I used to work in the same building as Turner’s law firm, so I would sometimes see him in the elevator.
I’ve seen Brian Mulroney walking through the PATH in Toronto.
I also saw Gabriel Byrne walking down the street in Toronto; this was while the “Assault on Precinct 13” remake was being filmed.
P.S. I have never received even a flicker of recognition when I tell people I’ve seen John Turner and Gabriel Byrne.
Barry Goldwater was in line ahead of me at the local ribs place.
Stanley Kramer was getting dry cleaning once when I was dropping some off.
Ran into Emmy Lou Harris in a hallway.
Waved at (and responses from) Richard Simmons and also Charles Nelson Reilly at airports.
I’ve sat in cars next to Linda Carter, Arie Luyendyk, and all of Pink Floyd.
Alice Copper checked out my swap meet stuff once.
Hosted autograph sessions in my record store early 1980s, with Devo, Ramones, Squeeze, and a bunch more bands.
Three POTUS: Attended Nixon campaign speech, saw Gerald Ford whizz by in a motorcade, and saw Bill Clinton when he visited Barry Goldwater in the hospital.
When I was 12 years old I was at a neighbor’s house playing with my friend. His mom told us to be quite, because his dad was meeting with a client (dad was a lawyer). Just then, dad and client walk into the room and I was introduced to Roberto Clemente. He shook my hand.
Turns out Clemente was there finishing preparations for his flight to bring aid to the earthquake victims in Nicaragua. I met him and 72 hours later he was dead.
No offense, but I think I’ll avoid any Dopefest where you will be present…
Not that many in the wild:
Elton John walking down the Champs Elysees in Paris.
Former Celtics great Kevin McHale in an airport in Hibbing, MN (his home town).
Dave Brubeck in Moscow, USSR. I was actually able to talk to him about the old quartet.
Senator Ted Stevens at an empty bowl charity event in Anchorage
Alaska representative Don Young doing his laundry at a government facility in Fort Yukon, Alaska. Couldn’t avoid having to meet the asshole, unfortunately.
Manute Bol, who was at some public thing in a building I happened to be visiting.
Because of my job at one point:
Bill and Hillary Clinton shaking hands on a rope line in Uganda
Secretary of State George Shultz in Moscow
President Reagan in Moscow
CIA director James Woolsey in Lisbon
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
Secretary of State Warren Christopher
Several members of the Black Caucus in Lisbon
President Museveni of Uganda
Ambassador Shirley Temple Black in Prague
I met Gene Roddenberry’s wife before she died. My uncle met Mike Tyson in London.
Let’s see… I’ve met, meaning “had a conversation with” Barack Obama, Jim Butcher, Julie Schwartz (DC’s counterpart to Stan Lee, not so well known outside of comics), and probably others I’m not remembering off the top of my head at the moment.
I’ve seen Bill Clinton, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash, Richard M. Daley, Jerry Springer (no, I was not on his show, I saw him at the Gary, Indiana airport when we were both based there as pilots), and, again, probably a bunch more I’m not recalling at the moment.
I saw Billy Crystal at a place that no longer exists…on the observation deck of the World Trade Center. On the same trip we went to see Les Paul at Fat Tuesday’s and we sat a few tables away from Robert Plant and Brian Setzer.
Diego Loyzaga and Carlos Agassi, two of the biggest TV and film stars in the Philippines, were in front of me last year in line checking in for a flight at Manila airport.
I had a lengthy chat, half hour or so, with Kreskin, the TV psychic.
I worked with Rush Limbaugh at a radio station early in his career. Robert W. Morgan, too.
When my daughter was in junior high, she went through a short phase where she liked country music. She knew I had a friend at RCA/BMG, so she asked if I could get her and a friend “good” seats when Kenny Chesney came to Pittsburgh.
I ended up getting them very good seats (with my friend just off stage), plus a meet-and-greet with Kenny. I picked her up after the concert and she was absolutely beaming.
As part of Key Club, I was at a Kiwanis event where Morten Andersen was the featured speaker.
Chubby Checker was the featured speaker at a work-related event.
Bill Nye and David Heil appeared together at an event in a local mall; I practically bumped into David while he was waiting for his turn on stage and probably freaked him out while trying to remember where I knew him from.
Pretty sure Adrian Cronauer was on the same Metrobus at me during an evening commute. That voice is rather unique.
My SO encountered Patch Adams at the grocery store where she worked.
I saw Andre the Giant at LAX one time.
Oooh, that reminded me:
In 1998, when I was working at Quaker Oats, we had a booth in the exhibit hall at the AARP national convention. I had to work shifts at the booth, and I got to meet Graham Kerr (“The Galloping Gourmet”), who was giving cooking demonstrations at our booth. I got to talk with him for a few minutes afterwards – a very sweet, very genuine person.
But, I’d also structured my schedule for working at the booth to be able to go see Carrie Fisher give a talk – she was sort-of plugging one of her books, but she primarily talked about her childhood with her parents. Her mother, Debbie Reynolds, was also at the convention (she performed one evening), and she was standing in the stage wings as Carrie spoke.
When Carrie started a question-and-answer session, we could hear Debbie offstage, shouting out corrections to Carrie’s answers to some of the questions. Finally, Debbie just came out, as well, and watching the two of them banter with each other as they answered questions was awesome.
And, this reminded me: I saw Manute Bol (Sudanese basketball player, who was 7’ 7") at Chicago Midway Airport. He was flying on Southwest (as was I), which is, of course, known for not having a first-class seating section. I have no idea how someone with legs that long would fit into a coach seat.
I met Ginger Baker once at a radio talk show. I got his autograph thinking he’d be the first to go from Cream (Baker, Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce). He’s fooled me and many others by still hanging on!
I’ve met a whole butt-load, but the ones worth mentioning:
Rescued Phyllis Diller when her Rolls got stuck in the snow. Brought her to the house to use the phone.
Had a beer with Willie Nelson. Stood around a chatted a bit.
Took room service food to Wayne Newton. Good tipper!
I met Weird Al at the Adult Video Awards afterparty in Vegas. Him and Ron Jeremy, too.
And I came here to say I met Robin Williams while he was filming a scene from “Patch Adams” right in front of my office. He took pictures and chatted with me and some of my coworkers between takes.
I saw Cameron Diaz and Christina Applegate film a scene from “The Sweetest Thing” on that same street (it’s a very telegenic street). Christina took off right after the scene was shot but Cameron stuck around a bit to schmooze with extras and bystanders.
I was at UC Berkeley at the same time that Kevin Johnson (All-star NBA basketball player, former Mayor of Sacramento) was playing there. He used to go to the same deserted little library that I did in order to study in peace and quiet. Even back then it wasn’t that common that a hot NBA prospect would stay in college four years, actually study, and get his degree before being drafted. Though I was a big Cal BB fan, I just nodded and went about my business when I saw him. He had no classes in the building and was clearly there to avoid being chatted-up by strangers.
My brother was on the Capitol Police Bomb Squad during the Bill Clinton years and met lots of people. In one story he was detailed to Al Gore’s residence and Tipper invited him and a couple Secret Service guys to come in and have dinner with her and Al.
I flew to London with Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood. (I was in the economy cabin; they flew up front.) I helped negotiate a business deal with the 2nd-richest man in Nepal. My 2nd cousin was CEO of two Fortune-500 corporations. My friend is the Holocaust survivor who identified Peter Schiff (the secret crush mentioned by Anne Frank in her Diary). I once spent Christmas with Ramblin’ Jack Elliot (embarrassing since I wasn’t a fan, and it took me a while to figure out “who” he was).
My father had lunch with Nikita Krushchev. (It was a large banquet; I don’t think my dad sat at the VIP table.) My mother was something of an activist and frequently met personally with Leon Panetta and Cesar Chavez.
Hulk Hogan at Tampa airport. Same flight to Vegas. He sat in 1st class 2 rows in front of us. we were in 1st row coach. Some fat hog dumped in the bathroom and he went in right after her. It had to reak.
The Big Show, same flight from Vegas to ATL. Dude barely fit in plane.
Ray Boom Boom Mancini. Partied with him in Niles, Ohio when he was world Lightweight champ.
Went to High School with Dave Blaney Nascar driver.
I met with James Taylor and his whole family at the beginning of James’s career. I have a brother whole looks exactly like James, and a sister that resembles his sister Kate. We figure we have to be related somehow.
I once cashiered for a huge star (I’m not going to say who). I knew who they were for the voice, the looks and the star quality.
