# Name Famous People You've Met **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 21, 2019, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863 "2019-06-21T21:37:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2019, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/41 "2019-06-23T06:07:36Z")
Barry Goldwater. This was around 1988 or so. I was a co-op student at Comsat Laboratories in Maryland, and Mr. Goldwater sat on the board of directors (or something like that). One day he paid a visit to the small lab I was working in. He was in a wheelchair, and some guy in a nice suit was pushing him. The only people in the lab were me, my boss, Barry, and the dude pushing him around. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2019, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/42 "2019-06-23T06:26:26Z")
No way to remember them all, but just based on my phone pics and memory, and only ones that involved direct conversations: Jorge Posada - three times Preet Bharara - twice Sania Mirza Joe Torre Bernie Williams Lorraine Bracco Patrice O’Neal George H.W. Bush Trevor Hoffman Randall Park Evander Holyfield Donald Trump (long before his candidacy) Jose Canseco Alexi Lalas ETA: Ben Bernanke Bill Gross ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2019, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/43 "2019-06-23T06:32:54Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > No way to remember them all, but just based on my phone pics and memory, and only ones that involved direct conversations: > > Jorge Posada - three times > Preet Bharara - twice > Sania Mirza > Joe Torre > Bernie Williams > Lorraine Bracco > Patrice O’Neal > George H.W. Bush > Trevor Hoffman > Randall Park > Evander Holyfield > Donald Trump (long before his candidacy) > Jose Canseco > Alexi Lalas > > ETA: Ben Bernanke > Bill Gross I left out a numerous academics that are Nobel Laureates, since I don’t remember them all and I don’t really consider them famous. ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2019, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/44 "2019-06-23T12:55:12Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Steve Wozniak, computer inventor > Got one of his cool, metal business cards, he autographed our team’s Apple server. Awesome guy. > [/SIZE] I’ve got one of those on my desk at work. Cool how it resembles a IBM card, with his phone numbers punched out. Sadly I didn’t meet him, but my daughter did. So I’ve got a signed copy of his book and the card. As far as “famous people I’ve met” and had a moderately long conversation with; Only Hal Holbrook comes to mind. A chance meeting outside a theater back when I used to smoke. We were both taking a break for a cigarette. I don’t frequent many places where the famous are found, so unlikely to encounter them. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2019, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/45 "2019-06-23T18:17:29Z")
Steve Hall and his puppet Shotgun Red My family took a dinner cruise on the General Jackson Showboat at the Nashville Opryland USA park. We shared an elevator with Steve after the dinner show. Talked very briefly. He was quite nice. His show with Shotgun Red was very funny. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/46 "2019-06-24T17:14:24Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Steve Hall and his puppet Shotgun Red > > My family took a dinner cruise on the General Jackson Showboat at the Nashville Opryland USA park. > > We shared an elevator with Steve after the dinner show. Talked very briefly. He was quite nice. > > His show with Shotgun Red was very funny. [Got some bad news for you…](https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/12/31/steve-hall-shotgun-red-puppet-nashville-now-dies/2448985002/) ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2019, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/47 "2019-06-24T18:02:02Z")
Spoke with: Isaac Asimov (book signing) John Anderson (the 1980 presidential candidate - dinner at SUNY-Binghamton) Jon Anderson (of Yes) (Madison Square Garden after-party) Allen Ginsburg (signed my copy of Howl after poetry reading at SUNY-Binghamton) David Ogilvy (in Ogilvy & Mather cafeteria) Logan Lerman (at Jack & Bobby meet & greet) Kieran Culkin (outside broadway theater) Milton Berle (book signing) Elvis Costello (brought him tea at WCDB in Albany) Saw: Jimmy Carter (at a book signing) George H. W. Bush (only his hand waving from his car) Donald Trump (in lobby of Trump Tower) Macaulay Culkin (side of theater at Madame Melville) George Burns (book signing) Cyndi Lauper (book signing) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/48 "2019-06-24T18:30:27Z")
well, I actually _worked_ with these two: **Arthur Kantrowitz** (founder of the Avco Everett Research Lab, member of the Board of Governors of the National Space Society 9which later merged with the L-5 Society0, inventor of the Inter-Aortic Baloon Pump) **Ron McNair** – astronaut 9flew o the Challenger), 6th level Shoto-kan Black belt Others I’ve met and spoken with: **Elizabeth Warren** – shook hands with her in Boston’s Chinatown **Isaac Asimov L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp Larry Niven Frederick Pohl George Zebrowski Hal Clement Harlan Ellison Gary Wolfe** (author of _who Censored Roger Rabbit?_) **David Kyle Allen Steele Jack Kirby** I was in several stage musicals with **Erland van Lidthe de Jeude** (Grossberger in _Stir Crazy_, Dynamo in _the Running Man_, where he finally got to sing without being dubbed.) ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/49 "2019-06-25T04:41:47Z")
David Drake and John Steakley are the only two famous people I’ve ever met. And for Mr. Steakley, it was more “sat next to him at a bar, we were both drinking, and swapped banal pleasantries.” As for Mr. Drake, he autographed a somewhat humorous drawing of a battle-scarred M1A1 Abrams crushing a Russian “jeep” under its treads, and we talked about U.S. Army Tank Warfare & Doctrine in DS/DS vs. Vietnam, and swapped a few emails about the capabilities of modern MBTs. ---
**Author:** ![Snake\_Plissken\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Snake\_Plissken\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snake_Plissken_1)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/50 "2019-06-25T14:05:40Z")
…except the ‘Really Nice Guy’ spectrum: Todd Rundgren and Bob Feller. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/51 "2019-06-25T14:37:45Z")
I had dinner once with **Persi Diaconis**. He’s pretty big in Statistics and Magic circles. > **[Persi Diaconis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persi_Diaconis)** > > Persi Warren Diaconis (/ˌdaɪəˈkoʊnɪs/; born January 31, 1945) is an American mathematician of Greek descent and former professional magician. He is the Mary V. Sunseri Professor of Statistics and Mathematics at Stanford University. > He is particularly known for tackling mathematical problems involving randomness and randomization, such as coin flipping and shuffling playing cards. > Diaconis left home at 14 to travel with sleight-of-hand legend Dai Vernon, and was awarded a high school diploma bas... ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/52 "2019-06-25T15:04:20Z")
Some of these are bands I’m not completely familiar with so I’m not always sure exactly who I met, but of what I remember from all the concerts I worked that stood out: Ben Folds - brings his own ping-pong table with him on tour. He kicked my ass twice then I had to go pick up his dinner. Faith Hill: I ate dinner across the table from her in craft services. Had a good 10 minute chat. I didn’t know she was Faith Hill, otherwise known as the night’s main attraction. She was in a t-shirt and jeans with no makeup. Very nice lady. We talked about the food we were eating and our families, and as I was finishing my meal I casually asked, “So… what do you do for the show?” thinking she was a backup singer or costumer or something like that. She gave me a bemused look, then the amused response: “I _am_ the show.” Embarrassed, I replied, “Faith Hill, it was a real pleasure to meet you” and I slipped out of the room. “Weird” Al: just as awesome in person as you’d imagine. Super-nice guy. He let me try on the fat suit. Definitely a highlight of my brief concert career. Jonas Brothers: I talked to two of them. Absolutely no clue which ones. Amusing show to work at; it was at George Mason University and huge crowds of teenage girls and their parents were huddled around _everywhere_ all day long. They’d cheer literally anyone who went into or came out of the backstage area. Valerie Bertinelli - Van Halen was playing Verizon Center and her and Eddie’s son Wolfgang had just started playing bass for the band on tour. I picked her up from the Four Seasons hotel in Georgetown and drove her to the venue. The Police - I spoke briefly to Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers, but Sting went straight from the bus to the stage to right back on the bus. His rider dictated we set up a room for him with all kinds of shit in it that I had spent most of the day running around town acquiring. He never set foot in it. Dick. Meat Loaf - played a show at DAR Constitution Hall. Nice man. I worked the [DC101 Chili Cook-Off](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC101_Chili_Cook-Off) two years. The 2007 lineup was Jet, Three Days Grace, Buckcherry, Breaking Benjamin, Silversun Pickups, The Bravery, and Minus-One. In 2008 it was Staind, Live, Seether, Finger Eleven, Chevelle, Deaf Pedestrians, and The Blackjacks. I met a whole lot of people those days, and I can’t ID a single one of them. Assume I met at least some of most of these bands. Marc Anthony - 2009 show at Verizon Center, J. Lo/Marc Anthony tour. I met Marc but not Jennifer. Trans-Siberia Orchestra: they were dicks. All of them. And their entire team. Fuck them all sideways. The Eagles - I met Timothy Schmidt and Glenn Frey, but not Don Henley or Joe Walsh. Widespread Panic - I met John Bell, Dave Schools, and Jimmy Herring. Herring gave me $60 and requested I get him a 9:30 Club sweatshirt. So I drove over there and told the bouncer of my task ([Josh](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/going-out-guide/wp/2013/09/02/josh-burdette-the-face-of-the-930-club-has-died/?utm_term=.01075d8d576d); if you ever went to the 9:30 Club in the late 90s through 2013, you know who I’m talking about); I knew him, sorta, so he gave me a good look over, decided I was telling the truth, and he went inside in brought me out a sweatshirt. I asked him what I owed him, and he said, “If it’s for Widespread Panic, no charge.” I’ve always wondered what else I could have gotten out of him. I went back to the venue and gave Jimmy his sweatshirt and his money back. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/53 "2019-06-25T15:13:59Z")
The only famous person I would actually claim to have had any meaningful interaction with is [Richard Herd](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0378800/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1), who is an absolute prince. ---
**Author:** ![Limmin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f04885/32.png) [@Limmin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limmin)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/54 "2019-06-25T15:44:01Z")
> [@eenerms](#): > > Eric Heiden > Argo Guthrie > … Ah, Eric Heiden. Believe it or not, he was taking Norwegian language at the UW-Madison, and my big brother was a classmate. This was about a year before he got really famous for his Olympic medals in speed skating. All I remember was his turning around (tall, athletic guy) while sitting in a fixed row of seats, like they have in a small classroom, probably to see why there was a little kid in the room (like, 9 or 10). My brother was probably explaining that he was giving me a tour of the university. As for other famous people, I once went backstage with a group of friends to see Boston Symphony conductor Seiji Ozawa. I spoke to him in Japanese, which he seemed to think was cool, and returned an autograph to me with a smile. (This was in San Francisco in about 1994. They were a guest orchestra, playing in the hall that usually holds the SF Symphony. They did Mahler’s 2nd. The playing was a bit off; I think they were a bit tired out.) ---
**Author:** ![Vic\_Parrish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Vic\_Parrish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vic_Parrish)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/55 "2019-06-25T18:28:17Z")
Donald Sutherland Clint Eastwood Jeff Bridges George Kennedy Joe Walsh Andre the Giant ---
**Author:** ![half-elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@half-elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/half-elf)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/56 "2019-06-25T19:24:59Z")
Worked with several, of which I will mention: The most horrible: Yngwie Malmsteen The nice: Serj Tankian Iron Maiden Steve Wynn (& Linda & Jason) Peter Hammil (& band, whose names I dont recall) of Van Der Graaf Generator. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/57 "2019-06-25T20:23:39Z")
> [@half-elf](#): > > Worked with several, of which I will mention: > > The most horrible: Yngwie Malmsteen You left out his [middle name](https://entertainment.theonion.com/yngwie-malmsteen-officially-changes-middle-name-to-fuck-1819586873). ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/58 "2019-06-25T20:49:45Z")
A coworker and I were stuck at an airport gate waiting for a delayed flight with Road Warrior Animal (Joe Laurinaitis) for quite some time. We talked football almost exclusively, not much about wrestling. Most other “famous” people I’ve actually engaged in conversation are former MLB players that probably aren’t super well known. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/59 "2019-06-25T23:33:26Z")
I forgot to mention Dennis Rodman earlier. Gambled with him at at a roulette table in Vegas. This was when he was on Detroit and relatively normal. Speaking of Vegas, I was kicked out of a cabana by Warren Sapp. Not sure if that one counts. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863/60 "2019-06-25T23:40:45Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Missed edit window, decided to elaborate. > > I worked on the original production of Torch Song Trilogy, which was a small off-Broadway venture. Harvey Fierstein, Estelle Getty and Matthew Broderick were in the cast. I don’t remember how long I worked with them, but it was over 6 months, closer to year I think. We had cast parties. We hung out at restaurants. They weren’t famous at the time. > > I was a roadie with the 2nd national company of The Pirates of Penzance. Maria Muldar had the leading role. > > Worked in a professional capacity at the homes of David Bowie and Iman, Glenn Close, Matt Lauer and Ron Howard. > > Chatted with Chevy Chase in an elevator at the Regency Hotel in NYC. > > Was working stage crew on some benefit where Marie Osmond was the headliner. She kept slipping her leash and going backstage to hang with the crew. She was awesomely down-to-earth and totally cool. > > I met writer Jackie Collins at a private Christmas party, she was a friend of the hostess. I was chatting with some acquaintances and she walked up, introduced herself and joined in the conversation. Broderick wasn’t famous? This was after War Games and Ferris Bueller, right? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-famous-people-youve-met/835863.md?page=4)