# Your brush with fame **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 7, 1999, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270 "1999-10-07T02:42:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/1 "1999-10-07T02:42:00Z")
I hope this hasn’t been asked before; searched but didn’t find one… Working from several active topics, have you met any famous people? Who were they and what was the encounter like? I’m not looking so much for tabloid accounts, though they would probably have their own entertainment value, if you legal counsel so advises. Hey, if you have dirt to _share_… Has your day-to-day life ever brought you in contact with high profile folks? Who, when and what was it like? BTW, I’ve had precisely two brushes with famous folk, and not even torture will wring out the grisly details. NOT stellar moments. Inquiring minds want to KNOW! Veb ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/2 "1999-10-07T03:07:00Z")
I met Presidents Bush and Clinton. Gave ship tours to Princess Caroline (Monoco), Bo Derek, Bob Hope (before he was senile), Alex Trebek, Lee Greenwood, among others. Worked with various and sundry network news folk. ---
**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/3 "1999-10-07T04:25:00Z")
My only brush with fame was when Oliver Stone ruined my vacation in Universal Studios. If you want to know how, ask. * * * Love at first sight is like being hit with lightning, it ends too quick and too painful. - Louie [Fun with HTML (tutoral)](http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000194.html) [Give someone an F.U.](http://www.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000255.html) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/4 "1999-10-07T04:34:00Z")
I shook hands with Spiro Agnew. I’ve cooked for Iron Butterfly, The Stray Cats, some of the Delaware Destroyers. (Not a hotel, a small restaurant.) I’ve ridden a horse on Dolly Parton’s property. My ex-girlfriend had sex with James Taylor. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/5 "1999-10-07T04:35:00Z")
Stephen Baldwin and Vince Neil have paid to see me mostly naked. * * * **\>^,^\<** “Cluemobile? You’ve got a pickup…” OpalCat’s site: [http://opalcat.com](http://opalcat.com) The Teeming Millions Homepage: [fathom.org/teemingmillions](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions) ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/6 "1999-10-07T04:49:00Z")
Opal, I am very jealous! 🙂 Not that I actually know who either of those guys are, but still. . . I’m sure it’s impressive. Um, nevermind. Louie, tell! I’ve never met anyone famous, but my fiancé has. He used to work at Astroworld (the Six Flags theme park here in Houston). I think he met Ozzie (not sure), and I know he met Paula Abdul. Also, he once met Weird Al in a Denny’s. Lots of other people, too, but I don’t remember who because they were mostly names from before my time. * * * Cessandra [My Homepage](http://www.shsu.edu/~stdmed17/Home.html) [The RHPS: Website For Virgins](http://www.shsu.edu/~stdmed17/RockyHome.html) **Both Updated More Often Than This Sig** ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/7 "1999-10-07T04:52:00Z")
I met Donald Sutherland in the Toronto airport, and I shared an elevator with Chuck (“You must be Mona’s kid!”) McCann. * * * TT “Believe those who seek the truth. Doubt those who find it.” --Andre Gide ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/8 "1999-10-07T04:58:00Z")
Louie, I think I speak for everyone when I say “duh” we want to hear the story! * * * **\>^,^\<** “Cluemobile? You’ve got a pickup…” OpalCat’s site: [http://opalcat.com](http://opalcat.com) The Teeming Millions Homepage: [fathom.org/teemingmillions](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions) ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/9 "1999-10-07T05:00:00Z")
Stephen Baldwin is one of the “Baldwin brothers” and has been in several movies as well as starring on “Young Riders” (tv show, not on anymore) Vince Niel is(was?) in (singer? something) the band Motley Crue. * * * **\>^,^\<** “Cluemobile? You’ve got a pickup…” OpalCat’s site: [http://opalcat.com](http://opalcat.com) The Teeming Millions Homepage: [fathom.org/teemingmillions](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions) ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/10 "1999-10-07T05:02:00Z")
Back when I was in high school, I worked in a movie theater. Celebrities used to come in quite a lot. Val Kilmer and wife-at-the-time Joanne Whaley, Bill Murray, the entire cast of Young Guns. Saw Lou Diamond Phillips at the San Francisco Bar & Grill in Santa Fe, too. He drove a wicked car. Most notable, in my experience, was when City Slickers was filming in Santa Fe. The Castle Rock production company folks bought out one of our two theaters and the whole cast and crew came in to watch Goodfellas. I worked the door, keeping out the riffraff. Since I’m over 6 feet tall, and only slightly less wide in the shoulders, I think I scared Billy Crystal; he took a step back when he saw me. Santa Fe’s a great place for celebrity-spotting; it’s somehow fashionable to Hollywooders. Robert Redford has a place there somewhere; I understand Gene Hackman pissed off his neighbors by building a private airstrip on his Tano Road property. Anyway. I still don’t think I’ve attained the celebrity-meeting standard of my friend Zach, who has actually sold a Sha Na Na 8-track tape to Sha Na Na’s old manager. Now THAT’S cool. ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/11 "1999-10-07T05:13:00Z")
I did this topic a short while ago. Called it “Celebrity Shopping” because…well, go read it. Anyway, I’ve met, spoken to, hung out or done drugs with the following people (I won’t say who I’ve SLEPT with. Heheheheh) - some were mere "hello, pleased to meet you"s Elton John Warren Beatty Bruce Jenner Micheal Whathisface on the pretender (that’s embarassing since he was my CLIENT…yeesh. It was years ago he wasn’t famous) Tommy Lee and all the members of Motley Crue Katie Sagal Groucho Marx Sammy Davis Jr. Kelly McGillis Bernie Taupin Weird Al Yankovic Andy Gibb Milo O’Shea Eric Roberts Dennis Miller Sam Kinison Dennis Quaid (who is gorgeous but has serious body odor. Or did that day.) Timothy Hutton Debra Winger Rita Wilson I’ve been up close enough to smell the following: Cindy Crawford David Spade Marlo Thomas Alexander Gudunov Jacquline Bisset Sting Rene Aberjoinois Whatshisface who sings “Crying” Joey Bishop Rod Stewart Jimmy Stewart Tawny Kitaen Meg Ryan Carl Reiner Tom Hanks Mare Winningham and a whole bunch more I can’t remember. Yes, I live in LA. Yes, I worked in Beverly Hills. Yes, I went to Hollywood High. * * * * * * This is a non-smoking area. If we see you smoking, we will assume you are on fire and act accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/12 "1999-10-07T05:47:00Z")
I worked for a friend of mine who had a little tv interview program on Japan’s version of PBS. We arranged to interview Tommy Lasorda. We got to Dodger Stadium, and Tommy finally pulled up. He heard the works “Japanese tv,” and proceeded to demand something like $1200. This was right after Nomomania, and he was used to these camera crews pulling up with cash jumping out of their pockets. Mark (my friend) told him it was a gratis arrangement, but he insisted. Mark finally Tommy he would pay it personally, knowing that the network would never agree to such a large payment, but Tommy I guess refused to agree to the guilt of taking the guy’s personal money, and it degenerated to Tommy screaming, "I don’t want _your_ money. Finally, one of the pr people for the Dodgers just lied to Tommy and told him it had all been arranged, and told Mark to just send along a few hundred dollars later to make him feel better. Years later, Mark said, “I still have forgiveness issues with Tommy Lasorda.” What a shining example of warmth and businesslike attitude. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/13 "1999-10-07T06:08:00Z")
I played music for many years (and am surprisingly far removed from that whole world right now) so I met several mighty and minor heroes of that world. One of the absolute nicest, with whom I had several encounters, was Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top. I played for a while with Jimmy Miller and so met his brother Steve (Steve Miller Band). Quite a few others with whom I’m sure I never registered. John Lee Hooker and Stevie Ray Vaughn, though there’s minimal chance I made any impression on them, were personable folk. A lot of others were not. Spent part of a day pitching an album production deal to Robert Cray at his home in Belair, back when he was hot (1988). He was cordial, but not really very interested in my bs. His bass player appeared out of some bedroom, buck naked, and joined the discussion. I left, thinking it had been a dismal meeting. But he agreed to do the project!?! Used to drive a hack in Austin, Texas (couple of lifetimes ago) and had some brief encounters via that medium. Took Fats Domino to a gig one night; his valet came out ahead of him and instructed me to not speak to Mr. Domino. So I didn’t. Well, we got to the nightclub and it was a $1.10 fare, i.e., we drove around to the otherside of the block. Mr. Domino waved his valet aside and personally paid me $5 for the trip. I said, “Thank you, Mr. Domino.” Picked up the light haired half of Hall & Oates (sorry, I was just never into those guys enough to know who was who) one night with a woman at a nightclub and took’em to his hotel where he graciously demurred on accepting her offer of continued company. I look at what I’m writing and keep telling myself it was present tense when we used to say “Discretion is the better part of being a cabdriver.” Oh well, he gave me a twenty to take the gal anywhere she wanted to go. Understand, at this point in time, $10 would get you from anywhere to anywhere in Austin. So, do I remember these guys for the grace or the overtipping (not that these were record tips; the drug dealers were always favorites)? Also picked up a few politicians and local tv newspeople - hard to get excited about. Kris Krisofferson (sp?) was as wooden in real life as in his movies. Had a couple of encounters w/the guy that everybody thought wasn’t real and I can’t remember his name right now - he collaborated w/Steve Miller and finally came out with his own stuff. I’ll get to it… My Dad was an anthropologist and we had several names from that field around the house when I was a rug rat. Margaret Mead knew my bed well, but not me. I was in elementary school and really couldn’t come off as Samoan, or mature. Also had, amongst others, Leslie White and John Bittner-Janisch (bizzare). I should sign off for the night. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/14 "1999-10-07T09:54:00Z")
Unfortunately, most of the celebrities I’ve met have been criminals. So it’s not like I wanted to hang out with them. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisCTP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@ChrisCTP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisCTP)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/15 "1999-10-07T10:25:00Z")
I’m probably the only person on the planet who is JEALOUS that Stoidela got to (whatever) with Eric Roberts… yum. I met Pres. Clinton when he was here for flood relief in 93… Got a kiss on the cheek from “Q” (John DeLancie). THAT made my lifetime. 😃 * * * Veni, Vidi, Visa … I came, I saw, I bought. ---
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/16 "1999-10-07T12:55:00Z")
Atlanta has it’s fair share of celebs, especially when we had the olympics. So, I ran into Nancy Kerrigan while turning a corner. Met Deion Sanders in a BP. I played basketball at Ga Tech, which led to some good ones. Pregame or postgame speeches by Kevin Costner, Vince Gill, David Duval. I’ve played with or against many a pro player, and that also means I have met the one and only Dick Vitale. Nothing like a noon conditioning session with Dicky V going nuts in the same room. * * * You know when you’ve got it made? When you get your name in the crossword puzzles ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/17 "1999-10-07T14:57:00Z")
I will not mention musicians, since I have met a ton being in the business I am in. Haven’t gotten naked for any of them, like Opal, however… As for non-musicians: - Had dinner with Mike Utley, the Detroit Lion who was paralyzed during a game a few years back. When I heard he was a big metalhead, I arranged to have a shitload of CDs sent to him, and I got to have dinner with he and his family when he visited NYC one year. - Madonna. Okay, she is technically a musician, but not in the realms I usually travel in. She walked by me while I was in line to go to a concert. I eloquently said, “Hey!” and she turned and gave me a dirty look, followed by a mischievous smile. You tll me… - Keanu Reeves - Though he was playing with his band Dogstar at the time. - Anna Nicole Smith. She went to a movie premiere party I was at. Said “Hi” to me. Stared right into those… um, eyes. Scott Ian from Anthrax took a picture and complained he didn’t bring his wide angle lens. Got drunk and almost stupid enough to go up to her and comment that I could do her better than the old guy she was married to. Hey, there are worse ways to die… * * * Yer pal, Satan ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/18 "1999-10-07T15:06:00Z")
Mike Tomczak (old Bear’s quarterback), Barry “The Fish” Melton, and Country Joe McDonald. Good Lord, why am I bragging about this??? Help me… ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/19 "1999-10-07T15:19:00Z")
I’ve met Hank Aaron (genuinely nice guy, 100% class), Glen Hubbard (ex-Braves shortstop, now 1st base coach), and Pat Jarvis (ex-Braves pitcher). Yeah, I like baseball alot. * * * The overwhelming majority of people have more than the average (mean) number of legs. – E. Grebenik ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 1999, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270/20 "1999-10-07T15:19:00Z")
Chris: Why would that be? Anyone with eyes can see that he is magically delicious! And I met him before the accident, when he was young and perfect, though he’s yummy in a whole new way now. But don’t be jealous. it was one of those "pleased to meetcha"s. stoid * * * * * * This is a non-smoking area. If we see you smoking, we will assume you are on fire and act accordingly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-brush-with-fame/9270.md?page=2)