Epic OT: Most famous person you ever spoke with?

[watanabe]

Robert Jarvic at McDonald's somewhere on a cross country trip.
JC in Hilo HI, 1990s
Steven Tyler at Storrs, 1975. Blue grass festival next to the old hockey rink.

 

[cordeodato]

This is actually non-verbal. I once slapped five with a guy who slapped five with James Cotton.
The eponymous leader of the James Cotton Blues Band. They frequented the Shaboo Inn circa 1974.

 

[Thirty Three]

Not sure which is more epic;

1) I once did shots with Jim Calhoun in his office on Christmas eve.

2) Fishy once brought me a glass of water while I was throwing up in a restaurant parking lot in New Jersey.

 

[cohenzone]

Louis Armstrong
Mary Travers
Walter Mondale
Don Newcombe
Marques Haynes
Chris Smith
Rebecca Lobo
Very old time singing group The Diamonds (Little Darling, classic rock)

 

[storrsroars]

One for the old guys... forgot that as a 5-year old I met Sonny Fox (original host of Wonderama) at Freedomland in The Bronx. I watched Wonderama religiously on Sundays. But meeting the guy in person - I was brought up to the stage with other kids - was totally scary. I wanted to run away and was pouting the entire time.

Ray Davies (one of my all-time heroes).

I bow to you, sir. Definitely the one rock star I'd most want to sit at a bar with. So many questions.

Hulk Hogan

Worked next door to the WWW (before they were WWE) offices on Summer St. in Stamford. Used to see Hulk often along with a mess of other wrestlers, Vince and Vince Jr. at the convenience store next to the DQ on corner of Summer and North. A few of them, including Hulk, had pretty damned impressive custom bikes they'd park right on the street and were happy to show off and discuss.

 

[watanabe]

This is actually non-verbal. I once slapped five with a guy who slapped five with James Cotton.
The eponymous leader of the James Cotton Blues Band. They frequented the Shaboo Inn circa 1974.

Wow, saw Buddy Rich at Shaboo in '75.
Dang, forgot all about that place, what a blast!

 

[Bezzz]

Ranger Andy...when I was a cub scout. That's all I got.

 

[Deepster]

Louis Armstrong
Mary Travers
Walter Mondale
Don Newcombe
Marques Haynes
Chris Smith
Rebecca Lobo
Very old time singing group The Diamonds (Little Darling, classic rock)

I'd like to hear the Louis Armstrong story. He's a pretty unique one for this list.

 

[cohenzone]

I'd like to hear the Louis Armstrong story. He's a pretty unique one for this list.

Met him backstage at the Bushnell in Hartford in his dressing room my friend and I played trumpet in the Weaver High Band (I was lousy, he was good) and somehow. I don't remember anymore how, he was able to get us in to meet him after his show. It was just us and him. He was sitting at a dressing table
He was gracious but clearly tired. We talked for less than 2 minutes before we were told time was up. Of course we got his autograph. I remember that he had the permanent impression of a trumpet mouthpiece on his lips.

 

[August_West]

Hank Aaron.....at an Arby's in Waterbury, CT. (1989)

@Fishy and @superjohn and @Deepster make fun of me for going to Arbys but it seems to be good enough for Hammerin Hank.

August ends up on the right side of history again. Remember that next time you reach for a ketchup bottle.

 

[August_West]

Met him backstage at the Bushnell in Hartford in his dressing room my friend and I played trumpet in the Weaver High Band (I was lousy, he was good) and somehow. I don't remember anymore how, he was able to get us in to meet him after his show. It was just us and him. He was sitting at a dressing table
He was gracious but clearly tired. We talked for less than 2 minutes before we were told time was up. Of course we got his autograph. I remember that he had the permanent impression of a trumpet mouthpiece on his lips.

You just reminded me because of the horn player connection. I got to meet and hang with Branford Marsalis for an hour backstage at the Jorgensen. Which brings me to the bigger one I forgot. I was seeing Branfords brother Wynton at the village vanguard and ended up sitting next to Prince and talking to him for hours.

 

[superjohn]

Rick Fox at a Sbarro's in Mass when he was a Celtic. I was probably 14, went up to tell him I liked him as a player and he asked me to sit down and share a meal with him, one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Got to hit a few tennis balls with Martina Navratilova as a little kid.

 

[cohenzone]

Rick Fox at a Sbarro's in Mass when he was a Celtic. I was probably 14, went up to tell him I liked him as a player and he asked me to sit down and share a meal with him, one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Got to hit a few tennis balls with Martina Navratilova as a little kid.

I forgot Doug Flutie. Was at a PC-BC Big East hoops game at the old Boston Garden and wound up sitting behind Flutie a few years after he'd graduated. Asked for his autograph. He was super cordial. Also definitely shorter than his listed height which made him impress me even more.

Doesn't count, but Rick Fox and one of his kids were behind me in line at a yogurt place in Westwood Los Angeles, Oksana Baiul was in front of me in a concession line at a Whaler game, and Mickey Delonz and Florence Henderson were, on seperate occasions, at the next table in NYC restaurants.

 

[scrappy2.0]

I can't say I really conversed with anyone famous. Two true stories. I had a deposit on the house directly next to Jim Calhoun in Madison that was slightly pushed back to his right but we ended up believe ing it was too small inside and pulled out of it.

I also sat right next to George Steinbrenner at a Knicks game about 25 years ago center court 5-6 rows up against the Philly Sixers. I was only 20-21 years old and was to scared to say anything but it was interesting listening to him talk to his friend ge was with.


I've lived in Madison 15 years and I saw jcs wife in stop n shop one time that was it never seen him once. I sold the news reporter Darren Kramer my convertible Saab about 8 years ago and ann nyberg lives 5 houses from me. Her house is up ona hill slightly and I rarely see them out of it but I'm on a hello level with her and her kids . That's about it

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Lemonade, read the sign.

That's weird. The commercial came on the TV while I was reading this.

 

[meyers7]

That's weird. The commercial came on the TV while I was reading this.

Google sees everything.

 

[uconn13]

Amos....

back in 1979, after my 9 year old self told him more of his cookies should be in each bag, after practically eating the whole bag myself...

never heard a word back, but yeah, I spoke to him

 

[Rico444]

My buddy told me this story that his father told him about his great aunt; who knows if it's true, but it cracks me up. His great Aunt and Uncle were at one of the casinos back in the late eighties or early nineties, not sure if it was Mohegan or Foxwoods, but like many older people they used to like to go stay for the weekend and do some gambling. His great Aunt would play the slots, and back then you had to carry around your jar of nickels or pennies and most usually carried them around in a big plastic cup. They got their one weekend and after a little gambling, they were going to go to dinner. The uncle headed for the buffet, but the aunt wanted to drop off her cup of nickels in their hotel room first. She went to the elevator, and got on it alone. After going up a few floors, the elevator stopped short of her floor to pick up other people. The doors, opened, and two young black men stepped on, one very tall. Now, this woman came from a generation of people that had certain preconceived notions about black people. They stepped behind her as she cowered in the front corner of the elevator, close to the doors. As soon as the doors closed, one of the men said in a booming voice, "Down." She absolutely lost it, threw her change in the air and dropped to the ground in terror. The two men immediately started laughing, because they had just wanted her to press the down button on the elevator control board, and she obviously thought they were ordering her to the ground. They assured her that they weren't going to hurt her, calmed her down, and helped her pick up her change. They all had a good laugh about it.

The next morning, my buddy's great aunt got a knock on her door. It was a hotel worker making a delivery: a bouquet of roses, and in a few of the roses all folded up were some $100 bills. The note that came with the flowers said "Thank you for giving us one of the best laughs we've had in a long time. Love, Eddie Murphy and Michael Jordan."

 

[Huskygamble19]

Oh wow..so many
Art Carney
Katherine Hepburn
Spencer Tracy
Asjah Jones
Chris Dodd
several doo wop singers
Vinnie Baker
Lionel ritchie
the group Sweet
bill Haley's group the Comets

stayed in Katherine hepburns house for a couple of weeks when i was a kid and was Art carney's mail carrier.

 

[mauconnfan]

Oh wow..so many
Art Carney
Katherine Hepburn
Spencer Tracy
Asjah Jones
Chris Dodd
several doo wop singers
Vinnie Baker
Lionel ritchie
the group Sweet
bill Haley's group the Comets

stayed in Katherine hepburns house for a couple of weeks when i was a kid and was Art carney's mail carrier.

Saw Hepburn in the back seat of a larger older vehicle in the 80's driving through the fairway at Fenwick GC to her lovely place on the sound. I am sure the bungalow was as lovely as it looked?

 

[Huskygamble19]

Yes it was. as a kid I didn't notice much except for the fact that she gave me the rights to the beach any time I wanted.

 

[August_West]

Oh wow..so many
Art Carney
Katherine Hepburn
Spencer Tracy
Asjah Jones
Chris Dodd
several doo wop singers
Vinnie Baker
Lionel ritchie
the group Sweet
bill Haley's group the Comets

stayed in Katherine hepburns house for a couple of weeks when i was a kid and was Art carney's mail carrier.

you are obviously were a Westbrook/Saybrook resident

 

[Huskygamble19]

My god..How could I forget...Kenny Rogers...Had dinner with him and his band in a Mexican restaurant in Dallas Tx. He was with the First Edition at the time. He is a real kook, but a friendly guy.

 

[Huskygamble19]

you are obviously were a Westbrook/Saybrook resident

Is it that transparent?? Yes I was ..the good old days.

 

[pnow15]

My buddy told me this story that his father told him about his great aunt; who knows if it's true, but it cracks me up. His great Aunt and Uncle were at one of the casinos back in the late eighties or early nineties, not sure if it was Mohegan or Foxwoods, but like many older people they used to like to go stay for the weekend and do some gambling. His great Aunt would play the slots, and back then you had to carry around your jar of nickels or pennies and most usually carried them around in a big plastic cup. They got their one weekend and after a little gambling, they were going to go to dinner. The uncle headed for the buffet, but the aunt wanted to drop off her cup of nickels in their hotel room first. She went to the elevator, and got on it alone. After going up a few floors, the elevator stopped short of her floor to pick up other people. The doors, opened, and two young black men stepped on, one very tall. Now, this woman came from a generation of people that had certain preconceived notions about black people. They stepped behind her as she cowered in the front corner of the elevator, close to the doors. As soon as the doors closed, one of the men said in a booming voice, "Down." She absolutely lost it, threw her change in the air and dropped to the ground in terror. The two men immediately started laughing, because they had just wanted her to press the down button on the elevator control board, and she obviously thought they were ordering her to the ground. They assured her that they weren't going to hurt her, calmed her down, and helped her pick up her change. They all had a good laugh about it.

The next morning, my buddy's great aunt got a knock on her door. It was a hotel worker making a delivery: a bouquet of roses, and in a few of the roses all folded up were some $100 bills. The note that came with the flowers said "Thank you for giving us one of the best laughs we've had in a long time. Love, Eddie Murphy and Michael Jordan."

Insiders have told me that it was not unusual for Jordan to drop a million or more on a weekend.