My mom met him and said he was a perfect gentleman.
I traded sets on the lat row machine with Hulk Hogan. Nice guy.
I shook hands with Rod Grams, who used to be Senator from my state.
I bought coffee and a brownie for Norman Spinrad, who signed my copy of The Iron Dream.
And I was uke for Mr. Byung Lee, who at the time was one of the ten living ninth-degree black belts. And I have had my ass handed to me by several national judo champions.
Compared with some of y’all I have led a sheltered and retiring life.
Regards,
Shodan
About 20 years ago a friend of mine went to see David Lindley play at McCabe’s in Santa Monica. Wonderful small auditorium underneath a guitar shop. Greg was with another pal. IIRC, it was just before the concert began… Pal nudged Greg, whispered “Do you know who sat down next to you?” Greg casually glanced to his other side- he was rubbing elbows with Linda Ronstadt. (McCabe’s was that kind of a place. Still is, I hope.) To his credit he acknowledged her with minimal fuss and then left her alone.
.
I shook hands and had conversations with:
James Garner
Tom Brokaw
Different occasions, naturally.
I met Maureen Tucker (Velvet Underground drummer) and shook her hand.
I’m sure I closely crossed paths with Jennifer Nettles more than once, but I really don’t remember her.
Trisha Yearwood’s niece was a student in one of my classes, and she has been on Trisha’s cooking show since then. Does that count?
Hmm. Has anyone seen the two of you in a room at the same time, I wonder.
Top 5 in order of famousness:
- Beyonce
- Barack Obama
- Al Gore
- Magic Johnson
- Al Franken
In order of proximity:
- 4-way tie: Beyonce, Gore, Franken, Johnson
- Obama
John Paul the Second, drove (or rather was driven) past my front door a couple decades ago, I was a kid standing on the sidewalk.
I’ve been on set with a few actors, I’ve got a very goofy picture with Nick Stahl for example; I missed meeting Wallace Shawn on the same shooting which was a real bummer.
Since I work on TV commercials mostly for Asia I get to be on set with Asian celebrities every now and then, but it’s mostly like: “who’s that face?” 
A few more that I just remembered:
“Airwolf” fans would remember Jean Bruce Scott. I spent a day with her when I was in the UK back in the mid-1980s (when “Airwolf” was popular). It was a day tour, and we were each by ourselves, so we ended up sitting next to each other on the coach. She was initially reluctant to tell me what she did for a living, but she eventually did; and once she realized that I wasn’t going to be “star-struck,” conversation bloomed. We had a nice lunch together in a pub, and I can still recall her trying to get me to smile so she could use my camera to get a photo of me with Stonehenge in the background.
I attended a taping of “Solid Gold” when Dionne Warwick hosted. She stood next to me between takes. Howie Mandel was the comedian who warmed up the crowd at the show; he and I got to talking after the taping (we come from the same home town).
Al Stewart and Dave Nachmanoff.
Several celebs that I have posted about before:
-played blackjack most of the night in Tahoe during the filming of showgirls with several of the cast members including Linda Evangelstica. She was nice, unnoticed and totally cracked up when I made a joke about “given the chocolates to your mom” when she won a box of chocolates on a casino special for 3 7’s or not busting on 5 cards (I can’t remember which).
-Linda Evangilistica and then love muffin Charlie Sheen were in the same elevator in Tahoe as my wife and I. Linda then said “no no, after you” like a chipmunk when I offered her to go ahead of us in the check out line at the hotel.
- played pinball with Robin Williams in 1984 or 1985 at some comedy club in SF. We had been upstairs at a Bo Diddley concert. He sucked at pin ball. Was totally gracious when asked to do an ID for radio station KDVS on the spot. It was a college radio station for a university known for its agricultural program. He said something along the lines of “and for all your four leggeded friends. baaabaa”
- hung out with Bo Diddley for 45-60 minutes between sets in SF. He was cool. Happy to just shoot the shit and pass time.
- Leonard Nimoy was right behind me going through Vancouver immigration and security check flying into the US. I was on total business traveler mode, Leonard was on “I don’t want to be recognized with a Panama hat pulled down.” Shit, I wouldn’t recognize my own mother if I knocked her down going through immigration and security. My colleague asked me on the plane “did you see Leonard Nimoy? I was behind him, and the immigration lady said it “it looked just like him expect for the ears”.” I was kinda like “no shit”
- others I don’t think I’ve written about was just about every punk band in the early 1980s, spent an hour with Red Hot Chilli Peppers at the college radio station, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Tom Waits, etc, tons of Rock n Roll bands where I got within 20 feet of the stage (kinks, led zep, queen etc)
- more than a few billionaires but will save that for when I’m no longer working where I’m working except to say I saw Steve Ballmer in a Tully’s Coffee Shop. My kids said in Chinese “Dad, he dresses worse than you do.” Ballmer was in crappy sweatpant shorts and a ratty polo shirt talking on his cell phone. My back was to the counter but I was curious if he paid cash or used a credit card.
-jerry brown walked by a buddy and I at the California State Capital rubbing his nose first time as governor around in 1979
Ted Kennedy. I just happened to walk past a political rally that had just completed. He was talking with people on the sidewalk.
Peter Pears. I got his autograph after a recital.
Does it count if we met before they became famous?
Darryl Hannah and Paige Hannah. In the 1970s we had the same voice teacher for a while.
Bill Murray. In high school, we were in one class together, and we were both in glee club and the senior play.
Bill Clinton, when he was campaigning for gov at a county fair in Marvell, Arkansas. Unfortunately (or not), I was registered to vote in Mississippi at the time 
And I must mention:
Muddy Waters
Howlin’ Wolf
Jimmy Reed
John Lee Hooker
Willie Dixon
Carey Bell
Snooky Pryor
Eddie Taylor
Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater
Homesick James
Otis Rush
Johnny Littlejohn
Louis & Dave Myers
Fred Below
Little Brother Montgomery
Sunnyland Slim
Good Rockin’ Charles
Jimmy Rogers
Junior Wells
Robert Jr. Lockwood
Houston Stackhouse
Little Milton
Tyrone Davis
Otis Clay
You get the idea. More memories than I can stand.
We are not worthy…
daaaahym, I can only count 3 on your list. And Muddy at best was 20 paces. I did hangout with the Hook for an hour or so, and shook little miltons hand when he was in a bad mood. I’ll add Clarence gatemouth brown and jimmy cotton.
David Bowie at Neo in Chicago, 1987. The bar was deserted. I bought him a drink. Nice chap.
Jack Black,nearly ran over him with my power chair… They were on break-filming “Bernie”… Nice guy,nice to waitresses,I’m told
Not counting standing at stage while performer artist was performing…
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Gallagher
Jerry Clower
Brooks Robinson
Let’s say “no”.
I used to work for a “pick-up service” that drove bodies to the funeral homes in Los Angeles. Some of my encounters:
Steve Allen
Juliet Prowse
The Real Don Steele
Phil Hartman (and the wife)
James Stewart
Doug McClure
Dương Văn Minh
Former CA governor Pat Brown
Among the living:
Dick Van Patten (just about the whole Van Patten clan)
Ed Asner
Gene Simmons
Paul Stanley
Jayne Meadows
Current CA governor Jerry Brown
Steve Garvey
Goose Gossage
Various members of the San Diego Chargers in the 80’s who lived in my neighborhood.
Morten Andersen was the keynote speaker at a Kiwanis meeting I attended as a member of their junior auxillary.
Chubby Checker at the USPTO’s Trademark Expo a couple years ago, he was keynote speaker for the opening ceremonies.