1.) In the mid-'80s, I was working at a music store and was miffed to find out that some of my co-workers had met Rick Nielsen and Bun E. Carlos when Cheap Trick was rehearsing for a local show. When one of the band's techs called the store to request a new guitar for Robin Zander, I volunteered to go down to the club with a catalog for them to select from. I met the tech, and was showing him the selection, and asked if Robin would like the black or the red model. Before the tech could answer, I felt an arm being draped across my shoulder and heard a voice say "Robin would like the red one.". I turned to find that it was Robin himself. Then Tom Petersson walked through the door. TOM PETERSSON!!!!! My bass hero from age 16 on. He calmly introduced himself to me: "Hi, I'm Tom Petersson." Barely able to speak, I awkwardly blurted out "Yeah, I know.". He was really cool; he hung out with me for a bit and we talked 12-string basses. He was really great, a down-to-earth guy.
2.) Tony Levin played with his band at a small (now defunct) jazz club, as a surprise present from my fiancée, even though she has said that King Crimson makes her brain hurt (they don't anymore). After the gig was over, Tony and the rest of the band came out to sign autographs and pose for pictures. They were all very cool, especially Tony and Larry Fast, who was surprised when I gave him a cassette tape liner to sign. All I can say about Tony Levin is that he has more talent in his left pinkie than I have in all ten fingers, but not a shred of big-name-star attitude. What a great, nice guy.
3.) At the other end of the musical spectrum, John Eddie also played at the same jazz club. His bass player was Kenny Aaronson, and I got to meet them after their show, too. In his somewhat inebriated condition Kenny flirted with my fiancée and kissed her on the cheek (and no, I wasn't jealous), but his performance was great and he was happy to meet a fellow bassist.
4.) Billy Sheehan conducted a workshop for the music store where I worked, and as the resident bass salesman I was assigned to help him set up. To test the setup, he wanted me to play so he could hear how it sounded. I grabbed my Billy Sheehan Yamaha bass and started playing random notes, roots and octaves and such. Billy interrupted, saying "No, no, I want you to play my bass, and really play it.". I nervously strapped on his heavily-autographed bass and started playing like I had never played before. And Billy said "That sounds awesome.". Between then and the start of the workshop, Billy and I went across the street to a local bar and had a beer. On company time. Heh heh heh.
5.) Other brushes with greatness, not necessarily of the bass persuasion: Adrian Legg, Kip Winger, John Murphy of The Shoes, and Lyle Mays, who was genuinely surprised that I knew who the Pat Metheny Group was and that I'd seen them in concert.
(he has ADD and loses his train of thought a lot)
We played "That Girl" with him that night. It was at a b'day celebration for MLK Jr. He said that my approach to his song was cool. 
