Rockets in a twin otter? Gotta hear more about that!
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Rockets in a twin otter? Gotta hear more about that!
Can these skills be taught? I want them.
Norm Abram is a famous woodworker.
RickyWoo is happy being just a woodworker.
Colonel Sanders is a famous chicken entrepreneur.
RickyWoo bakes his chicken at 350º degrees every other week or so just like a lot of folks.
I've been fortunate enough to have people compliment me on my woodwork, chicken, and also musicianship. I don't have an "almost famous" story but I do have a success story, in regards to being appreciated, or so it seems. I'm not geared to be a rock star.... Just a good old fashioned rocker. I love it and hope to keep doing it for many many more years. I love playing on stage and I love that people show up.
RickyWoo is happy being just a woodworker.
Colonel Sanders is a famous chicken entrepreneur.
RickyWoo bakes his chicken at 350º degrees every other week or so just like a lot of folks.
I've been fortunate enough to have people compliment me on my woodwork, chicken, and also musicianship. I don't have an "almost famous" story but I do have a success story, in regards to being appreciated, or so it seems. I'm not geared to be a rock star.... Just a good old fashioned rocker. I love it and hope to keep doing it for many many more years. I love playing on stage and I love that people show up.
You can't teach THAT... you can only get it, in boxes of Breeze detergent...
... and Cap'n Crunch, if you're lucky.
In my early 20's (1985) our band was flown from FL to LA by Barry White's manager, Tony Sepe -- everything paid for, including 1 week of recording time in one of Hollywood's top studios. Recorded a 2-song EP. Fully backed and promoted, got airplay on Seattle radio. Started a tour of the east coast. During that time, stayed in Manhattan with a band member's sister, who was friends with Leber and Krebs. Got an interview. No call back. Moved to the northeast to be closer to NYC. Ended up splitting, due to financial issues.
Does anonymously famous count? Or is that famously anonymous?
either way it's the best kind of fame.
either way it's the best kind of fame.
Jealous?
Yeah, that doesn't sound Arrogant....
But I'll play along. I'm going to say Ted Templemen
Yeah, that doesn't sound Arrogant....
But I'll play along. I'm going to say Ted Templemen
- Apr 18, 2008
- 16,002
- 1
- 31,690
- Disclosures
- I'm highly opinionated and extremely self-assured
The Doobie Brothers opened for us a few years back. Never could figure out why all the people left in between.... 
1981, my daughter was born and my days of thinking only of myself were over. I was working at a woodwork company stripping furniture. We worked seven days a week. We got paid crap but I was insured. Then the miracle happened. I got an opportunity to submit a jingle to are large clothing company. They liked it and bought the rights outright. No residuals for me but a very large cash payment. I had to decide if I wanted to pursue the music or use the money for something else. Used the money to quit the woodworking, go to computer school. Best decision I ever made. Had a very solid IT career for the next 35 years.
That was my brush with commercial music success.
That was my brush with commercial music success.
I prefer these stories to fame stories any day of the week! Awesome and thanks for sharing!
I had my fifteen minutes at a very early age. I was fifteen, and hanging out with a famous one hit wonder band. Los Bravos (Mike Kennedy era) and their still-played-today hit Black is Black. I helped move equipment, and generally got in the way. This band was HUGE, and toured in limos, and flew to gigs. In those days a 'concert' in Europe was six bands, each playing their hit, and maybe the flip side, or another few unknown songs. Sorta like the Ed Sullivan show. Three shows a day, in movie theaters.
In Madrid, the band's hometown, the bass player walked off stage after the first show, and handed me his Ric, and said 'You play bass, I quit'. Yeah, I played bass, in a garage band!
I did the next two shows, including playing their mega-smash hit!
Late edit- Found an even cheesier version, with the bassist I replaced, and the second singer Mike kennedy.
In Madrid, the band's hometown, the bass player walked off stage after the first show, and handed me his Ric, and said 'You play bass, I quit'. Yeah, I played bass, in a garage band!
I did the next two shows, including playing their mega-smash hit!
Late edit- Found an even cheesier version, with the bassist I replaced, and the second singer Mike kennedy.
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OK I've got one….
I used to Jam with this guy in the 80s who was friends with a lot of famous people. Caught up with him a few years later and he wanted me to play in his band (this was 1990 or so). To the Aussies out there - his name was Chook, and his manager was Molly Meldrum.
Anyway - The studio session was booked - I was camping the week leading up to it. I got back, went in to the studio and there were 3 producers there I'd never seen before and a session muso in the booth laying down a sax line. Never seen him before either. The bass had already been sequenced. One of them turned to me and said "The other guys are at the beach. Perhaps you should join them." (I will never forget those exact words)
It was 1990 and the only time you needed a bass player was to mime on television. NOPE. Never saw those guys again.
The band was called No Justice - they did about a month of live TV appearances and I believe mimed a show at the Melbourne Metro. Apparently they were a bit successful in South Africa. Chook went on to host Countdown Revolution.
Ladies and gentlemen… The band I refused to mime to….
I used to Jam with this guy in the 80s who was friends with a lot of famous people. Caught up with him a few years later and he wanted me to play in his band (this was 1990 or so). To the Aussies out there - his name was Chook, and his manager was Molly Meldrum.
Anyway - The studio session was booked - I was camping the week leading up to it. I got back, went in to the studio and there were 3 producers there I'd never seen before and a session muso in the booth laying down a sax line. Never seen him before either. The bass had already been sequenced. One of them turned to me and said "The other guys are at the beach. Perhaps you should join them." (I will never forget those exact words)
It was 1990 and the only time you needed a bass player was to mime on television. NOPE. Never saw those guys again.
The band was called No Justice - they did about a month of live TV appearances and I believe mimed a show at the Melbourne Metro. Apparently they were a bit successful in South Africa. Chook went on to host Countdown Revolution.
Ladies and gentlemen… The band I refused to mime to….
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While in college, Heart and Kansas came to the town my University was in, and played at the local theater. Both of them broke through with their subsequent albums a month or two after they played that place. Shortly after all that, my band played that theater. We hung out in the same dressing room they did. We played the same stage. We joked about how it was the last step before we made it big. We probably played just as loud. You never heard of us.
I do design gear that, honestly, pretty much any big name you've ever heard of in the entertainment business, or politics, or.....pretty much anyone who sings or speaks to the public uses. I have met a few of those folks, and a lot of their sound folks (not all guys). That's my real brush with fame.
I do design gear that, honestly, pretty much any big name you've ever heard of in the entertainment business, or politics, or.....pretty much anyone who sings or speaks to the public uses. I have met a few of those folks, and a lot of their sound folks (not all guys). That's my real brush with fame.
You seriously don't know about the Dreamadream99 Army?
I played the El Mocambo, and the house FOH man didn't like something, and said 'You know the Rolling Stones played here'. I just said, 'Yeah, and you didn't mix them' He shut up.
No "almost famous" for this cat!
At a concert back in the seventies I was on the floor chatting with some folks between bands. I glanced up in time to see a Frisbee sailing towards me, executed a leaping snag and, in one supremely smooth transition, winged it on a perfect flat trajectory into the hands of some guy setting up mics onstage about 40 yards away then settled back to finish the conversation. The crowd cheered and clapped so hard that I had to stand back up and give a wave.
For 4-5 years I raced local dirt tracks with some success. On night, being stitched up after a minor crunch, the doc leaned over and said, "Say, you drive that 40 car don't you?" Happened to me in Wal-Mart, too!
Fame, just can't beat it.
At a concert back in the seventies I was on the floor chatting with some folks between bands. I glanced up in time to see a Frisbee sailing towards me, executed a leaping snag and, in one supremely smooth transition, winged it on a perfect flat trajectory into the hands of some guy setting up mics onstage about 40 yards away then settled back to finish the conversation. The crowd cheered and clapped so hard that I had to stand back up and give a wave.
For 4-5 years I raced local dirt tracks with some success. On night, being stitched up after a minor crunch, the doc leaned over and said, "Say, you drive that 40 car don't you?" Happened to me in Wal-Mart, too!
Fame, just can't beat it.
I once got unbelievably drunk with David Soul of 'Silver Lady' / 'Starsky and Hutch' fame... that totally counts, right?
