That’s strange to me only because today I suddenly decided I wanted to own that movie, which I only saw once years ago. Couldn’t buy it here, will have to order it. But yeah, strange connection.
Wow! Isn’t he that guy … you know… the one who’s always… standing?
I used to live with newly retired Atlanta Falcons fullback Bob Christian. Great guy, if not a major celebrity.
In fifth grade, I shook the hand of Senator Ted Kennedy (he had a limp handshake).
I once went through a revolving door with John Lithgow (now I’m stretching)
I worked for a year at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and a number of celebs passed through the doors. But I can’t really say I met any of them – we tried to leave them alone.
James Brown, Erykah Badu, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Isaac Hayes, Freddie Jackson, Janet Jackson, Bob James, Quincy Jones, Grace Jones, Chaka Kahn, Alicia Keys, Earl Klugh, Lou Rawls, Lionel Richie, Phoebe Snow, Barry White, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Womack
Cedric the Entertainer, DC Curry, Jamie Foxx, Chris Rock, Montel Williams
I met Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward at a sports car race many years ago (late 70’s) when Newman first started racing. We were sitting in the same suite. They were (and still are, I’m sure) wonderful, genuine people, as long as you kept the conversation on the race, the cars and the drivers. If someone wanted to go all Hollywood with them and talk about movies, they were a little distant.
I’ve talked to and had Stephen Hunter sign my books,
I played a gig once with Louis Bellson, he hung out with us at the bar later on too,
I had Ozzy sign a CD in NY city, I got a picture of him looking at me all dumb,
I’ve also gotten signatures and pictures of some of the following bands, Virgin Steele, Diamond Head, Artch and Rob Rock.
Captain Kangaroo
Michael O’Hare
Harlan Ellison
Jane Badler
SF/fantasy Authors Jane Yolen, Joan Vinge, Esther Friesner, Lawrence Watt-Evans, Hal Clement, Robert Sawyer, Donald Kingsbury, Terry Pratchett, Nancy Kress, Catherine Asaro, Brenda Clough, Winnifred Elze, Don Sakers, Jim Macdonald, Debra Doyle, Terry McGarry, Paul Levinson, Ian Randal Strock, Sharon Lee, Steve Miller, Gene Wolfe, Judith Tarr, Josepha Sherman, Barry Longyear, Raymond Feist, Janny Wurtz, Jacqueline Lichtenberg, Norman Spinrad, and dozens of others, both online and in person.
Mostly authors for me…
I met Clive Barker at a comic convention, and he was really nice. One of the nicest authors I’ve ever met, actually. We chatted about filmmaking, and he signed a pile of books for me and a couple friends, as well as a poster. He also remembered a drawing I had sent him a couple years before.
I met Harlan Ellison at the same convention. Everyone says he’s a jerk (and there’s ample evidence to support that idea), but he was extremely cool to me, and even told me a story about how he swindled Marvel Comics out of some original Frank Miller pencil illustrations. Gotta love it.
I’ve met Neil Gaiman twice. He’s a nice guy, and a great reader. I’m actually starting to run out of things for him to sign for me.
I met Todd McFarlane a couple years before Spawn came out. Though I heard he later turned into a bit of an arrogant prig, when I met him he was pretty cool.
Met and chatted with Melanie Rawn for the better part of an afternoon, at a short-notice signing at Elliott Bay bookstore.
Celebrities used to wander into the bookstore where I worked now and again… Michael Gross, Ernest Borgnine, and Everett McGill, to name a few. Everett and I chatted about The People Under the Stairs, which I had just watched a few days earlier.
Others I’ve met, most of them briefly: Dave Sim, Jeff Smith, Colleen Doran, Stan Lee, and Dr. John Lilly, who was only a celebrity in certain circles… but a very kind old man when I spoke to him.
The only celebrity I’d really like to meet that I haven’t yet is Stephen King. I’ve been reading him for so long, I feel that I’d at least like a chance to say a word or two to him (more, if possible).
Oh, and DUH… this was snuck up on me, and I always forget it.
Tracy Hickman was the son of one of my favorite college professors, and I met and talked to him several times while in college. Very nice guy, and very honest about his work.
I don’t believe you. Please tell me you’re lying.
For the interest of fellow Canadians, in my previous life as a pharmacist, one of the stores I worked at was a nexus for local celebrities. Among the customers that I had the privilege to serve include The Barenaked Ladies, media personality Marilyn Dennis, 80s pop singer Jane Child, and the late children’s show host Mr. Dressup (Ernie Coombs). Another store I worked at had Yaphet Kotto (“Homicide: Life on the Street”) drop in one time.
Back in 1999, while waiting for a flight in LAX, I bumped into George Takei (Mr. Sulu on “Star Trek”).
Jerry Garcia, who was very amiable and gracious. We talked for about 5 minutes and took a photo together.
Several VA governors
One Supreme Court Justice
One Director of the FBI
One Director of the CIA
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Wayne Newton - at a family gathering in Virginia when I was around 7 years old. I’m pretty sure that I’m related to him somehow.
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Ted Koppell - used to live right down the street from me. “Hey Ted, keep your freakin’ dogs outta my tomato plants”
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Bob Hope - on a chartered fishing boat.
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Root Boy Slim - at a party in college (I think)
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Andre Segovia - after a recital.
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Steve Goodman - on several occasions, usually after his shows.
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Mitch Kupchak - at a restaurant.
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Bela Fleck - at a freinds house.
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Jerry Rubin - after a lecture.
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Lucille Clifton - after a reading.
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Jimmy Buffett - at one of his book signings.
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B.B. King - backstage.
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Alison Brown - at a banjo workshop at MerleFest.
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Norman Blake - at the Martin Guitar tent trying out some new models.
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Adam Oates - at a restaurant.
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Cesar Rojas - backstage.
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Artie Donovan - a Charm City legend. He has never met a beer he didn’t like.
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Peter Rowan - just this past weekend. I was helping out a freind doing the catering for a festival he was headlining with Tony Rice. He pulled his car right up to where we were working and asked for directions to the backstage area.
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John Prine - backstage at a college concert.
A highlight of my childhood was being introduced to Vincent Price, who used to shop at my grandfather’s hardware store in California.
I shared an elevator with LL Cool J, and his extremely large bodyguard.
Most of my celebrities wouldn’t mean anything to anyone else, but here goes.
Shook John Zorn’s hand
Cooked dinner for Lungfish and Poster Children
Hung out with Superchunk, Pavement, Seaweed, Love Battery
Personally caught fifty percent of the members of L7 in stage-diving incident
Had a beer with Neko Case
Took tires off a car with Page Hamilton of Helmet
Chatted with David Eugene Edwards of 16 Horsepower
Chatted with Ryan Rapsys of Euphone
Spent most of an afternoon with Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto, who got me into his show free, gave me a beer, bantered with me and friend during the set, and got me a car ride back to the train
Had coffee with Shannon of the Cows and Heroine Shieks
Had a beer with Pete, bass player for Unsane
Had a beer with drummer for Neurosis
Had breakfast with the Godbullies
Had a beer with Darren of Steel Pole Bath Tub
Participated in viscious chicken fight with 2/3 of Nuisance
I used to work at a high-end restaurant downtown, so I met a few local pro athletes: Reggie Miller, Dale Davis, and Austin Croshere of the Pacers; the only Colts player I remember is Chad Bratzke (that man is HUGE!!).
Also, does anybody remember the TV show “Family Law?” Christopher McDonald was in once.
That’s all I can think of.
I live in DC, which taints the type of celeb I meet:
Maurice Sendak (Interviewed him for my college newspaper)
Benjamin Hooks, William Kunstler (Guest speakers at UVA when I went there)
John Dean (Telephone call, UVA student paper)
Monica Lewinsky (Leaving a DC restaurant as I was entering)
Larry King (Crossing K Street)
Charles Krauthammer (We used the same DC video store)
Ralph Nader (My sister used to work for him. Jerk.)
Jean Cochran (former neighbor of mine)
Roy Clark (Autograph after Kennedy Center concert)
Lee Trevino (Drew a cartoon portrait of him at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg)
Frank Kelly Freas (SF convention)
Frank Cho (We were both staffers on the U. of MD. Diamondback, and I bumped into him once or twice)
Jayson Blair (Ditto; no clue whatsoever what was coming)
Tom Snyder (I sent him an e-mail and he replied to it on the air the next night)
Ted Kennedy (Solidarity Day rally, 1982. He was real drunk.)
Will Eisner (Comics convention, Betheda, MD, 2000)
I met all of the band “Our Lady Peace”. They were pretty nice people.
Krokodil, whadya got against Nader?
So weird that Lavay Smith has been mentioned so many times in this thread. Does she have a big SDMB following? I’ve hung out with her a bunch of times, a good friend of mine did promotion and web design for her for a few years (still does, I think, actually). I have a bunch of Lavay and SkilletLickers stuff around although I was never a real big fan.
Mainly musicians from Canada:
Burton Cummings (came into the bar where I was the oldies DJ)
Murray McLauchlan (autographed an LP)
Kelly Jay of Crowbar (autographed my Crowbar LP)
Bill Henderson of Chilliwack (autographed a bunch of my records - including his first record in The Collectors - and chatted for about an hour)
The Stampeders (played my high school, twice, autographed an LP)
Kim Mitchell (bumped into him in a music store)
and some non-Canadian celebrities:
Victor Borge (backstage after a performance, autographed my copy of his first 78 RPM album and posed for photos with me and my mom)
Curtis Armstrong (actor, Nilsson archivist - stayed at his house for a week!)
Jim Keltner (drummer on hundreds of hit records)
Andrew Sandoval (music archivist, liner-note writer for many Rhino reissues)
Zak Nilsson (Harry’s son - visited his house and played in his studio)
Bill Martin (composer and studio musician)
John Philip Law (actor)
Doug Hoefer (RCA recording engineer)
Richie Schmitt (RCA producer)
Rick Derringer (I interviewed him when I was 17. Wish I had the tape!)
Tom Waits (I was the tape operator for an interview with him in 1977)
I’m probably forgetting some folks I’ve met in passing, but these are the ones who have made a lasting impression on me.
Matt Groening
Weird Al Yankovic
Diane Keaton
Steve Martin
Justine Bateman
I’m just counting ones I have assisted during the course of my regular work day.
A woman that has worked with my brother for years and has become his good friend grew up with Tony LaRussa, so one time when I was in town I hung out and drank beer with him, John Grisham, Edgar Renteria, Scott Rolen and their wives at my brother’s house. This may not be that big of a deal to most people, but we grew up in St. Louis and continue to be die-hard Cards fans, so it’s a damn big deal to us. 
When I was in Maui a few years ago, my wife and I booked a snorkelling trip on a Catamaran named Shangri-La. There were four other women on board, all friends. After a few beers and a few good times snorkelling around, one of the women asked us if we recognized them. Suddenly it dawned on me that I had been cracking jokes and hanging out with Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks and two of their friends. Then I found out months later that Stevie Nicks named her next album “Sangri-La” <!> Both of them can’t be more than 5’5, 110 pounds.
My wife is good friends with a few members of Widespread Panic, and we have hung out many times backstage, at their hotel room, at our house, etc.