
Not real famous, but not bad coming from a small town.
Was in high school with Steve (as he was then known) Spielberg. He was on the newspaper staff, I was the yearbook editor and we twitted each other regularly over grammar. The school administration bought him some film for his 16mm and he filmed Senior Sneak Day at the beach, including a stop-action scene he set up where a buddy and I appeared to pop “wheelies” drag racing down the beach on our butts. Unfortunately, as reported in Newsweek and other places, most of his experience at the high school was “hell on earth” (think jocks vs. nerds). Fortunately for the movie-going public, Steve put his rage aside and is living the best revenge.
Cristi: Wow, that is a cool coincidence. That incident took place when my parents were living in Sloan Heights, and Dad was working at Fisher Body Plant. (This was long before I was born.)
I live on the west side of the State, but I work in Grand Rapids at the present time.
