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Memorable brushes with greatness?

#81
In philly in the 90s there were the goats and the roots- two excellent hip hop acts that played and recorded with amazing live bands. Hip hop is centered on the rhythm section and as a young bass player making a living as a hired gun I was fortunate to get a gig playing with some of the guys that had been in the goats. We were voted city paper’s best live act in 2000.

I think you know what happened to the roots they toiled in relative obscurity for years but they are doing ok now!

But if you hate rap music do you hate Faith No More, slayer, and the melvins? Those bands were super influential to me!
 
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#82
Radarsonwheels said:
In philly in the 90s there were the goats and the roots- two excellent hip hop acts that played and recorded with amazing live bands. Hip hop is centered on the rhythm section and as a young bass player making a living as a hired gun I was fortunate to get a gig playing with some of the guys that had been in the goats. We were voted city paper’s best live act in 2000.

I think you know what happened to the roots they toiled in relative obscurity for years but they are doing ok now!

But if you hate rap music do you hate Faith No More, slayer, and the melvins? Those bands were super influential to me!
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I saw both The Goats, and The Roots, a couple of times if I recall, but can't for the life of me think where - possibly Reading festival, around 91 / 92 / 93???

I sort of remember it being around the same time a seeing other hip-hop / funk metal acts, like Fishbone / Tac-head / Pops Cool Love etc.

I remember they were all really good live bands, but unfortunately I can't remember the songs at all.

I think the only bands that really thrived out of that period, were bands that pre-dated it : RHCP, FNM, and the Public Enemy/Anthrax team-up.
 
#83
I saw him getting a ride in a golf cart at the Hampton Classic. This was after Everybody Loves Raymond had ended.

young-frankenstein-peter-boyle.jpg
 
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#84
fretter said:
I saw him getting a ride in a golf cart at the Hampton Classic. This was after Everybody Loves Raymond had ended.

View attachment 2938041
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My favourite scene in that movie.

As a result, whenever I see any other version of Frankenstein, I automatically crack up when it get to that scene.

I wish Gene Hackman would come out of retirement, for more cameos like that.
 
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#85
I am lucky living in London just outside of the Centre and I used to commute into the City everyday. I have bumped into and chatted with a vast number of well known Musicians. The majority were happy to stop and say hello and answer a question that I may have been wanting to answer for some time. They have been mainly British musicians like Gilmour, Clapton,Townshend,Richards, McCartney to name just a few that I have had an acquaintance with over the years.
 
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#89
I was a stagehand for 10 years and I had brushes with several celebrities. One of my favorites was when I was working for a TV show. I was a production assistant, or PA, which is a step below peon. My boss came running to me yelling, "Alice Cooper needs ice! Hurry up, get a bus tub of ice to Alice Cooper's dressing room!"

So I get a bus tub of ice and head to Alice Cooper's dressing room. I knocked on the door and went in with the ice. Alice Cooper is sitting with his feet up and a pal of his is sitting next to him. He sees the bus tub of ice and cracks up. He waves me over while he's still laughing. I put the tub on his table and he takes 2 ice cubes out and puts it in his buddy's glass. Then he points to a third chair and tells me to grab a beer.

Of course, I say no, I need to get back to work. He hands me the beer and so I sit down. He was the most down to earth celebrity that I met.

My boss saw me coming out of his dressing room and asked if Alice Cooper was happy. I said yes, he was very happy with the ice.
 
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#90
I worked in a music store in a big city and we had quite a few famous people who would stop in. The most famous person I actually met was probably Will Smith. Arlo Guthrie was a customer, and Jazzy Jeff was always in there. Aaron Neville came in one night. I told that story to a friend of mine who said "I bet you couldn't stop looking at that thing on his head."

There were several others. I always just pretended I didn't know who they were and tried my best to help them. Except Jazzy Jeff. We all knew who he was because he was in there all the freaking time.
 
#91
roller said:
This very well may have been discussed here before... but I'm curious if anyone's had any fun brushes with greatness (i.e., celebrities and well-known folks from various fields, not just music).

Any memorable tales to tell from your personal celebrity encounters?
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bassguppy said:
Not sure if being in the same restaurant counts but my wife took this pic 2 weeks ago.

View attachment 2930640
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That's scary.
 
#94
I lived in NYC in the early 1980s, when hip-hop, punk, and all kinds of other things were converging. Plus Princess Stephanie was in and out between bouts of rehab. I drove a cab, which means that there was a high likelihood that I would give somebody or another a ride eventually. The closest I ever got to any celebrity that I was aware of was one day walking along the sidewalk. A big, white limo, with a candelabra in the back window and a small sign that announced that it was Liberace's limo almost backed into me. That's it. I live in the cone of fame repellent. Or maybe I dropped out of popular culture at a young age and wouldn't know if somebody famous popped up somewhere.

The only other potential brush was walking down the street and a guy who was a dead ringer for Bill Clinton was waiting to cross the street. If it was Bill Clinton, he's a whole lot taller in person than I would have expected, maybe 6'-2" tall. Maybe taller. There were a bunch of somber looking guys in suits around him, so maybe that's who it was. I can't even remember where that happened, but I remember being surprised.
 
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#98
Gaolee said:
I lived in NYC in the early 1980s, when hip-hop, punk, and all kinds of other things were converging. Plus Princess Stephanie was in and out between bouts of rehab. I drove a cab, which means that there was a high likelihood that I would give somebody or another a ride eventually. The closest I ever got to any celebrity that I was aware of was one day walking along the sidewalk. A big, white limo, with a candelabra in the back window and a small sign that announced that it was Liberace's limo almost backed into me. That's it. I live in the cone of fame repellent. Or maybe I dropped out of popular culture at a young age and wouldn't know if somebody famous popped up somewhere.

The only other potential brush was walking down the street and a guy who was a dead ringer for Bill Clinton was waiting to cross the street. If it was Bill Clinton, he's a whole lot taller in person than I would have expected, maybe 6'-2" tall. Maybe taller. There were a bunch of somber looking guys in suits around him, so maybe that's who it was. I can't even remember where that happened, but I remember being surprised.
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I just Googled "Bill Clinton height" and got 6'2". So it very well could have been him.
 
#99
Non-music:

I stood behind Harry Hill at the queue for a cash machine. (He was in costume - it was only a few minutes before 'show time').

I had a drink with Tony Hawks of 'Round Ireland with a Fridge' fame.
 

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