Celebs both well known and obscure that you have more than just met

[MilliniumPrince]

The "Greyhound", Walter Davis. Walter was coaching private basketball lessons for youngsters at the health and tennis club to which I belong to here in Denver. Having been a BIG fan of his when he was both at UNC and then w/the Phx Suns, I signed my son up for coaching lessons when he was in grammar school. Over the next few years I became personal friends with him, playing golf and having him over to our house for dinners. He is one of the nicest guys I have ever met, and I am honored to have him as a personal friend!

People forget how good he was on the court.

 

[Stinger92860]

I played 3 on 3 hoop behind the Jungle with Earl Kelley. He was pretty good.

In college I played against a D1 guard who was 6-3. I was shocked at how quick his first step was.

 

[Drumguy]

My wife and I had dinner next to Joanne Woodward & Paul Newman. I had to keep kicking her to stop staring at him.

My wife wrote papers that were turned in by John Thomas for Kiddie Lit .

 

[NEforceUConn]

I think august west has an impressive resume. All I got is smoking weed with John McEnroe at a Mets game, partying with Mike Wagner at a small private wedding in RI, partying with David Bowie’s son in London for a day and a half (he looks exactly like Bowie), and having an after brunch drink with Jack N while he was filming a Batman. All celebrities cool as long as ya don’t act like an balloon knot asking for autographs or pics.

Hmm, seeing as it’s been 25 years since I partied hard I guess my meeting celebs Is done. Although I did sit next to author David Baldacci at Smith mountain lake for dinner at the bar last year. Great guy.

 

[Kembacity]

Man you guys live some interesting lives, I think the only person I've more than just spotted or said hi to was Howie Dickenman. Was visiting my brother in Boston back during the '08 playoffs and we went to the TD Garden area to watch one of the playoff games at a kind of divey bar. Were sitting there drinking and I spot him walk in with his unmistakable posture/gait. Next trip to the bathroom I said hello walking back, said he was in town to watch/support Ray and since it was a pretty dead bar and he was waiting for someone he was more than happy to talk basketball and UConn basketball with some fans who knew enough to know who he was.

 

[JohnFSilver]

Andy Rooney in an elevator with me "three sheets to the wind" at a trendy Philly bar.

Actually, the fact Andy Rooney was there, not sure if it is trendy or not.

 

[TXHuskyFan]

Played foosball with Cliff Robinson at Ted's a few times. Actually, me and a friend against him and Jeff King.

A dorm mate invited Otis Day and the Knights to our dorm in Crawford after their show, and they showed up and partied with us for a couple of hours.

Met and talked with Howie Carr, a well known Boston area radio guy, and also Sen. Scott Brown back when he was running for Senate. A local Southie politician, my then neighbor Brian Wallace wrote this book. DeNiro evidently wanted to make it a movie.

My wife has a long list of musicians.

Wait til Otis sees us. He loves us.

 

[Mister P]

Wait til Otis sees us. He loves us.

‘Otis my man ‘

 

[mauconnfan]

Andy Rooney in an elevator with me "three sheets to the wind" at a trendy Philly bar.

Actually, the fact Andy Rooney was there, not sure if it is trendy or not.

It’s trendy if it was yesterday.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Indirect/Famous: My best story by far is the time I broke into Doc River's sisters house and got paid for it. She and her husband were moving from NYC to suburbs in 1994, I was awaiting a job in Boston and trying to raise cash to afford an apartment upon starting in November. I was hired to paint the entire interior, but even working 12+hrs day I was running out of time before my new job started. I even pulled one all-nighter, but ultimately I had to tell Doc's sister that I would not be painting the closets (a dick move but I had to cut something) and that I wouldn't be able to paint her living room. She became very upset and threatened to terminate me without paying the 50% of job balance I was owed. The next morning I showed up to try & at least finish what I promised to paint and the locks had been changed. I knew how to get in via the garage, so I broke into the house via a garage window and started painting. Doc's sister showed up 5 hours later and was very surprised to see me, but never asked how I got in as she didn't want to also admit that she'd changed the locks. At the end of that day she paid me in cash for the work up to that point and we parted ways.

 

[storrsroars]

When this thread started, I thought the topic was more like "who's the most famous person on your cellphone" type of thing. But since it's not, I'll add some conversations I've had over the years that I recall being interesting at the time.

I was a seatmate on a shuttle flight with Bob Novak (who, if alive today, would be a superspreader as he coughed the entire flight w/o covering his mouth). We had a long conversation about Scott Peterson and why American news doesn't cover significant world stories but focuses on ratings grabbing garbage.

Also an aisle mate with Nomar, on a flight from Dallas where he reinjured his wrist in 2001. He was the first person I'd actually ever saw with a personal portable DVD player. It was just him and me in the aisle and I didn't bug him much, but I did a double take on boarding, with a look like, "Wait, aren't you supposed to be playing baseball somewhere?" So he told me what was going on, it wasn't public info, and at that time there was no in-flight internet or Twitter, but I have to say I was tempted to use the airphone to call WEEI.

Living in Alexandria, I'd bump into all sorts of people and have brief conversations, James Carville while grocery shopping a couple times (I once asked him who cooks in his house and barely understood a word, but the essence was if it was something with flavor, he cooked it), George Will at a bookstore (we discussed the Mussina to Yankees trade), Louis Rukesyer over G&Ts in the USAir Club (tech stock valuations). I found them all approachable if you didn't come at them like a fanboy.

And when I was involved with the old Internet World conferences, I met dozens of people who went onto become CEOs of major tech companies before they had entourages. Fun times. Wish I'd invested more.

Also, our coffeehouse received a few visits from pols during the 2008 elections, resulting in photo ops with Ed Rendell and hanging out with Dick Durbin for a half hour talking baseball. Rocky Blier, Cyril Wecht, Rep. Tim Murphy, Dave Wannstedt were regulars, Michael Keaton popped in occasionally.

 

[WillB4]

A couple months ago I mentioned having seen Elf in the early 70s at the Ezio Pinza amphitheater in Stamford. Nobody here ever heard of either the band nor the place. So at least you're proof there was a band, lol.

I have their LPs too!!!

 

[UCername]

Mickey Mantle was friends with my dad in the 80’s -90’s. My dad spent a lot of time with him, mostly golfing and the times I did I never once saw him without a drink in his hand. We were at his restaurant in NYC with him when I was in high school and he let me wear one of his World Series rings at dinner for about an hour because he was signing autographs/shaking hands and I was terrified and he just said don’t drop it. When he called our house he would say “this is Mick, where is the a-whole”. Was always genuinely nice to me and always asked if I had any jokes I just heard and he always laughed no matter how stupid and would say something like “I like you kid no matter what your dad thinks of you.“ We have lots of cool things from him and random stuff he would sign thinking it was funny, makes me happy to give them to my kids and tell them how I got them. Met Whitey Ford a few times too through him.

I also met the Archy/Eli Manning though Cooper when he was in working on the sell side in Louisiana and can honestly say are some of the nicest human beings on the planet.

 

[Ewekon]

Rob Lowe a number of times as a college buddy was a producer for his flick Bad Influence and Rob would come by his place a lot. 5 or 6 times in very late 80s before its release when I flew out for work a lot. He had a different girl every time, every one an L.A. 10 and young. All but once arrived with an amount of what appeared to be baby powder; but was not.

Somehow Paul Newman and I had the same "Y" schedule in the early - mid 90s to the point where we had a "hey how are ya" deal going. He was a towny in Westport when younger and could be seen pretty often with JoAnne at the town music shed .. Levitt Pavilion.

 

[superjohn]

Rob Lowe a number of times as a college buddy was a producer for his flick Bad Influence and Rob would come by his place a lot. 5 or 6 times in very late 80s before its release when I flew out for work a lot. He had a different girl every time, every one an L.A. 10 and young. All but once arrived with an amount of what appeared to be baby powder; but was not.

Somehow Paul Newman and I had the same "Y" schedule in the early - mid 90s to the point where we had a "hey how are ya" deal going. He was a towny in Westport when younger and could be seen pretty often with JoAnne at the town music shed .. Levitt Pavilion.

You hung out with Rob Lowe in the 80's, you win.

 

[Stainmaster]

One time, this fairly well-known Jerry Garcia tribute band frontman bought me a beer...in all seriousness, I'm friendly with a couple of statewide elected officials. One of them sent me a personal email after I reached a certain professional milestone this past year. It was pretty cool.

Oh, and Tyler Olander follows me on Instagram.

 

[microfich]

Baseball - 1999. beered up to walk up Roger Clemens at a Tampa watering hole during spring training. It was his first season as a Yankee. I asked him what it felt like playing for NYY after being a BOS. He said the whole archenemy thing was mostly media manufactured. Same night same place I walked up to Paul O'Neill. Asked him about the Final Four, which was imminent. He said, "Well I am an Ohio State grad so, you know."

Football - 1985. NYC restaurant bathroom greet with Harry Carson. Merely introduced myself as I giggled in awe. He was just room-filling, so huge. Said "Enjoy the brunch, it's gigantic here." Yeah, I understood.

Bowling - 1978. Was a pretty good bowler in those days. Bowled in the amateur event that was part of the tour's stop in Windsor Locks. Every amateur was paired up with a pro. Mine: the great Earl Anthony. He was cool and quiet but did say "nice ball" once. Gosh. Up close with a legend. Yes, he beat me pretty good.

Basketball - Can we count the countless moments shared with UConn greats at Final Fours? Best guy to talk with: Boo Willingham.

Hockey - 1987. Season tickets for the Whalers. While guys like Chris Kotsopolous and Ulfie Samuelsson were infamous for their late nights in the city (Hartford was alive then, believe it) I met family man Kevin Dineen at a Farmington restaurant. Our table invited him for a drink and he shared half a beer with us. Once he realized one of my buddies was Irish it was like they were brothers.

Hollywood - 1996. Well, New Haven. Didn't quite meet him but was at a restaurant before a play. Mesmerizing while holding court at a table for twelve was Roddy McDowall. Who doesn't dream of watching a sotted actor telling stories about his stories.

 

[alexd]

Drinking with Mayor Mike Peters at Lord Jim's Pub before civic center games in the 1990's.

Got to know Whalers Sylvain Turgeon, Ron Francis and Torrie Robertson when I worked at Farmington Farms Racket and health club in the 1980's.

Got to know tennis pro Vitas Gerulaitis through a friend in the early 80's. Never did get to go clubbing in NYC with him though. Considering the pics that are out there of him with Cheryl Tiegs and such, that would have been fun.....Met his buddy Bjorn Borg at Vitas' place on the north shore of Long Island.

 

[Scot-e]

Forgot a couple. Met M Jackson twice ( Not as a kid).
Sat on couch with Lou Reed back stage at a Stones show- but he was super messed up.

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

Several lifetimes ago, I used to service Durward Kirby's wife

Should have just stopped writing there...would have been so much more epic!

 

[Huskybass]

In college I played against a D1 guard who was 6-3. I was shocked at how quick his first step was.

What I remember most about Earl was how he used his body and his backside to create angles and spacing. It was a treat to play against him.

I also played 2 on 2 that summer against John Bagley and Mouse McFadden. Bagley was hitting 3's over me like I wasn't even there.

 

[M.S.G.]

What a fun read this thread was!

Shamon Tooles was a close friend of mine in the early 00's. Watched Ben Gordon play in his first NBA playoff game in the suite with him, Denham Brown, and Hilton Armstrong. Hilton was wearing his girlfriend's tube top at the time

Jerome Dyson & Tyler Olander both told me to F myself while I was coaching a game against them in the GHPA. Tyson Wheeler told me I was a .

Talked to Mike Greenberg @ an AAU tournament.

Met a lot of famous and pseudo famous rappers when I worked in music in NYC after college.

Doris Burke and Chris Herren came to speak at the school I worked at on several different occasions.

I coached Jeff Jacobs son in AAU and high school.

 

[methodology]

Not counting any UConn athletes or coaches.

Met and hung out with James Woods one night at foxwoods. He drives his mother from Florida to Newport every year for the summer and loves to stop at foxwoods while he is up here

Smoked with many musicians including flo rida, Lupe fiasco, method man, phil lesh, david Crosby, among others

A good friend of mine lived/ bartended in LA for a while and Kiefer Sutherland was a regular and they became very good friends. They still talk to this day. He has insane stories about his many times at playboy mansion

Another buddy who quit his job and moved to Miami to pretty much captain and charter yachts for wealthy people has insane stories. He I guess became friends with OJ, post prison, would hang out with him all the time been on his boat which is named "Off the Hook" and even has a photo with OJ holding a butcher/ hunting knife to his throat that says something like this white devil killed my wife. Says OJ is a blast and loves to party but there definitely something off about him (sociopath).

Same person in Miami was in an uber and Richard Branson got in and shared an uber with him. They started talking my friend told him he snuck on to his island in the Caribbean by telling the guard or whoever stopped him he was there to give private tennis lessons. Branson laughed and told him don't ever do that again and then gave him a formal invitation to his island for a few days

 

[Ewekon]

What I remember most about Earl was how he used his body and his backside to create angles and spacing. It was a treat to play against him.

I also played 2 on 2 that summer against John Bagley and Mouse McFadden. Bagley was hitting 3's over me like I wasn't even there.

Then maybe this counts. Played ball in HS and had the privilege of getting absolutely crushed 3 times by the Harding HS team that had Wes Matthew Sr., Our own Mike McKay and Bags. Short, slow and white was apparently not the recipe for success. This was when the schools from the burbs were in the same athletic conference with Harding, Central, Bassick etc. MBIAC.

Thanks to Jimmy Koplick, whom I know well, I did OK on meet n greets. At Toads, spent a good 1/2 hour with John Mayall, Mick Taylor, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie as a re packaged Bluesbreakers. Stones at Toads, Ian Hunter. That era treated me well. Dumb luck 4 sure.