Brush with Fame (Merged with Brush with Greatness)

[el Guapo]

Brush with Greatness

As inspired by David Letterman.

Tell us your story about your encounter(s) with the rich, famous or just weird.

 

[Jeff]

Re: Brush with Greatness

As inspired by David Letterman.

Tell us your story about your encounter(s) with the just weird.

We deal with you every day. Does that count ??

 

[Downtown]

Sadly, My SINGLE celebrity spotting was during a layover in Chicago and the WWF was in town. I was waiting in line at McD's and Rob came running back from the men's room, extremely excited and relayed to me that I'd never guess who he just peed next to - Rob VanDam. Perplexed, I had no idea who he was talking about. Just as he was explaining that he was a wrestler, Triple H, Test, Prince Albert, and the Hardy Boys walked by. It was like a parade! Everyone just stopped and stared at the giants. Well, except for the Hardy Boys, who were surprisingly tiny. But even I had to admit, it was pretty cool.

And Melissa Joan Hart is my uncle's wife's niece.

My brother lives in LA and calls every now and then with a great celeb siting, like going to boot camp gym class with Alanis Morrisette, or going to the GLAAD awards and getting close enough to Annette Benning to report that she "smells really good".

 

[el Guapo]

Re: Re: Brush with Greatness

We deal with you every day. Does that count ??

I love you too Mike,

Hey - What do you mean by "DEAL WITH?"

 

[Planderella]

I met Stevie Wonder at a party once....well...more like passed right by him and got to touch his sleeve.

 

[NHPlanner]

I met Bill Clinton when he was running for president in 1992. I was wearing a Harkin for President button at the time....but he still was very pleasant and answered a few of my questions.

Presidential brushes are normal around here....every 4 years they all descend on us for the primary.

 

[prudence]

I go drinking with the guys in the BoDeans regularly. But nobody really famous.

I saw Pee Wee Hermann in a movie theather once, but then he was ushered out...it was all very peculiar. j/k

 

[nerudite]

Too many to count...

Hmmmm, but then the topic is "greatness", so maybe I've just had brushes with the mediocre. My best friend went to school with Tracey and Missy Gold, so I ended up meeting a lot of childhood actors when I was growing up. Kirk Cameron, Christian Slater (when he was geeky looking), etc.

My faves though include spilling my scrambled eggs all over Ricky Schroeder at the MGM Grand Buffet in Las Vegas when I was about 11. And during my brief two-week stint at a pizza parlour at the Topanga Mall, I served pizza to Dick Van Dyke.

My next door neighbor did a lot of bit parts in movies, so I would sometimes get invited along (he was kind of like an uncle to me). He was the guy that sold the jarvic heart in the beginning of Robocop and he played Christian Slater's dad in Heathers. So I got to meet Winona Ryder (who is the size of an elf)... but luckily she didn't rip off my purse.

Oh oh... how could I forget? My very first Oilers game I got to attend... I met Georges Laraque. I had my picture taken with him... not only is he cute, but boy oh boy that man has big hands!

 

[nerudite]

Oh yeah... and for those of you that know Cali politics, Willie Brown hit on me once when I was an intern working for the CA Coastal Commission. He was ripped at his annual end of session party (back when he was Speaker) and was a little too touchy feely near the punch bowl. It was still a good party though.

 

[Jeff]

Re: Re: Re: Brush with Greatness

Hey - What do you mean by "DEAL WITH?"

Ummm...uh...nothing.

I ride with alot of pro bike racers during the fall when they all come back from Europe, and I see Cecily Tynan (the hot weather chick on Channel 6 in Philly) out on the bike path all the time.

Speaking of wrestlers, I sat with The Undertaker, Prince Albert, and 2 nobodies at the Applebee's bar in Allentown, PA last year.

 

[Jeff]

Oh oh oh oh...

Almost forgot. One of my best friends in high school beat up the lead singer from Live in like 1992 when he tried to hook up with his girlfriend at the time.

OK, that's it.

 

[Tom R]

famous

I met Eudora Welty while in school and graduated with Paul Warfield.

 

[nerudite]

Oh oh oh oh...

Almost forgot. One of my best friends in high school beat up the lead singer from Live in like 1992 when he tried to hook up with his girlfriend at the time.

OK, that's it.

Oh yeah! (Drunken memories are coming back now...)

I once kissed Billy Corgan (after he signed a ticket stub for me)... it was the tour in 1991 when he was dating Courtney Love. Hole opened for the Pumpkins, and Courtney came over and shoved me. So that can be a brush of the lips with greatness and a shove with evilness.

 

[Jeff]

I should really put all these on paper before I reply any more...here's 2 more. A good friend of mine used to date Stacy Keenan (hot chick from "My 2 Dads" same guy used to date Dorothy Krishuck, traffic chick on Metro Traffic in Philly.

With a resume like that I guess knowing him is a "brush with greatness in and of itself.

 

[Tom R]

15 mins.

Oh, yeah, I also graduated with Dean Kahler, one of the 9 students wounded at Kent State on May 4, 1970. He's a paraplegic. A few months after graduation, I saw a KSU broschure touting how the campus was handicapped accessible. And on the cover was a picture of Dean in his wheelchair in cap and gown. I guess the message is that not only will Kent State help you get around in a chair, they will also help put you into one.

 

[Repo Man]

I met Bill and Hillary Clinton on a campaign stop in Milwaukee in 1992. I was working "security" for the media. I use the term security very very loosely. I just had to check media credentials on the floor of the auditorium. Afterwards we got to meet the Clintons. About 15 minutes after the event, we met Morgana the Kissing Bandit in an elevator at the Milwaukee Hyatt. People seem a lot more impressed with her than meeting Bill and Hillary.

At the 2000 APA conference in NYC I was riding with William Daniels in the elevator at the Sheraton. Who is William Daniels you ask? He is the guy from St. Elsewhere and Boy Meets World, but is more famous for being the voice of Kitt, the talking car, in Knight Rider. Actually I had no idea what his name was when I saw him. I had to tell eveyone that "I was just in the elevator with that dude who does the voice of Knight Rider.

I met Mark Harmon when he was in Milwaukee filming "Dillinger." My cousin and his girlfirend were extras and we met him when they snuck me into the free food buffet.

I have ran into various sports celebs at bars (McGwire, Roberto Alomar, Charles Barkley) Also, A friend of mine used to work for Fox Sports, so we used to get hooked up with all access media passes for numerous events, where I have ran into or met a lot of Milwauke sports figures.

Saw Hulk Hogan riding around in a Dodge Viper in Clearwater, FL.

Saw Roger from Survivor 2 in an airport tram in Vegas. Saw Charles Barkley at a Blackjack table at the Mandalay Bay on the same trip.

 

[Chet]

My roommate dated John Candy's niece.

When I was a waiter in a 24 hour restaurant I took Billy Idol's order at about 3:30 AM. I served Billy Joel too. (Different days of course)

 

[Zoning Goddess]

In 1964 I got to shake Lyndon Johnson's hand when he made an appearance in Orlando.
In the mid 80's I ran a bookstore and got to go to several national booksellers conventions. They were always full of celebrity authors. So I met and got autographed books from Roslyn Carter, Helen Hayes, Berke Breathed, (hints from) Heloise, poster from Walter Cronkite, etc. Fr. Guido Sarducci (from SNL, way back when) told me I had a great tan.

 

[Tom R]

fame

I freshman english I wrote a short paper on "To Kill a Mockingbird". Found out later that my instructor is Harper Lee's cousin. Got an "A".

Talk about a nightmare, a friend of mine who is a planning director in Maine had Caspar Weinberger show up at a meeting to protest a rezoning or a development proposal. I guess he didn't have the foggiest about land use law.

 

[PlannerGirl]

I guess the run in that sticks out most in my mind is having Newt oogle my...parts at the Kennedy Center. My date kept trying to keep me from making a scene but damn I wanted to tell him a thing or two.

Note dont sit in the #2 box at the Kennedy Center while a Republican is in office-or if you dont like dealing with political figures-the prez box is Box 1.

but they ARE great seats!

 

[nerudite]

I met Stevie Wonder at a party once....well...more like passed right by him and got to touch his sleeve.

Wasn't there a pic of you in Chicago all passed out? Is this a Planderella party theme?

 

[donk]

Similar to Mike I know a few pro bike racers, including the current world champ (roland green), previous flying 200 world record holder (Curt Harnett) and women's track 200m world champ Tanya Dubnicoff.

Best story that I can repeat, is at Mte Ste Anne going to a post race party at teh top of the hill in the Gondola after the National Team had been announced for the sydney olympics. roland was shooting fire works out of the gondola.

Other touches with greatness

Met the ramones, autographs and all.

When I saw the Tragically Hip in Toledo, we stayed at the same hotel and saw them at the wendy's across the road..

Went drinking with a friend during university, met one of his friends who played for LA Kings (Matt something) and was regaled with stories of how hard a puncher Ty Domi is and how if Janet Gretzky organizes a hair cut it costs $500 for a crew cut.

Met the owner of Moosehead Brewery at a friend's christmas party.

Met Dave Sim (cerebus the aardvark) writer and illustrator.

Met Spider Robinson (sci - fi writer)

 

[kms]

I graduated fron high school with Sheila Kelley, an actress who was on LA Law, a move called Pure Luck, and I think I saw her on a television show this fall. I don't know her.

Earlier this year, I got a signed letter from Mister Rogers.

 

[nerudite]

Earlier this year, I got a signed letter from Mister Rogers.

That's cool! I have a Mr. Rogers "hockey card"... maybe he'll sign one for me!

 

[Chet]

Oh, I also stood up in a wedding with former Chicago Bear John Shannon.

 

[Mastiff]

I used to party with Bill Clinton in Arkansas at the Tyson lake house (one of my frat brothers was a Tyson... the chicken people) That was when he was the gov.

Shaq is a HUGE man. I met him several times at games. Of course, I was heckling him at the time... He's a pretty good sport about it, too.

And I've met countless Rock celebs, since I had a good friend who ran security at the Spectrum in Philly when I was a teen. I sat and talked to Steven Stills of CSN for a good hour once.... Sting threw me out of his party. Alex Van Halen is the coolest guy in THAT band.

Oh, and my band opened for Foghat at the Starlight Lounge in Jersey...

 

[giff57]

Peter H Coors bought me a beer once. Coors of course, tasted like water but what the hell, free beer is free beer.

 

[Planderella]

Wasn't there a pic of you in Chicago all passed out? Is this a Planderella party theme?

LOL. I try to stay awake (not necessarily sober) at parties, but that was a first time. Stevie happened several years ago.

I ran into Aaron Brooks (Saints quarterback) in the mall this past Friday. Kelly from the Real World New Orleans used to hang out at the W before it got overrun with pseudo-hipsters. When I worked at the Hilton, I would meet celebs all the time. Most memorable meeting was Don King. What an interesting man!

 

[Chet]

Brushes with insignificance

I once was in a thread with Mugbub.

 

[Dan]

My parents' neighborhood has a ton of Sabres, Bills, and local media celebrities as residents, so seeing someone relatively famous in a local supermarket or restaurant is really no big deal.

I went to elementary school with a girl whose dad was Dave Thomas ... not of Wendy's fame, but rather the host of a popular morning kid's show in Buffalo, Rocketship 7. More recently, her brother was struck by fame. He's Dave Boreanez. Also, in that same elementary school, the PE teacher was the father of Kathy Gleason, a famous gymnast in the 1970s.

Another elementary school classmate was the son of #2 in the Buffalo "family," if you know what I mean. His dad was later jailed, convicted of racketeering charges.

Another "friend of" brush with fame ... one of my female friends in college has a gorgeous sister, who as famous in her own right for being a 97 Rock Angel. She married Mike Peca, of the Buffalo Sabres.

When I was 10, I shook hands with President Ford ... just a few days after he was defeated by Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election.

In grad school, for about a month, I had a job as a driver with a hotel in downtown Buffalo. I gave Lenny Kravitz a lift, and I also met a guest who would later become quite infamous ... OJ Simpson!

I had a date with a local newsbabe shortly after I moved to Orlando. She answered my match.com ad! In Denver, I had dates with a few women who graduated from Columbine High School in the 1980s. An ex girlfriend is the voice talent for waaaay too many voice mail systems in Denver; she also did a lot of voiceover work for local radio and TV ads.

I often eat lunch late, to avoid the loud, Nextel-dragging lunchtime crowd. During one late lunch, I was alone in a nearby restaurant, when an older man and five dusturbingly hip boys walked in. They sat a couple of tables away from me, and were talking about performing with various pop musicians. It was the manufactured band O-Town.

Planning-wise ... I had a beer with Norm Krumholz once, and I unintentionally insulted Andres Duany to his face, after making the wrong choice of words when I met him after an APA conference appearance. Pretty much, every speaker that appeared after him was plauged by technical problems -- projectors going out, lights going out, feedback, that sort of thing. I went up to meet him after the presentation, intending to say something along the lines of "I really enjoyed what you had to say, and I think it's a sign that you weren't affected by the technical problems." What came out was "It seems that after you spoke, everything just went downhill!"

Finally, my senior year in high school ... I was famous! I was on It's Academic, a Buffalo-area high school quiz bowl-like show. My two teammates and I made it to the championship, where we were defeated by 40 points -- two difficult final round questions -- by West Seneca West. I had an hour and a half of air time on Channel 4.

 

[nerudite]

Another "friend of" brush with fame ... one of my female friends in college has a gorgeous sister, who as famous in her own right for being a 97 Rock Angel. She married Mike Peca, of the Buffalo Sabres.

I saw them both in a tv commercial once... they look like they could be twins. Same hair colour, same glasses... it's pretty funny.

 

[Planderella]

If I had Lenny Kravitz in my car, I would have held him hostage like in that Red Hot Chilli Peppers video "By the Way."

 

[nerudite]

If I had Lenny Kravitz in my car, I would have held him hostage like in that Red Hot Chilli Peppers video "By the Way."

No kidding! Yum!

 

[PlannerGirl]

I had lunch in Orlando with this cool planner guy from Buffalo back in September-he started that board Cyburbia-awsome guy

*wink*

 

[Mastiff]

That reminds me, Dan!

I know Connie the super groupie...

Remember that Grand Funk song, American Band?

"Last night in Little Rock put me haze.
Sweet sweet Connie was doin' her act,
She had the whole show, and that's a natural fact."

Yep... I know sweet sweet Connie.

 

[Cardinal]

As a kid I grew up across the street from Jamie Gertz. When I was in the college dorms as a freshman I used to eat dinner with an attractive woman who went on to do a spread for Penthouse. I also met Cindy Crawford, who grew up in the next town over. I have met every president since Jimmy Carter, but only beginning when Reagan was in office. I've met Justices Rhenquist and Kennedy.

None of these can top what I hope will happen in a couple weeks - a chance to meet Red Green!

 

[Tom R]

red/green

As a kid I grew up across the street from Jamie Gertz. When I was in the college dorms as a freshman I used to eat dinner with an attractive woman who went on to do a spread for Penthouse. I also met Cindy Crawford, who grew up in the next town over. I have met every president since Jimmy Carter, but only beginning when Reagan was in office. I've met Justices Rhenquist and Kennedy.

None of these can top what I hope will happen in a couple weeks - a chance to meet Red Green!

Now, that's COOL!

 

[mike gurnee]

I am on a first name basis with el Guapo.

 

[el Guapo]

I am on a first name basis with el Guapo.

True -Sad - but true.

 

[Jeff]

Last one.. I promise!!

I had third period lunch with Marvin Harrison my freshman year of high school.

 

[Zoning Goddess]

As a kid I grew up across the street from Jamie Gertz. When I was in the college dorms as a freshman I used to eat dinner with an attractive woman who went on to do a spread for Penthouse. I also met Cindy Crawford, who grew up in the next town over. I have met every president since Jimmy Carter, but only beginning when Reagan was in office. I've met Justices Rhenquist and Kennedy.

None of these can top what I hope will happen in a couple weeks - a chance to meet Red Green!

AHA! When I was in college in western Mass., Justice Renquist's son was at Amherst College. I think he was on the basketball team. Anyway, his dad had just been appointed and we all knew him from the parties at his frat, so we were impressed.

 

[pete-rock]

Here we go, more or less in chronological order:

1. 1977 or so, I was playing basketball in a park in Detroit. Some movie types approach me and my friends and ask, "wanna be in a movie with LaVar Burton?" Turns out they were making "The Ron LeFlore Story," a former Detroit Tiger All-Star who was discovered while in prison. Watch the movie; I'm in the group that says, "hey, it's Ron LeFlore!" to LeVar Burton.

2. 1989, I talked with Dizzy Gillespie for about 20 minutes at O'Hare Airport. Of course, I asked him to show me his signature "blown-up" face, and he obliged.

3. My father was once the pastor of one of the oldest churches here in Chicago, and the church was frequently used for movies. From 1987 to 1997, I met:

- Oprah Winfrey (when she made "There Are No Children Here")
- Halle Berry ("Losing Isiaiah": I'm in that one too)
- Winton Marsalis
- Kevin Costner ("The Untouchables": unfortunately, edited out)

And lastly, I saw Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte up close when they were filming a horrible movie they made here in Chicago.

If there is a prize for the most "brushes", do I qualify?

 

[prudence]

- Oprah Winfrey (when she made "There Are No Children Here")

Is that based on the horrible Alex Kotlewicz book? The one about the kids growing up in the HUD housing on Chicago's near west side??

I had a professor in college who thinks Chicago is the center of the cultural and social universe. She required the reading of this book and remarked in class how she used to date the author. Because I care who my liberal ninny professor slept with?!?

 

[kms]

One of my offices was located in a former Westinghouse facility. Some of the sets from Silence of the Lambs were there - the jail and the pit. I toured the sets, but didn't see Jody Foster or Anthony Hopkins. I did see Don Brockett, at that time a local actor; I think he was the inmate whose tongue was bitten off by Hannibal.

 

[Tranplanner]

I've seen a few minor celebs from a distance, and probably passed right by a few major ones shopping in Toronto without even noticing.

I met Sir Edmund Hillary once, and shook hands with Joe Satriani outside MuchMusic.

Saw Isiah Thomas at the airport once when he was GM of the Raptors. I've seen more than a few hockey players, but never approached them. Paul Coffey used to rent the ice ahead of my pickup league once in a while, but he was usually gone by the time we showed.

Oh yeah - Kim Mitchell watched me and my friends play ball hockey for a while.

 

[jmf]

Met the owner of Moosehead Brewery at a friend's christmas party. [/B]

OK went to school with Oland kids, always beer on hand, great parties! Also went to same school as Sarah McLaughlin and some of Sloan and one of Barra McNeils (of course only Tranplanner and Donk might know them)

Literally ran into Moe Berg (The Pursuit of Happiness) in my university meal hall.

A christmas movie starring Rob Lowe was just filmed at my parent's neighbours house and of course they HAD to use my parent's home as well.

Saw Martina Navratilova at the airport in Paris just before the French open. Man, she’s huge!

I am sure I walked by Gene Hackman in Toronto last year but my husband maintains I’m wrong!

 

[nerudite]

OK went to school with Oland kids, always beer on hand, great parties! Also went to same school as Sarah McLaughlin and some of Sloan and one of Barra McNeils (of course only Tranplanner and Donk might know them)

Well, I know of Sarah McLaughlin and Sloan... no idea who the McNeils person is though. Sloan's song "underwhelmed" was pretty big in the States (or at least the northern ones), so it's not obscure or anything.

 

[Repo Man]

Two more college (UW-Milwaukee) encounters -

Speech from Arrested Development lived in the dorms at the same time as me. I used to serve him food when I worked at the cafeteria.

Also was a college classmate of a semi-famous, Frank Calliendo (known for his dead-on John Madden impersonations) He is also on Mad TV. He and I were in an upper level English class called "Stand Up Comedy and the Other" I took the class because I needed an upper level "humanities" class for graduation and because I thought that any class that had stand up comedy in its description had to be good. He was in it for the same reason. Turns out that it was one of the hardest college courses I ever took....and it was geared towards gay and lesbian students who were taking the "Gay and Lesbian Curriculum" (Something that was not outlined in the course description). There were strong politically correct overtones in there too. One presentation I did on Drew Carey was attacked because he was homophobic and sexist. Dennis Miller was dismissed as an angry white male.

 

[NHPlanner]

Another one I thought of this morning....got to meet Henry Rollins after a spoken word show he did at Ball State while I was there.....

 

[El Feo]

Pete-rock reminded me, I met a LOT of jazz musicians in college in the 80s. While playing in college combos and bands, I met:

J.J. Johnson
Lionel Hampton
Dizzy Gillespie
The Marsalis Clan (Wynton, Branford, Delfayo, and Ellis)
Cedar Walton
Sarah Vaughan
Ella Fitzgerald

And, the thrill of my life - Miles Davis - he didn't give a crap about meeting me and my friends, and was a bit of a prick, truthfully, but he was Miles Davis and I didn't (and still don't) care. It was cool anyway.