So I thought I’d throw out a few talking points over the holidays. As most of you know I have cut way down on open forums because they are all about the things we are trying to forget. We all have health issues. We all have political views. Etc. This is the place where we don’t talk about those things.
But for the most part we try to focus on other stuff here. So I thought I would ask you about which “celebrity” you have met or seen in the wild.
I have Omar Sharif, Andy Gibb (half nekkid), Kenya Moore and Kandi Burruss, A criminal trespassing event that happened at at POTUS home ALLEGEDLY, I AM PROBABLY LYING! , And that is all I can think of at the moment.
Oh Sean and David Cassidy… And Cher!
You share yours and I’ll share mine. Oh I forgot about the movies I was in, Gary Busey, Kenny Rogers… I forget them all. Remind me and I will tell the stories…
EDIT: Somehow I was not clear that you were supposed to tell the story of your encounters, I mean WTF?
Keith Urban & Nicole Kidman our for coffee. She is taaaaaalll
Steven Tyler, Anthony Bourdain, Reba McEntire, a variety of other country artists…and spent some time back stage with the Talking Heads.
Mary Chapin Carpenter and the guys from Alabama were delightful.
THE POINT IS FOR YOU TO SHARE YOUR STORIES! Tell me about Anthony Bourdain, I think I can take it now.
I share you your love and devastation over Anthony Bourdain. I listen to his audio books just to hear him speak again. Am I weird? Oh. I’ll tell you who I’ve met later. It’s 5am and I can’t sleep! It’s not that fun!
i can’t BELIEVE i missed this !!
1. i worked for Charlie Sheen during his Two and a Half Men crisis (LOVE charlie)
2. Dated Emilio Estevez (his brother)
3. was very good friends with Amanda Bynes .. and the. she went Left 🙁 .. honestly, sweet girl and i miss her and hope she comes back BIG.
4. Had to be separated due to almost getting into a fist fight with Lindsey Lohan at my boyfriend’s nightclub.
5. I’m a stenographer and do TONS of entertainment law and have done probably everyone you read about including their divorces .. but my MOST favorite case ever: Klugman vs Universal .. i grew up watching Quincy and he is the ONLY celeb i ever was starstruck over .. we did his deposition at his home so i was able to meet his entire family and i asked if i could take a picture with him .. he was the first CSI 🙂 .. he was LOVELY. I used his restroom, he had original photos framed from The Odd Couple hanging so i started snapping pics .. i walked out and everyone said ‘we heard you’ – ha! he is by far my most favorite celebrity encounter EVER. and i’ve met probably almost everyone.
A group of friends and I were randomly chosen to meet MCC at a backstage reception. She was so fun and laid back. Turned out that she and one of my friends had a mutual friend who is an ex priest in Baltimore. Great show, too.
I need your Talking Heads story in my life please! They are my all time favorite band and it kills me I’ll never see them live.
My only celeb sighting would be the day a Backstreet Boy came into the record store I worked at in 99 or 2000. I think it was AJ? Anyways he was browsing the wall where we sold singles and asked how well Backstreet Boys were selling compared to NSYNC, then offered to take me to lunch which I politely declined. I had no clue why all the young girls working my shift were freaking out so much until they told me who he was.
Oh my goodness, Tamara. Omar Sharif! My dearly departed father (left this world this year in August) was a nationally renowned bridge player here in Australia. I have a black and white photo of him playing against Omar Sharif. My celebrity encounters include shaking hands with the last 2 elected Prime Ministers here (one of them is the godfather to my nephew) and Henry Rollins and his band. My mother met Paula Yates and her children by Bob Geldof and Michael Hutchence on Hayman Island. My sister has met everyone, including the Clintons, because she worked for the Murdoch Deathstar and has the scars to prove it. I also met Adam Ant when I was 14 and they played in Brisbane. This was 1982, plus the Dead Kennedys in 1983. None of these people were assholes, Sharif had the reputation for being arrogant, but that’s the bridge world for you. Everyone is arrogant there! thanks for this, i know you warn about ‘meeting your idols’.
Ok I NEED to know about this Death Star thing…
Having lived in a famous ski resort most of my life I’ve met some good ones. The biggest would be Princess Diana and the Princes William and Harry. They came to my restaurant after bowling while on vacation. (You can google it)
My 15 minutes of fame came and went. Thrill of a lifetime.
I found the article about the bowling alley near Aspen in 1995. Sounds like a cool experience.
I was living in NH. And was visiting my parents in Hampton Beach. We owned and operated a business down there ourselves. It had been in the family since 1890.
Anyway most nights you can sit out on the steps and hear the bands play at the local venue there called the casino. They have had: Bette middler, Bonnie Ratt, poison, guns n roses, Jet etc. The list is way to long
This one particular July day my mother and I were headed to get something to eat and we were approached by a man wearing a cowboy hat and boots.
My mother gripped my arm almost drawing blood. But her mother raised her that everyone is out to kill you, so I passed it off as that.
He was very nice and said good morning, said his name was Travis he was here for a couple of days and was looking for a nice place to eat in walking distance to the casino.
I asked if he was looking for certain cuisine or anything.
He said private, and nice but with entertainment. I suggested two places near by. One seafood one Italian.
I said my mother can give you better directions to the Italian restaurant. She was almost tongue tied. And giggling.
He then said great all I gotta do now is find some dates. Don’t suppose you two are interested. I said thank you but both married. Shucks he says guess its me and the guys again then. Thank you so much though.
I said well we have to get the doughnuts for everyone back home. Good luck. And we started walking away after he shook our hands.
My mother keeps looking over the back of her shoulder.
Well you were a cool cucumber
What do you mean?
Don’t you know who that was. No told her
That was Travis tritt.
I told her she was crazy no way.
But sure enough on the playlist board was Travis tritt.
This reminds me I went to HS with Travis Tritt. He would play at our….little events. I also went to high school with the guy from Trading Spaces and the Move that Bus makeover show. His name escapes me. Oh Ty Pennington.
Wow-Tell us about Ty.
Well, it was a really big high school. Ty has an older brother name Wynn ( I suppose if they had another child they would have named it Lose). Wynn was two are three grades older than me and was very athletic and popular.
Ty was a skinny little thing would loosely hung out with his brother’s older crowd and there were always rumors that the guys would tease Ty and give him swirlies in the toilet. He was not considered good looking or popular though he did hang around his brother’s popular group.
Looks like the joke is on all the other HS kids and Ty turned out quite nicely.
CHER? Fill me with Yuletide Cheer…no jokes!
I and some friends were going into a mall in Las Vegas at the same time as Michael Jackson was getting out of a limo. He was walking fast surrounded by body guards but we kept up with him. People didn’t realize who they were seeing until we were already past, that’s how fast he was walking. We followed him into a music store and they pulled the gates down just as we followed him in. We were locked in the store for about 30 min. with people screaming and sticking their arms through the gates. My friend got his picture. He wasn’t a very big man and very nice. It was my one and only experience with a celebrity.
When I was very little (maybe 4 or 5), I went to some event with my parents where Elizabeth Taylor was also there. She was attending as well, it wasn’t like we were going to see some show she was in. I don’t remember anything about Elizabeth Taylor herself, just my mother’s excitement at the whole thing. My mom didn’t fan girl out though, she played it cool while we were there.
I saw Alice Cooper in a bookstore in the mall once. I didn’t recognize him, but I was with my father and he pointed him out. Some other guy went up and did the whole, “hey, aren’t you…” thing, and Alice Cooper was very nice to him. He was dressed all in black, except with red espadrilles. He looked just like you see him on tv, minus the eyeliner.
When I was in high school, I worked part-time at a department store. Sissy Spacek came in one time to pick up a package she had called ahead for and I helped her. It was under her married name. I had to get her to sign for it, but I just left that signature in the book – didn’t do anything with it. She was very unassuming and just like everyone else, and I didn’t realize who it was until after she had left. Her daughters were with her. They were a normal family.
Harry Connick Jr. and Jill Goodacre used to live in the town where I grew up, and you would see them around town anytime. People generally left them alone.
I was in New York with my boyfriend for a long weekend one time, and it seemed that every restaurant we went to, people would start whispering that George Clooney was there. My boyfriend looked absolutely nothing like George Clooney, so it wasn’t us. We decided he must be stalking us, and debated whether we should get a restraining order. Wouldn’t that be funny – two random people going to court to try to get a restraining order against George Clooney?
Oh, I remembered another one. I was in Martha’s Vineyard on vacation one summer. We went to the bar that is owned by Carley Simon and James Taylor and maybe some others – I don’t remember the name, but it was some reference to Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Anyway, their daughter was going to be singing that night at the bar, and it may have been her first performance if I remember correctly. They had invited some of their friends, and blocked off an area for them. My friends at I were at a table right on the other side of the barrier, so I was no more than 3 feet from some of them at times. Greg Kinnear was there, and so was Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew is just a little guy, and what I remember most about him is his hands. He has very feminine hands. I don’t remember who all else was there, but those are the two who stood out. I didn’t talk to any of them, but it was fun watching them interact with each other. The daughter did a great job, and at the end Carly Simon got on stage and sang with her. James Taylor didn’t perform though- he stayed in the audience in proud dad mode.
Holy crap! I have no chance encounter with any celeb, ever. My sister got kissed on the cheek by Mick (Jagger). Dad got Ed Bradley’s autograph in an airport somewhere..
When I was still living in the Chicago area I lived in the suburb that Carol Lawrence was from. We met her and her husband Robert Goulet, who my mother was crazy about. They were both very gracious. I was on vacation in Hawaii and Magnum PI was filming at the hotel I was at. There were quite a few breaks throughout the day so I got to meet Tom Selleck and most of the cast. They were all friendly, even after a very, very long day of shooting. A few years after I moved to Las Vegas I ran into Robert Urich in a grocery store. He was living here while he was shooting the TV show Vegas. He was so sweet and even better looking in person than he was on TV. My brother-in-law was a cab driver here in Vegas for quite a few years so he’d sometimes get celebrity passengers. The best one was George Clooney. Clooney insisted on riding in the front seat so he could talk to my brother-in-law, Hank. When Hank told him my sister’s name is Rosemary he said that was his favorite aunt’s name. He signed autographs for my sister and me and tipped very well.
David Sedaris. Met him at a book signing and surprized myself at how flustered i became when speaking with him. He was very pleasant and wrote some funny shit in my books. Actually, they were one of the first things i grabbed during a fire evacuation this past summer.
TT: Half naked Andy Gibb?? Do tell…..
My biggest wish in life is to get serenaded by David Sedaris. As Billie Holiday. Singing old jingles. A girl can dream.
Dressed as Crumpet!
Omg I LOVE David Sedaris. I would die to meet him or attend a book reading. Dream of a lifetime!
I would also, my biggest biggest dream would be to marry Ira Glass. He is everything to me.
Apparently I’ve only run into assholes. I was on the same plane as Deion Sanders, he was seated directly in front of us and the guy I was with asked for an autograph for his 5yr old son and his exact response was…I don’t do that for free anymore. I was in Vegas and saw Tori Spelling at a completely empty pool, her bodyguard was mean mugging anyone who even walked in her direction, meaning me, who had to go that way to where I was going anyways. I saw Claire Danes at a bookstore in New York, she was with the little Australian drummer dude she was dating at the time. And I’ve seen Bill Cosby, but he doesn’t count anymore.
I saw Dion Sanders on a plane too! DFW to LGA. He walked on the plane wearing a full length fur coat. Daryl Johnston was on the same flight and they completely ignored each other.
In the tennis world, Bud Collins, Venus Williams (who was very sweet), Arantxa Sanchez mother, Chanda Ruben’s father, Wilt Chamberlain (he went to the same tournament I went to every year. And a ton of top players in close proximity in the clubhouse and in and out of seating, as I had a really great seat.
Barry Gordy had the seats in front of my friend Jean every year, but he usually has a table where he stayed.. Except once when I was in his seat and looked up and there he was.. He was not amused, but I just zipped over to my own seat.
One night he brought Diana Ross.
In Corona del Mar we had John Wayne and Andy Devine living life, grocery shopping, eating at restaurants. Buddy Ebson’s daughters went to BE with my brother, and he supported the teams, but I never met him.
Danny Thomas , eating on his way to see Marlo at the Laguna playhouse.
No Derek at the Santa Barbara dog show.. Stunning eyes!
Brief encounter at a book signing with Izzy Osbourne.
Met Elizabeth Kubler-Ross at a lecture.
Cornelia Wilbur, MD.. The real Dr Wilbur who treated “Sybil” (whose real name was Shirley).. Dr Wilbur was a force of nature and had many famous friends to talk about. I spent hours with her here in OC, in Kentucky, and in Alexandria, VA.
Also met the author of Sybil, Flora Rheta Schreiber, who was also quite interesting.
None of the above were half naked.
I’ve only really hung out with professional athletes so I’m boring.
I’ve seen a ton of celebrities filming in Manhattan and the tristate area like Sasha Baron Cohen, Russell Crowe, Jennifer Connolly, SJP, the cast of MDL NY, etc.
I’m a huge fan of “The Wire” and about a year after it ended, I met Michael Potts, who played Brother Mouzone, on a hotel elevator in New York. I think he was in NY because he was in “The Book of MAormon” on Broadway. Anyway, I entered the elevator and he was standing very stoically. I looked at him a few times, then said, “Excuse me, but have you ever seen a TV show called “The Wire”? Because you look just like the actor who played Brother Mouzone, a bad ass Nation of Islam guy.” And then he smiled ever so slightly and quietly said, “It was me.” And then I screamed like a little girl and gushed about how much I loved the show.
I’ve been in a cafe in West LA where I saw Christ Noth (Mr. Big from SITC) with his family. I’ve been in a dermatologist’s office in West LA where I sat near Jaime Pressly (My Name is Earl).
My husband saw Reese Witherspoon dressed in kind of raggedy sweatpants and wrapped up in a scarf, sunglasses and hat, swarmed by paparazzi in West LA.
We work with people who have done security for the Academy Awards and other shows, and it was widely known that Kevin Spacey was a creep who sexually harassed the male security people.
Oh, best of all, I met Peter Thomas (yes, the thirsty one!) at LAX a few years ago! I had flown in from the east coast and had taken a leg from Atlanta to LA. I was in baggage claim and saw the blackest man I have ever seen in my life but didn’t recognize him at first. I chuckled and remembered Nene saying, “The darker the berry, the sweeter the juice.” Then I thought, OMG, it’s Peter!!!! He was a little distance from me, and I called, “Hey, Peter!” He turned around and nodded and smiled at me. He was carrying a plastic bag with the NBC logo. I ended up standing near him on the curb as I waited for my husband to pick me up, and he looked at me a little warily then, like he thought I was following him. Still, he clearly loved being recognized.
I worked at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in the 1970s, where quite a few shows filmed ( i.e. McMillan and Wife), many of the famous stayed (i.e. Olivia De Haviland for months, and Telly Savales for a couple of years), and when Johnny Carson’s tonight show put up all their out-of-town guests, from stars to the tallest man in the world. The most memorable one was John Wayne. I was out at the front desk paying a room service waiter for a bottle of champagne I was sending to a friend’s room, and Mr. Wayne was trying to cash a check for $100 to take to the bar. The cashier was the old, nasty bitch too many places employ to deal with the public. She was telling him, “I’m sorry [in a voice that wasn’t the least bit sorry] but we require a Driver’s License or a credit card.” The Driver’s License was only to prove who you were. It’s not like the DMV reimbursed us for bounced checks. Everybody knew who he was, and everybody could be fairly certain he was good for it. Embarrassed, I quietly said to her, “Take the check.” She was 40 years older than I was and very much begrudged my slightly-higher position (I was assistant front office manager, she a cashier). If someone ever asked for a manager, she’d screech my first name into the back office. Very professional. She loudly snapped at me, “He has no ID” to which I said once again, as quietly but more assertive, “Take the check.” She harumphed and bitched a little more, until I’d had it and said “Take it!” Never to give up the last word she said, “Well, then you’d better sign that you authorized it.” I did. He seemed amused by the whole thing. He was thanking me profusely in an amused tone, and insisting I should be rewarded. I was shrinking away, saying it was not necessary, and avoiding looking at him out of utter humiliation that I worked with someone that awful. This went on for about a minute, with him making it increasingly hard not to look at him, until I actually looked up and saw that he’d gotten in my purse, pulled out MY wallet and was laughing because he was pretending to tip me with my own money.
Love your John Wayne story!
Great story.
Agree. He had a Ranch in Northern AZ so a few of my current coworkers would see him around, shopping, dining, driving, he was apparently the “real deal” down to earth and very friendly. I like hearing stories about him. Thanks for sharing Deborah!
Once spent NYE with Teri Garr.
I am friends with her then husband’s family. His niece and I went to college together… I came up to hang out for NYE. I was student teaching, the others were in new jobs or finishing up an extra quarter or two, so we were actually planning on just hanging out in our PJs and watching movies, and spending time making a bunch of food with her mom. We had all this planned BEFORE we knew Teri was coming – but she and her hubby had a new baby, and they said those plans sounded great.
She was really funny, and kind that weekend. I seem to remember talking to her briefly about Michael Keaton (remember, he was Batman then – but she’d been in Mr. Mom with him). She asked me lots of questions about being an only child (They only adopted the one daughter… divorced a couple of years later). My own cousin adopted her son a few years before, and we talked about people’s reactions when they didn’t know. I shared that my cousin got so tired of explaining, that when she ran into she knew with her infant son and someone said “OMG, you look great! You sure bounced back from pregnancy. He sure looks like your family” she just thanked them and said that she was probably smaller than she was before her son arrived. (Which was true.. taking care of a newborn burned up calories!)
Teri said she had had people come up and ask her if it was her child with David Letterman!!! I remember my friend and I coming up with a couple of responses she could give… shit like telling them shh… David is denying paternity, or that it was really Paul’s kid. I have no idea if she used any of them. Ha!
What was really cool of her though – she knew the plans were lots of food, hanging out, maybe some puzzles or games, but definitely movies. Right before she left for the airport, her delivery of “For Your Consideration” tapes came, as she is a member of the Academy. It was a couple of boxes… she was packing for a tiny baby, etc. it would have been much easier for her to leave them on her dining room table. She schlepped those on the airplane so we could watch them (VCR tapes people!) It wasn’t all of the films that ended up nominated – that would be impossible. (I think she was getting more boxes).
But in that box was Cliffhanger (the Sly Stallone mountain climbing flick) Rudy, Philadelphia (it hadn’t even been wide released yet!), Nightmare before Christmas, and Six Degrees of Separation.
It was great… as a group, we watched a couple of them, but everybody but my college friends and I went to bed – Teri told us that with a new baby, she wasn’t going to be able to watch the films to make legit nominations or votes, so she wanted our opinions on who or what to vote for!
If I remember right – we didn’t want to usher in the New Year with a really sad movie (and she had warned us about Philadelphia). We didn’t like Six Degrees that much as a film, but EVERYONE agreed Stockard Channing kicked ass and that Teri needed to nominate her – and what do you know, she got the Best Actress nomination!!!!!Oh, Nightmare before Christmas was in the box… we didn’t care for that one at the time and didn’t finish it. We SOBBED over Rudy. and we all watched Cliffhanger. Fun movie, but not necessarily for the Oscars (except for special effects)
The family knew she potentially had MS at the time – her ankle was bugging her. If you watch her on Friends as Phoebe’s mom, you can see a slight hitch in her gait. It was NOT discussed though. It also took its toll on her marriage (and her desire to keep it a secret because of the impact on her work). I won’t go into the details I know because it isn’t my story to tell.
Erica, you win the day. Teri Garr is a motherfucking national treasure, and I would give almost anything for just a few minutes of her time to tell her how very much I adore her. So jealous!
I wish I kept a diary so I could remember exactly what we talked about in regards to Michael Keaton and other movies that were out. I just remember thinking… shit, I’m talking movies with someone who IS IN MOVIES.
We avoided fangirling out on her though… I mean, this was her first foray in to the whole that side of the family thing. So it was food and pjs per usual.
Oh, I highly recommend watching for your consideration films with an Academy member. It is kind of awesome.
This is a great story. Thanks for sharing! I really enjoyed reading it was it was a real encounter. Very cool!
It was! I’ve always been terribly sad she and her ex couldn’t work it out. Her MS took its toll on her – not saying he couldn’t handle it, but in other ways I’m not comfortable revealing.
It struck me as particularly cruel that a dancer got MS. Terri Garr is one of my favorite talk show guests. I especially liked her in “One From the Heart.” (Along with the Tom Waits soundtrack, Circus Girl and Raul Julia.)
Ran into Ivana trump in the 80’s in the perfume dept if penny’s …she must have had a fragrance out then.
She was really really pretty then
Met a Miss America from Hawaii..again beautiful.
Eddie Money a friend of a friend. Very cool..his eyes are gorgeous light blue…perhaps like Paul Newman.
Hubby was on a tv show with Hugh Downs for awile….Uber bright and extremely gracious.
Sixth degree..my cousin babysat for Patty Hearst.
Wow we have some things in common! I worked in an art supply store in the Berkshires and I waited on Hugh Downs. Didn’t know who he was, grabbed a foreign coin that he dropped and quizzed him above it it like we were friends because I RECOGNIZED HIM but I thought he worked at a local grocery store! I was so embarrassed after when I was told who he was. I wasn’t a jerk by any means but I wasn’t particularly respectful. And I helped Patty Hearst pick custom framing for some pictures. She came in with two bodyguards. Again I didn’t know who she was. She was very stiff at first but we ended up joking around and laughing so much, she was a little wacky and very cool and very, very fun. Again I found out after who she was, which explained why she was so standoffish at first and why she had bodyguards. She had a great appreciation for the humor in the tackiest things. Really liked her. Also, she was very pretty. I also met Elvis Costello once in Austin many years ago, he was buying tomatoes. I said hey how are you? He smiled and said he was great. He had a quiet way about him and seemed very genuine. Sorry, not very exciting, but I was impressed by how normal he was. I don’t have very exciting celebrity stories lol.
I love both Patty Hearst & Elvis Costello.Her autobiography EVERY SECRET THING was excellent. She is a strong woman. I loved reading about her life after the kidnapping & jail sentence. Admire her tenacity. Elvis Costello is a long time favorite. I still listen to ALL THIS USELESS BEAUTY album. This is my all time favorite open forum. So many great stories !
A friend of mine work for the artist Robert Rauschenberg so I saw him occasionally. I even traveled to a couple of his art openings in New York City and went to his home in NoHo. One of the best Christmas gifts I gave my daughters was attending his opening at the Metropolitan and going back to his house for a gathering. They were mesmerized by him!
Micky Dolenz from the Monkeys. Riding in an elevator a few years back at the Hollywood Roosevelt and he was hitting on my friend.
Mel Gibson at a cafe in New York City. Also his daughter at a horse summer camp in Vermont that my daughter attended. I was hoping he would show up for the final program to watch the girls ride but he didn’t.
Jack Black at the Getty Museum. He was with his son and the nanny. Later when we looked at our photos. I have a photo of me at a fountain and we realize he was sitting right behind me in the background.
I met several former Pittsburgh Steelers at autograph signings – Brett Keisel, Jack Ham, Andy Russell, Rocky Bleier, Heath Miller. I saw Coach Tony Dungy at a Hall of Fame game. Yeah, I’m a football fan.
I once saw Greg Proops at the Detroit Airport.
I was in a movie with Stephen Lang….I saw John McCain at a campaign rally and Lindsey Graham was with him.
I did see President Reagan walk through the rotunda in Congress, somewhere I have a picture of this.
As a server I have waited on ; Elizabeth Shue Mickey Rourke Paul Newman Elizabeth Warren Steven Tyler Rosanna Arquette & her sister ( I cannot remember her name oh its Patricia ) all were very nice humble well mannered & good tippers. My absolute favorite was author Dennis McFarland who wrote THE MUSIC ROOM & SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND. Authors & poets impress me so much more than mere celebrities cause I am a geek who loves to read. Great faux open forum let’s do this again. You ask a question & we your loyal followers answer. I seem to recall you doing one years back when you were a little tipsy & we got to ask you questions & you you anseered.. # EPIC # those were the days # Tamara Tattles nostalgia I’ve been reading here forever. Thanks for the memories Merry Christmas twin Love to you & Banjo xo Marc
I forgot my biggest celebrity sighting ( did not get to meet or encounter) Jackie Kennedy Onassis at the JFK library in Boston on a field trip for school in the 4th or 5th grade. The nuns were flabbergasted.
john stamos!!!
Back in the day when I was in college (2006), my dad was in town(in Chicago) for my sorority weekends he wanted to take me for a nice dinner so we went to Gibson’s steakhouse downtown. We had been sitting for a few minutes and a really good looking man wearing a baseball cap walked in and sat AT THE TABLE NEXT TO US….I looked over and gave a friendly smile then did a “double take “ and looked at my dad and said “OMG UNCLE JESSE FROM FULL HOUSE IS SITTING NEXT TO ME”…I of course thought I said it quiet enough but when I looked back over at him he was smiling right at me! Best celebrity encounter EVER!
Living in Alpharetta I used to run into or be star adjacent quite often. Kim, kroy, Lisa, some rapper that I recognize but can’t think of his name and a lady from vampire diaries all got coffee at the Starbucks I went to every morning. Usher had a crashed car at the same lot as my sister and seemed overly upset that he wrecked “another” car. I was kicked out of the second floor of the mall because they closed it down for Bobbi Christine… I was beyond irritated. I stood in line at Walmart with Ed hart well and finally got a pedicure at the same time as nene and Kim during season 1 :). But the only time I ever interacted with a star that really got me excited was The neatiful Stockard Channing. She was in a little restaurant near my home in a Sunday morning. I got so excited I almost peed and squealed uncontrollably, finally yelling something about bite the pickle Riz … before pulling it together and getting out of there.
A long time ago I ran into Paris Hilton when she was filming the Simple Life. In real life she’s actually quite short and she has the biggest clown feet I’ve ever seen. Ever notice she covers them all the time? There’s a reason for that!
One of Winston Churchill’s grandsons and his family were staying at the resort where I worked as a maid many years ago. They had a whole suite of rooms because their entourage was large with their small children, nannies, and their children had friends along with their parents, etc. Everyone left the rooms and about a dozen of us went in to tidy up at the same time. I was really good and quick at cleaning bathrooms so I was sent to clean Churchill and his wife’s bathroom. All of a sudden there was this massive amount of noise. Seems almost everyone in their group needed BATHROOMS because “digestive” things were not going so well. Lol The problem was that there was a maid in every bathroom in all of their suites so every bathroom was occupied and it was creating chaos. We actually used to have to get on hands and knees to wipe up the floor and I was on my hands and knees wiping the floor inching backwards to the door when someone made a big sound behind me. I turned my head and Churchill’s grandson had his leg stopped in midair to keep from stepping on my ass! He was holding himself up in the frame of the door. He looked JUST like his grandfather. It was like having Winston Churchill standing over you ready to step on you because you were in between him and the loo he so desperately needed! I jumped up and said, “Let me get by you.” Which he did. I left the suite and went into the hallway where our supervisor was for some reason furious at the Churchill entourage. I said something to defend them like they couldn’t help it and she ripped into me and I ripped back and quit on the spot. It was surreal to look up and see Churchill’s doppelgänger almost stepping on you.
I once recognized country singer Gary Morris in a mall. We were seeing him in concert later that night. He was by himself and we followed him to a shoe store where he bought new tennis shoes. I started to say something to him but he looked terrified so I didn’t approach him. He wore the tennis shoes at the concert that night! Lol
I was at a bar when comedian Will Sasso came in with bodyguards. I am not very tall and somehow I ended up getting penned in by them! They had their backs to me and I was just penned up against the bar by a wall of big guys. I kept politely trying to get out but they ignored me. I finally started shoving on them and trying to slither/slide around them to get out. I finally extricated myself and not a one of them acknowledged I was even alive. And I was really shoving them and throwing my shoulder into them. Must have been some good drugs that night because they were zombies.
I was seriously decked out in a Mardi Gras costume complete with a headpiece I made that weighed about 10 lbs. On Bourbon St. the weekend before Fat Tuesday. It was during the day and a woman came out of a coffee shop with her head down, big sunglasses, and a baseball cap. She had her head down, but she looked up and saw me in all my silver and white glory and she burst out with a million dollar smile! She shook her head laughing at me as she walked past. Took me a second for it to register who she was: Sandra Bullock. Felt good that she was living in the Big Easy at that time and she must have seen so much but my costume offering made her smile! Laissez les bons temp rouler!
I met Jay Leno one night after a comedy show. I was really a fan and mentioned a couple of his less well known career highlights. For some reason it freaked him out. I don’t know if he thought no one should know about all that but he looked sort of scared. Like I was stalkerish. I was with my husband who was right there with me but Leno looked so freaked out that we just walked away. I didn’t even bother to ask for an autograph. I was afraid he would stroke out. Lol
My celeb sightings are random and bizarre. I just realized that while re reading this.lol
I ran into Greg Brady, aka Barry Williams in Mexico 5 years ago. I totally fan-girled.
James Gandolfini one early 2000s very very early morning, after a very late night in NYC on 8th avenue. I was still wrecked at like 6am on a Sunday morning. He appeared very sober and just enjoying his early Sunday morning. I was a bartender at a club called the Roxy then, and for some reason was wearing a pink Hello Kitty baseball cap. I approached, he cautiously didn’t run in the opposite direction, and thanked him for all the great artful entertainment he’d provided over the years. He thanked me and shook my hand. Best memory ever.
These comments are fun! The only celebrity run ins I’ve had is, while visiting friends in Malibu, we saw Ben Affleck filming a scene for Gigli. I definitely fan girled over that! The only other is I don’t know if any of you watched an old soap opera called Santa Barbara, but we took pictures with the guy who played CC Capwell at Cheesecake Factory.
I loved Santa Barbara!
Me, too. I loved A Martinez.
Me too! He came over to DAYS for a while which was great and didn’t stay nearly long enough.
Haven’t seen him in forever.
I have seen Ben Affleck many times in Harvard Sq Cambridge . Extremely good looking. When I was in my 20 s I went to see THE ENGLISH PATIENT @ the Janus movie theater. Ben & Matt Damon were ushers ticket sales concession stand attendees in a faux tuxedo type uniform. Both were gorgeous. They were not then famous but very polite & great looking gentlemen. Years later I saw GOOD WILL HUNTING & nearly fainted. I never forget well mannered good looking & humble gentlemen. Loving this post. So many great stories. Mine are bland but so am I.
Somewhere in the depths of one of my closets ( think the one under my stairs) I still have the final week of Santa Barbara on VHS!!!
It ended my senior year in college, and while many of us in my Frosh and Sophomore year dorms watched Days every day in the TV lounge, my senior year I had a cheap VCR and my roommate and I watched Santa Barbara religiously (we were in a regular dorm, but we had the old dorm mother’s apartment. It was pretty sweet).
I know Eden & Cruz were the power couple, but I LOOOOOVED Mason and Julia!
Loved Robin Wright in Santa Barbara and A Martinez is so handsome.
Robin is fantastic in House of Cards, I can’t wait for new season.
I met Denzel Washington in a New York City restaurant. I was there with friends, celebrating a birthday. He was at a table if about 7 people, enjoying his meal.
I stared at him from my seat for about 2 solid minutes. I didn’t want to interrupt his meal by going to his table. He looked at me, gave a head nod and smiled. I was done!! I have a big grin on my face RIGHT now just from the memory
A little boy came to his table and Denzel talked to him. He seemed kind and patient with the little boy..
I met Ving Rhames at the Atlanta Aquarium, I was with my 8 year old niece. I went up to him and said “Excuse me, Mr. Rhames, I really enjoy your work”. He said thank you and gave me a handshake.
Many years ago, I met a famous singer and his overnight female guest in a hotel hallway the morning after his concert. Long story, but I went to the concert the night before. I had a dream he would see me in the audience and propose marriage to me so I went to the concert alone. I knew I would leave with him afterwards and I didn’t want to have to ditch my friends.
I was sitting in the floor of the hotel hallway. security said I had to leave because he was coming out. I rushed to the lobby.
He and his overnight guest stepped off the elevator.
He waved at me, said “how ya doing?” and went outside to the tour bus. His overnight guest walked down the street alone.
I remember thinking “that’s it? Where’s my marriage proposal?” . I remember his fingernails were bitten to the quick when he waved at me. And I thought it was rude that the female overnight guest was not given a ride home, not even a taxi.
I was 15 or 16 years old. I’m too embarrassed to give the singer’s name.
(But not too embarrassed to tell the story–strange I know)
Oh memories….
oh, come on, tell us who it was !!!!
Bobby Brown..I guess it was for the best my dream didn’t come to fruition. The strangest part is that he was not my favorite singer. I had a dream about him one night and found out he was coming in concert to our city the next week. I thought it was meant to be..seemed reasonable at the time..
My mom still doesn’t know I skipped school ( for the first and only time in my life) that morning to meet him. Too funny.
I met Bill Clinton when he was President. He was in our city for something. My Mom pulled me out of school to go see him and we actually met him while he was out jogging. A small crowd had gathered and Bill stopped jogging to come over and say hi, he also shook our hands.
I also met John Rich. He DM’d me on Twitter and gave me tickets and Meet and Greets to one of his concerts.
I’ve met a handful of other celebrities, but those are my two favorite encounters.
Cool! Never met Bill but met Hillary. She was a senator then and came over to my law school to give a talk on Con Law. We had to wait all day to get ticket as capacity was like 100. She went over her time allotted on her schedule, and her staffers were flipping out. She was having so much fun that she talked longer and shook hands. We had a lot of SC justices come speak. I did not particularly enjoy law school, but stuff like that was cool.
I also met Bill Clinton on Martha’s Vineyard when he was in office. He was randomly walking down Beach Rd. with a few secret service agents and stopped to shake my hand. He was absolutely gorgeous in person (not puffy the way he looked on tv). George Steinbrenner also tried to pick me up in a bar there. I passed on going out to his boat. Fat, ugly, old…. I have lots of stories about meeting celebs in my 20s and 30s on that island, but not so many now that I am fat and old.
Ran into Richard Nixon (literally) going up the stairs at Giants Stadium. He was alone; no secret service. All I could muster up to say was: “sorry, mr. president.”
In the early 50’s, my parents worked on a farm in St Helen Michigan, for Charlton Heston’s parents. My Mom would bring my two preschool aged sisters with her on the days she helped with laundry, and my Dad worked on the mechanical equipment.
One day, my sister Janis was playing near a pond on the property, and fell off the dock, into the water. She was rescued by Charlton Heston, who was there visiting his family.
In the late 50’s, my Mother was a waitress in Detroit. She worked at a supperclub, that featured Soupy Sales. I have some old 8mm film of me on my 5th birthday, dressed in a red gingham checked dress to match Soupy Sales’ bowtie, dancing with him. We were doing the Soupy Shuffle!
In highschool, a few friends and I snuck out one early morning and climbed a fence surrounding the Detroit City Airport, because we had heard Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were flying in. We crashed the gate, along with abt 30 others, and were delighted to see them. They graciously sign autographs, and I managed to get Bobby Harts sunglasses.
Bob Seger used to play a lot of Friday nite dances in High School on the eastside of Detroit. He was from the Ann Arbor area. This was just as he was becoming famous.
I’ve met dorinda multiple times when I was working at a coffee shop on the upper east side. Super nice and always tip! I’ve also met Luann and Tom while I was working at the shop. Tom looked extremely miserable and Luann could tell that I knew who she was but I wasn’t in the mood to converse with her
Part1: New York City, September 2004
A dear hippie genius friend from HS now a multimillionaire invites Mom and I to stay “anytime” in his NYC apartment in Chelsea (the same building where Katie Holmes stayed when she fled from Tom Cruise). I knew that Ron Howard and Kyle MacLachlan lived there … so it’s really weird or funny or both … I was chatting with the doorman waiting for Mom when I heard the elevator bell and a person who disembarked talking. I thought to myself “What the heck is Trey doing here?” Just a reaction before reality kicked in that it was MacLachlan on his cell and not the character he played in Sex & the City.
We went to the Roundabout Theater to see Peter Krause in “After the Fall.” When we picked up our tickets we were handed extra tickets with “Nabisco Lounge” on them. I asked about them and the ticket lady said “You know some very special VIP.” During intermission, we visited the lounge with “high-class” Nabisco snacks and top-drawer booze. Looking around, no one was dressed any better than us until I spied a woman in a $500 white shirt with jeans. Michael C. Hall’s (first) wife. This was the day before the final episode of “Six Feet Under” and as we rode down the elevator I told him he was SO MUCH CUTER in person. He said, “Thank you. I think” and laughed. I explained that I hadn’t realized how different he could look from David just with body language and expression, the mark of a great actor. A guy asked if he could give us a hint of what would happen in the finale. He couldn’t, but when I mumbled “Give us a glimmer,” he started cracking up. He knew The Rolling Stones reference. Extra cool and charming man.
Six Feet Under is my all time favorite show on television. Peter Krause, & Michael C. Hall give me the vapors. Excellent actors & so handsome. Thanks for sharing that story !
We were chatting with two nice ladies next to us and when I told them we had seen Michael C. Hall they almost fell out of their seats trying to find him. We were in the front row on the second tier. After when the lights came on one was holding the other as she leaned out, making us laugh hysterically, which drew his attention and he waved.
I love it ! I wanted to see him
Hedwig & the Angry Inch on Broadway. I still watch SIX FEET UNDER. Great cast of characters. Much better than anything on Bravo ! Happy Holidays Nanette!
Happy holidays to you too. Check out my Part 4 so you can google the sexiest writer in the land. Besides David Sedaris as Crumpet, of course.
I once was at the same hotel as will Smith, jada, the kids, Keenan ivory Wayons’ and his family, and MC Lyte. Everyone but Will was at the pool but then he shows up to say hi in golf clothes. Keenan had a little baby at the time and my dad said to him “enjoy these moments. That’s my baby over there (pointing to me)” it was sweet 🙂
Saw Arnold Schwarzenegger and family in a HI shopping area when Patrick was about 5. Arnold wasn’t as tall as I expected but it was funny hearing him say “Pahtrick Pahtrick!”
I saw Usher in a bar in Paris but he didn’t want to talk to any of us.
Steven Dorff was once on a plane with me. Dude looked rough. My dad said not to bother him lol.
Lauren Bush (W’s niece) was a year behind me in college. She was sweet and helped clean up beer cans after parties. Now she’s married to Ralph Lauren’s son.
Kyle from real world Chicago was a few years ahead of me in college and he was kind of a football douche but fine. I was friends w some of his roommates/teammates.
Also met Obama during his first campaign because my BF’s friend was on his staff. Seemed just as laid back as you’d expect.
I completely forgot the fact that I met Lebron James because my daughter and zhuri were in class together. We went to her 3 year old birthday party and it was so much fun! Savannah has the most beautiful skin and 1 of my biggest regrets is not asking her about her skincare regimen before they moved to LA 🙂 The whole family is nice and the kids are really sweet
Omg! Love this!! I remember the day he was drafted and was like “this kid is going to be the king of basketball”. Me and my guy friends were obsessed! Of course ppl like to jump ship and become band wagon fans, so there’s only two of us left who swoon over LeBron. Hearing that his family is sweet and nice made my night. Happy Holidays to you and everyone! Let’s not get too stressed over things that don’t reallly matter. Can you tell I’m taking to myself there? 😊
I waited on Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward and their 2 daughters whilst working at Magic Mtn in Vermont many moons ago. Lovely people-he had his (verrry good looking) son from a previous marriage with him. The son asked where there was to party around there. So I invited him and his friend over to our little hippie house for a little 420 partying. They stayed a few hours and went on there way with promises to stay in touch etc. I think his name was David. He died not long after of an accidental overdose. Nice kid. Nice family.
My encounter was similar. Just Paul & Joanne in a small restaurant I worked in Lexington. He was being treated in Boston for cancer. They both were very cool & down to i
earth. No one in the place recognized them so I never told my colleagues as I thought it bad form when he was obviously ill & I didn’t want to have anyone gawk at them. Unfortunately I gawked but in the most genuine & respectful manner. Both very good actors & nice to serve. He died later that year.
They were very down to earth people. True thespians.
When Joanne Woodward won her Oscar she wore a gown she had made herself.
I was impressed by their demeanor.considering their immense talent & fame
Flip Wilson. He was awesome! He was a customer at a breakfast place I worked at in Malibu a zillion years ago. He went out of his way to be my friend, found my tiny apartment on the beach and would stand below my deck and call for me to take a walk with him. He loved riding his Harley. Funny and kind.
I have many more but, he was and always will be the best.
I met Cher at a New York bar. She was married to Gregg Allman at the time and he was drunk in the bar so she was outside waiting for a taxi in a mild snowstorm. I was totally overcome. I was a huge fan and she was so stunning. She was complaining about the weather and so I just agreed with her. She mumbled something about Gregg being an idiot, but was just talking to me like you would any old stranger. It was so special!
When I was in high school, I was 5’9″ and around 125 pounds. I ate what I wanted and never paid attention to my weight. I didn’t think I was particularly thin (or fat) it was just never on my radar.
Then one day I drove into downtown Macy”s because Cher was there hawking some product. She was the tiniest person I have ever seen. She was a bit taller than me, mostly because of her high heels but she seemed to be missing some ribs or something. I am pretty small boned ( Although I weigh almost double what I weighed in high school) but she seemed to be a size not found in human nature. She didn’t look anorexic, she just look miniature. It was so shocking to me that I don’t remember anything else about her.
Sigourney Weaver at the beauty parlor .
Timothy Van Patten (he played Salami on The White Shadow). I was at a Disco on Long Island and he asked if e could buy me a drink.
Living in socal my whole life, ive seen dozens of celebrities. Most in one location. Coldplay concert when chris martin was dating gwenyth. Several coworkers for a vendor sponsored event so we had the expensive box seats at Hollywood bowl. Spielberg and capshaw with their adopted kids were next to us. Also saw bob sagat, gwen stephanie, ellen DeGeneres, gwenyth, bo from dukes of hazard, stiffler from the American pie movies, christian slater, etc. It was crazy cele watching.
Ran into jon voight at a u2 concert. Hes very tall. I said hi jon and he said hi back.
Helped a friend out with their small concert venue in signal hill years ago working vip desk. Vince Vaughn walks up and introduces himself asking for his passes. He was so polite and very handsome. I said i know who you are and handed him his tickets.
Housewives sightings of megan and vicky at fashion island and shannon at antonellos. Pandora was my waitress at villa blanca.
I forgot a good story. Was stsnding in line for a movie at fashion island. Alice cooper was behind us by himself. He was going to see the latest horror movie. Hes so little. Prob weighed 100 lbs. He had been shopping and had his macy bags. Just a regular guy and very friendly. We pretended not to know who he was (played it cool). Then some idiot comes by and screams his name.
I was a staffer on Capitol Hill—so many politicians. Ted Kennedy was really nice.
Chris Duhon (Duke and pro basketball) was at our same two tiny Coppola resorts in Belize on his honeymoon when we were on ours. We hung out with them a few times. Fun, of course everyone was in a good mood.
Tim Russert at the Irish bar next to our apartment. He lived in our neighborhood. My roommate tried to buy him a beer. He said thanks, but he could not accept.
Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs fantastic QB) had brunch next to us at a local Mexican place. Kansas City is a small town in a big city soyou see sports stars a lot.
Paul Rudd at B&N in Leawood, KS. Good customer. He is spotted around Kansas City a lot. His parents still live here. Sudeikas is seen around a lot. And Rob Riggle. They also do a big charity even in KC every year for our Children’s Mercy Hospital. Good guys.
A Minneapolis friend shared a producer with Paul Westerburg. She got us on the guest list for one of his KC shows, and were able to say hi after the show. Loud but fun. Lots of adventures with bands know one would like know.
We saw Sammy Davis Junior in an airport in Wichita, KS. My friend was drunk/hungover and ran right over to him. I am sure he was all get this crazy bitch away from me, but he was cool about it.
Oh yeah, right next to Stephen Baldwin at an outdoor cafe at the Arizona Biltmore. He was having lunch with some other guy. Looked a bit rough.
I so miss Tim Russert!!!!
I met Dwight Eubanks, Real Housewives of ATL 10 years ago(?) at the Hilton in Jackson, MS. He was very polite and let us snap a pic with him.
I was at work, government, in Florida. I have seen/met Judge Judy (very tiny) with her husband, Sean Hannity (not very nice), some cowboy football players ( don’t remember names, I’m a Tom Brady fan) they were paying speeding fines, Robin Cook (author, strange man). These are the ones that I remember.
Back in the early ‘90’s my sister and her roommates threw a Halloween party at their house in LA, and one of the people that showed up was MATT DAMON!! He wore a normal shirt and jeans but had a bag of frozen tator tots stuffed in his pants and the other half hanging over his crotch. He said he was a “dick- tator”
(this was right after School Ties I think)
I’m laughing on my couch all alone and loving it!! How cool?? He’s always given that I’m a decent bro” vibe and I can totally imagine him hanging out wherever and having fun.
My husband is a subject matter expert on something, and he briefed Dick Cheney when DC was VP of the US. Husband has a picture of the event. Years later, one of our friends met with Cheney in Cheney’s office and noticed that Cheney has on his wall a picture with my husband on it from the same event.
By six degrees: My dad rubbed elbows with Harry Belafonte, was part of security team for Dr King, was 3rd detective on scene at the assassination of Malcolm X. I have pictures of all those events.
Met Shaw outside Grand Central Station in N.Y. We both got off the L.I.R.R. and we’re outside waiting for a cab. When one pulled up he said, “To ahead pretty lady I’ll get the next one” never crossed my mind to get an autograph. But man is he tall!
Hung out with: MC Search, Ultramagnetic MC’s, Cool Mo Dee, Bizmarkie, Rakim. My cousins are Rev Run and Russell Simmons, they attend our family reunions.
Net LL Kool J when I moved to Queens…yes indeed😁😁😁
Had a FaceTime session with Vin Diesel, met Stephen King, have personalized books from Dan Brown, after writing him a thank w letter for the book Hannibal.
Russel Simmons is a bona fide genius and I adored his daughters when they were on Kimora’s show. Do the girls come to the reunions?
I met and had an amazing conversation with Tabatha Coffey. Even have pictures. She was amazing. Also met and had a small class with Philip Wilson who is a celebrity hair stylist. Oh and was super close to Fergie of the black eye peas.
I lived next door to Gladys Knight growing up. We used to play with her son Shanga and frequently visit his house! I also met Joe Jackson at my parents friends Christmas party and one last one, I met Randall Cunningham when he was touring our house because we were selling it. He thought It was very cool that I had Lenny Kravitz’s posters on my wall. Many sighting of celebrities because I grew up in Las Vegas.
OMG! You totally win!
One more I just remembered, I went to high school with Carey Hart who is married to Pink. I would run into him here and there during our 20’s the party years. I saw him at the Hard Rock and he introduced to his girlfriend Alecia (Pink).
Baton Rouge airport about 5 years ago. Rainy day, and the airport was dead–I thought I was the only person there. I went to the bookstore to get something to read, and I hear the voice of clearly the only other passenger in Baton Rouge that day. British accent–looking for a new suitcase as his had broken.
I look up and make eye direct eye contact with Russell Brand. He smiled at me so warmly, and asked “What are you doing here?” I said, “I’m here for work, but the bigger question is what are YOU doing here?”
He told me he was working on a documentary about “happiness” with Oliver Stone, and he had been visiting incarcerated people at a federal penitentiary in Louisiana as part of his research. We chatted for a bit–seriously we were the only two people in the airport. He could not have been more sweet. He even complimented a piece of jewelry I was wearing. Also: very tall. Also: killer smile!
We said our goodbyes and I went upstairs to go through security. The TSA ladies were all abuzz that there was a celebrity in the airport, but they didn’t know who it was. So of course I told them. He had just hosted the MTV music awards, so they all knew who he was and they were very excited.
I later saw them giving him basically a strip search as he went through security. He smiled the whole time–you could tell he knew they were having fun.
I have other stories, but one that comes to mind is meeting Donald Trump in Le Cirque in NYC. I was not a fan then nor am I now, but he really was very nice to me and my friends! He had the crazy hair even then and we were trying to get a good look at the “infrastructure.” He was with Melania but they were not yet married. She was wearing a full-length fur and her hair looked like she had just got out of bed–I’m sure that was the point. It was about 6:30, and they had already finished their dinner and were leaving. 🙂
I really like Russell Brand. He seems like he’d be cool to meet and I’m happy to hear that he’s a pleasant person. Happy Holidays!
I know I’ve been gone from comments forever and a day, but I’ve taken to not watching much TV for quite awhile. I still follow here, so it’s like I get all of the best parts of it, anyhow. I spotted Connie Chung at Harrod’s in London when I was there in my early twenties. I saw Minnie Driver and Adrienne Curry on separate occasions at the upscale mall near us, in all three cases the actresses were just out quietly shopping. Recently, my kids and I were at a holiday fest near us when we spotted camera crews come in and lots of staff from the place suddenly appear and insanely Khloe Kardashian and her baby showed up. From what I could gather I think they were filming for the show. She’s even prettier in person and was very friendly and polite to everyone on staff and in the production crew. Her baby is super cute. We were there for awhile and would see them pop up with the cameras. Luckily, I made sure we never got in any shots. The last thing I need is to have my bloated backside filmed for TV. I hope everyone has an amazing holiday.
I’m born and bred in NYC and you can see people all the time. The deal with NYCers is we don’t get overexcited, ask for autographs or try to talk to these folks. Hence they feel free to move around NYC. I now live in Chattanooga, TN, and we have a bit of celebrity sightings due to the annual Riverbend Festival and our proximity to Atlanta.
In NYC, my biggest sighting was John Lennon and Yoko Ono on 57 Street. They were ambling down the street like anybody else but (it was winter) they had these fur jackets on and one (I think Yoko ) had a purple one and I think John had on a pink one. I was walking up 57 Street in my thoughts and I was suddenly out of my fog because of the furs. They smiled , no one bothered them and I think they liked the attention. Everyone turned around after they walked by , thinking “Is that who I thought it was?”
The other big sighting was in a restaurant in NYC. My friend and I (we both hated our jobs at the time decided to have a late lunch and drink wine and drown our sorrows together). It was on 23 Street between Union Square and 3rd Avenue. It was like 3pm and they were prepping for dinner and my friend Lee and I were sent to the back area. The place is empty and in comes Bruce Springsteen and the whole band.Interestingly enough, Lee and I are consuming loads of white wine, and they were drinking coffee.We left them alone, though we were the only people there. Lee and I tried to hear what they were saying, but as NYCers, we respect their privacy (up to a point) but didn’t go up an bother them.
Otherwise while in NYC, I ran into Conan O’Brien (who looked frightened..he was looking at a townhouse in my neighborhood and I heard his voice before I turned the corner), Gilda Radner, David Brenner , the actor who played Fish, Todd Rundgren, Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Tony Bennett.
In Chattanooga, we have celebrity sightings during Riverbend. Bonnie Raitt has been sighted, Sheryl Crow lives nearby, and Bruce Hornsby played a piano at a hotel after his Riverbend gig with a fan who sent him a letter. It was sweet..We used to get local gossip about who was nice and who was naughty. Apparently, Earth, Wind and Fire were not to the local merchants.
Holy crap woman! I’m trying not to be jelly over here! I love this post and all the comments! You sound very cool Audrey
PS. I love Bonnie Raitt, need to get to one of her shows asap, maybe I’ll have a near experience too!
I used to have an apartment on West 57th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues and would see celebs in that hood all the time!
My freshman year in college at East Tennessee State University Aerosmith came to Johnson City to film the video for Ragdoll. The producers stopped at the Sig Ep house and said they needed several girls to be extras in the video. I was a little sister to the fraternity so they called me , my roommate and some other little sisters. They gave us these hideous housecoats and assigned us each to a little house with a porch on a tree street near campus. Steven Tyler was at a house furthest down making out with a model on the porch then he ran out the to street and jumped into a little red convertible and began to drive down the street. As he passed each house a girl would run off the porch and down the sidewalk waving to him enthisiastically making it seem as if he had “conquered the street”. We had to do several takes. In between them Kenny Chesney would join me on the porch swing and the sweet lady and man that owned the home would give us mini candy bars they had for Halloween. When filming would resume Kenny would run and hide behind the house! My roommate and I had a photo with Steven Tyler. He stuck his tongue out! There was also a photo of me and Kenny studying for our calculus exam in my dorm. The roommate had the photos and apparently her now ex husband has them and won’t give them back. Kenny was a student at the time and hadn’t even realized he could sing yet. Crazy to think that boy hiding behind the house fills stadiums now!
When the convention was in town & Ford had his heart attack I met George Bush senior & Bill Clinton. They stopped all the elevators & made us wait till Bush & Clinton came down. George Bush got off the elevator & was so cool. He shook everyone’s hand & was just a nice person. Bill Clinton was nice too but Bush had something resonating with people. I met Pat Croce who was nice but standoffish. He was in the hospital visiting someone. Just some other sport players. I work so much I don’t go anywhere to see celebs. There u go TT that’s my New Years resolution !! Taking a real vacation!! Merry Christmas & Thankyou for giving me something to look forward to at work
Most recently, Daniel Baldwin, sitting behind me on on a long haul flight. He had a special meal served at a special time, so I’m pretty sure he’s special. Oh and Candice Bergen’s mom was a cousin of my grandmother. But I’ve never met her. She and my mom could be identical twins though.
Met both Bill and Hillary- Bill first while working for Martha Stewart (who is also VERY nice), both SUPER nice. Met Obama in Martha’s Vineyard who was funny and kind at the golf course when he was on vacation. Met Springsteen coming out of yoga and thanked him for the Joe Strummer tribute which made him smile. Met Chris Rock on plane coming back from my honeymoon, he was very standoffish. Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively would come in to where I worked in Bedford. She’s nice, he’s a dick. Worked for Richard Gere and taught him yoga, but was closer with his ex-wife Cary who was distant at first, but very cool once you got to know her. I have literally touched Richard’s butt during a yoga adjustment. Met tons of fashion folks, Michael Kors, lovely, Christian Siriano, Lovely, Betsey Johnson, lovely….Anna Wintour…not so lovely. There were my rock and roll days in NYC in my twenties….but I ain’t sharing those lol…..
Rock and roll … c’mon, give us a glimmer!
Yes please!! Your list is amazing already! Please give us the rock n roll!!
When I first moved to New York the first celeb siting I had with was Iman, she was just walking down Houston Street and was basically drop dead gorgeous. I have no idea how beautiful she was in person but she is definitely one of those people who make heads turn. Very laid back, chic, cool.
I met Serena Williams a few times, we have a mutual friend, she is as okay. Nice but not friendly, sort of standoffish but we did go to a club together. I mean, she’s how she appears on tv, moody/private. At the time she was dating Common and HE was so nice and kind to everyone who came his way so
The contrast was stark and I’m putting it nicely.
I’ve met a few of the NY and NJ housewives but most recently ran into that horrible blonde from NJ, the one who owns that porshe store. She was at the plaza and was being a C.u.n.tuesday because she wanted to take a pic in front of the Xmas tree and God forbid, my 10 month old and I were also taking a pic on the other side of the tree. She kept saying rude things about “this kid” referring to MY BABY so I ignored her and took my f-ing time. Miserable bitch.
I’ve met/encountered several more but frankly, don’t really get excited for them.
I have worked at various airports so I’ve seen a few celebs.
I saw Reza, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, Shannon Dougherty, Fabio, Ann Coulter, Jeff Bridges, Huey Lewis, Danny Bonaduce, Timothy Hutton, Daniel el Baldwin, Craig T Nelson, Brooke Hogan, Kat Von D.
I saw Eddie Cibrian and LeeAnne Rimes. I noticed him first because he was so tall and very handsome. She is beautiful in person. I’ve seen Wendy Williams, very tall and was wearing house shoes. Judith Light who was very nice and her husband who was on a couple of Sopranos episodes and played Sam’s creepy neighbor on SATC and Edward James Olmos who was standing right behind me at an airport security line.
Oprah! Out walking her dogs!
Also Tea Leoni and Kyle Chandler in grocery stores on separate occasions (he is easily the finest looking man I have ever had the pleasure of seeing with my own two eyes), and circled Paul McCartney in yet another grocery store parking lot just a few years ago. He seemed to be having a challenging time piloting his Bentley. OH, and I spent one Thanksgiving in a Vail condo directly across the hall from Robert Kardashian and all the K-kids. It was right after the OJ verdict which is why we knew who he was. We rode in the elevator with them once and damn those kids were surly. Khloe was already towering over her dad and seemed like the one thing who was not like the others.
That had to be a fucking rough time for the kids, though. I think Nicole was even the godmother to one of them (the Jenner two?) Even if you take away the fact that their parents were on opposite sides of a family friend being murdered brutally (and not being able to ever really take a break from it because it was on tv constantly) – suddenly your dad is known by everyone, etc. They weren’t used to the paps at that point – and for such a horrid reason.
I met LL Cool J and his family at my good friend’s house. It was just before LL’s oldest daughter got married. My friend is related to LL by marriage and it’s a pretty close family.
I knew his wife would be at the party. We’re sitting in the backyard by the pool and in walks LL and his family. I tried my best to remain calm and not be a fan girl…especially since his wife and daughters were with him.
They were very nice and normal. His daughter helped to make a salad and set up more chairs outside.
His wife is lovely, inside and out. She shared some encouraging words with a few of us who stayed late as the party was ending.
LL is so handsome and nice. He is still my first husband (in my head).
I saw Martina Navratilova in a grocery store in Fort Worth. Would have been in the early 80’s. The cashier said she came in there all the time.
I ran into David Beckham in West Hollywood a few years ago. He was at a sub shop and we were eating sushi next door. When he got into his car I walked out there and knocked on his window (like a freak- I was dared). He didn’t immediately roll down his window but as I walked away he did! I walked up to him and handed him a damn note. So embarrassing! it had my phone number on it and said call me maybe.. yeah I realize he’s married. It was a dare. And he’s hot. As fuck.
He never called lol
Pam Anderson at LAX. She was eating pizza at same place as us. Didn’t talk to her tho.
Too Short in Newport lol my girlfriends kept singing to him.
Mel Gibson in Vegas. Right after the whole arrest controversy. He was walking pretty fast, people were recognizing him left and right.
Kris Humfies on Lake Minnetonka in MN.. we got on his boat and went back to his house. My gf slept w him. He had us all sign NDAs. Oops! Lol he’s super tall. This was right after his divorce to Kim.
Heather and Terry Dubrow ya orange theory fitness in Newport Beach. She’s TINY! He’s funny. I got nervous and didn’t talk to him even tho I find him funny.
David and Shannon Beador at Mastros steakhouse in Newport. With the girls. Looked like they were arguing.
Jessica Simpson and Jobn Mayer get a jazz club in Minnesota she is very little and she had brown hair then they were cute he surprise the crowd and played some songs for us pretty amazing.
Nick Lachey back when he was married to Jessica Simpson. He was down to earth and good looking pretty much just as you’d expect
Reading these stories has been my Christmas present! So much fun! Thanks, all of you.
I agree! Thanks for the entertaining posts!
Part 2: Waitress encounters
At Sand Castle in Malibu — Heather Locklear, who was shooting TJ Hooker in the old Rockford files trailer parked there. SO NICE.
Waited on Robert Redford and then-wife Lola. Nice people, regulars, good tipper.
Waited on Charles Haid and then-wife Debbie. He was trying to watch his weight and asked for suggestions. She told me had lost 30 pounds (she was very proud). I said, “You’ve lost a lot of weight since ‘Who’ll Stop the Rain.’ “He got very excited and then made Debbie show me her ring “just like Princess Diana’s,” but it was cute, not bragging. Left me a HUGE tip.
Drake Hogestyn, whose position I took when he left for One Life to Live. He wanted to meet his replacement and I told him I was glad The Pawn was going to be handsome (he had been hooded for a while). He glowed and was so nice and a LEGEND at the restaurant.
Robert Redford ! Nanette you have met all the men that make my heart swoon ! If you have met my all time favorite Christopher Meloni I dont think I can handle it ! This post is so much fun !
Not yet … I love him too!
There is more to come … the musicians … and the writers … miscellaneous.
You are killing me ! You have met so many huge stars. When I lived in Miami I waited on Ingrid Cassares ( Sandra Bernhards partner who left her for Madonna & was in the Madonna SEX book ) & Christopher Pacello. If you dont know who he is Google cause I dont want to trash talk. He was the most elegant beautifully dressed man I have ever seen. Gracious warm & rather sweet. He is now in witness protection program. I still recall him fondly.
I really want to use the NEWEST f word in such an affectionate/teasing way here. But the world would probably collapse. and I am not sure you are old enough to recall when and where it was okay to say.. xo ~tt
52 next year! You can use any cuss word on me. I am not politically correct & am never bothered by anyone’s sense of humor or bawdy vernacular. We are all adults here ! xo Marc
I had to research to make sure Chris Paciello was the guy I remembered. He was on a Vanity Fair Confidential episode a few months ago. He LEFT Winess Protection in 2011. Not dead yet! The VF show reminded me of “Magic City,” (even though it was set in another era) set in Miami Beach in the 1950s and ‘60s, with Jeffrey Dean Morgan looking quite dreamy as Ike Evans, proprietor of the ritzy hotel. Check it out, it’s divine.
Well I never met any celebrities, I did meet Sterling Moss, the famous British race car driver though. He has just won the Sebring race and was flying to NY and I was on the same plane seated across the aisle. I just leaned over and said ‘congratulations Sir Moss.’ He was very nice and chatted a minute I noticed later he had fallen asleep…lol.
Meanwhile Merry Christmas to TT and her hysterically unique and hilarious personal tales and recaps and to all the people here whose comments I have so enjoyed this year.
Happy 2019
Part 3: Sporty Boys (when you are old, there are lots of chapters)
Daryl Lamonica (Raiders) came into the Nantucket Fish Co. in tiny Crockett, Calif. after partying at the neighboring Bass Club and tried to get my boss to let me of work to party with his group. Instead, I got his autograph for my boyfriend.
I had a fling with Vida Blue (then on SF Giants) who I met at the Nantucket and befriended after my bar manager loudly told a racist joke. No one else recognized him.
In Walnut Creek, Dave Stewart (Oakland A’s) who had an attractive, not flashy, brunette date —after his mishap with a cross dressing “working girl.” Nice couple.
Reggie Jackson, Tony LaRussa in Walnut Creek. Same restaurant, Daryl Strawberry, who everyone told me was a pompous ass, was extremely nice. Our chef had been after an autograph for years for his boy. I gave Strawberry a note on a cocktail napkin and he gave me the autograph for the chef’s son.
I went to elementary school with Keith Hernandez. His brother, Gary, was the handsomest, nicest boy ever. His mother, Jackie, was the classiest, most beautiful woman ever.
Joe DiMaggio, with his daughter. I waited on them and when I brought their change back I gave him a note telling him he was the classiest famous person I’d ever seen and what an honor it was to serve him. His daughter came back to tell me he was very touched and thanked me for doing it silently. Giant tip.
I was raised in California and have so many stories but my favorite and the one I enjoy remembering the most happened pretty close to home. When my Grandfather retired, he bought a Gold Mine in the California foothills. He used to escape there on weekends with his dog, “Butch”. In the summer months, he and my Grandmother would rent a place in Valley Springs and the rest of us would visit as often as we could. So much fun! He would take us frog hunting at night, rattle snake hunting during the day and sleep on the porch with his Colt 45 under his pillow to guard us from local bears when we kids insisted on sleeping outside. One summer, (I think I was about 8 years old) a movie company was filming a huge Hollywood movie in the area. It was called, The Big Country (starring Gregory Peck, Jean Simmons, Carole Baker, etc..). They called for “extras”. My Grandfather played the part of the blacksmith. He said one word, “howdy”. My uncle could ride a horse and was hired as one of the bad guy bandits. They had so much silly fun with it. My Mother and I drove to the site one day with lunch for them. We couldn’t find them. We were so surprised that everything was fake. All of the buildings were just fronts (no interiors)! When we were almost ready to leave, a guy on a horse came skidding and throwing dust up to us yelling “Jean . . . . Jean”! My Mom’s name was Jeanne. She thought it was her brother (my Uncle) and ran out to greet him. My Mother was a beautiful woman (movie star beautiful)! The guy was Gregory Peck. He thought she was Jean Simmons. I don’t know who was more embarrassed! .
DillyDilly, what a great story!
I LOVE this story. I bet Peck was even more handsome in person.
I’m an attorney and live outside the USA. I was visiting DC and dragged my friends over to the Supreme Court. As a legal nerd, I was in heaven…and then I see SUSAN LUCCI walking down the hall.
I absolutely ADORED her on All My Children and was shocked to see her, because…I mean, what’s Susan Lucci doing at the freakin’ Supreme Court!!! I walked up to her, kept repeating Mrs. Lucci, Mrs. Lucci like an idiot, told her I was a huge fan, she shook my hand and we took a picture. She’s tiny, gorgeous and was absolutely perfect. I still smile like an idiot when I remember that story.
Part 4: The writers (lots of memories until my senior moments kick in)
James Ellroy— my favorite writer tied with Mark Twain. When I asked him if the part in The Cold Six Thousand about Jack Ruby and beastiality were true he said said before shooting Oswald, the ASPCA was investigating reports of Ruby with a dog. When he signed my sister’s book, he said, “Blood Kong, yes, I’ll write blood kong.” Good thing he told me — his handwriting is worse than a doctor’s.
Walter Mosley — I told him I get so engrossed reading his Easy Rawlins books that I am surprised when I answer the phone while reading to hear the voice of a white woman come out of a middle-aged black man. He wrote “To Nanette, the black man.”
James Lee Burke — When I told him I hope he never “kills off Batiste,” he said “most people ask me not to kill off Alifair.” I told him that it was not too likely because his real-life daughter also is named Alifair. He signed my book “No promises.”
Nick Hornby — He said my copy of “High Fidelity” looked like I had been reading in the bathtub, which was true, but books were meant to be enjoyed not put on a shelf and that of all fictional characters, I was most like Rob. That led to a 5-minute discussion on the art of making a mixed tape, much to the annoyance of those behind me. After the signing, he sought me out to continue and I told him one of our writers did an excellent piece on record shopping with Nick Hornby. He asked me to have the writer send him a copy.
Andrew Vachss — Novelist, graphic novelist, child’s rights lawyer. He uses the profits from his fiction to fund his crusade against pedophiles. He is a damned good writer, but it is his noble passion, his eye patch, and his gypsy looks that combine to make him top my list of SEXIEST MEN I EVER MET. (Look him up Marc.)
Nanette I am on it ! I loved to hear of his charitable donations. Exemplary service to all exploited children Guess who will be buying all his books? Me thanks Nanette !
Check out The Dogs of the Zero that he is involved with. When children have to face their abusers in court, they cannot have a person hold their hand. But they CAN have a dog companion.
That’s really touching to hear. Support animals are a true blessing for all that suffer. I have lost so many pets ( & that’s the circle of life I know) but what comfort they bring in good & bad time. Heading to Neiman Marcus for Christmas clearance sale & then to see IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK but will swing by my favorite book store & get all the Andrew V tomes. Thanks for the recommendations. Whoever dies with the most books wins.
Loved all your celeb stories! Happy New Year Nanette !
Whoever dies having READ the most books wins! I hope you enjoy the Vachss books. When you get to the Prof’s theory of the genesis of HIV (in Strega, I think) — it makes a lot of sense. Vachss told me (in a Q&A) that it IS a theory believed by friends of his in the WHO. So be prepared to be disgusted and angry. I predict you will fall in love with Pansy.
Will keep you posted. I appreciate the recommendations. I am a big art history psychology mythology biography & poetry fan but always love to discover new authors to enjoy.
Part 2.1: More actors at restaurants (I forgot my Tahoe encounters)
The Gold Coast Lodge on top of Squaw Valley
Peter Graves — very tall always dressed in blue ski wear
Robert Conrad — very short, always in red Lycra ski suit. Stands leaning back on his ski poles with his weiner pointing outward (overcompensating much?)
Alpine Meadows — Art Linkletter, so much larger than on TV. Always trying to hire free tickets. My friend’s who worked there did NOT LIKE him. At all.
River Ranch: Nick Nolte, VERY INTOXICATED. He was staying there and my bartender friend said after we left there was “trouble” with his lady friend.
Part 5: Musicians (pretty much every San Francisco sound band at some time)
My best friend and I went to Esalon Institute with Phil Lesh, Owsley (The Bear) and Jon McIntyre after a Grateful Dead concert in Monterey. The band, except Garcia and Pigpen, were there. And some of the Kwipment Krew. Naked. Weir was with new girlfriend Frankie (Sugar Magnolia). I ADORED that woman. SHE should write a book, best stories.
Watched the first moonwalk at Weir and Frankie’s house in Ross. The next week, Mike Hagen (Merry Prankster) invited my friend and I to Woodstock on the Further bus. She couldn’t go and “forgot” to tell me when he called.
My favorite John “Marmaduke” Dawson. New Riders of th Purple Sage. Met him before at a Dead benefit for —- Scientology. TC was keyboards and a Scientologist. Dawson warned me to scratch my name off the guest book! He sought me out and bought me drinks at every small club for years. Kindred spirits. It kills me he died widowed and depressed and drinking in Mexico.
Janis Joplin at New Orleans house. I was under 21 and ordered two pots of anise tea to meet drink minimum. She offered to spike it but I told her I was going to puke from all that tea. Still hate licorice.
Sam Andrews and James Gurley from Big Brother in the 60s and in the 90s. I told James Gurley he and I had something in common — people bet that we’d be Dead way before the 90s. He said “Guees we fooled them” and twirled his propeller on his beanie.
Box Scaggs several times at the Matrix in SF. Clark Pierson, Scagg’s drummer.
Frank Zappa, Matrix. My friend was cocktailing and spilled a half-liter of red wine on his all-white, embroidered Afghan goat skin coat. She was mortified, until he said it was “only clothes,” earning my utmost respect.
Peter Santora before he was George Harrison in Beatlemania, broke my heart when he dumped me for a homely rich girl. I thought I had done something wrong and it was a while before I “got it.” Daddy had show biz connections… yeah …
Junior Wells asked me to go out for “breakfast” after his show at The New Monk (later Keystone Berkeley) but I declined. (I was unrequitedly in love with a guy now Dead.)
John Cippolina and Gary Duncan (Quicksilver Messenger Service) bought me drinks at the Matrix; they were BEAUTIFUL.
David Cosby, he came to visit his guitarist, my H.S. pal, Carl Schwindeman in Crockett, Calif. I went to a coke dealer’s house and there was “poor, pathetic David Crosby,” as my boyfriend described him. It was very sad.
Interviewed Dale Watson (alt. country) and Ronnie Dawson (rockabilly) for the paper.
Robbie Fulks (alt. country) — we have family reunions at Robbie’s shows, and he usually stops by. When I showed up at his show in NYC, he said “what are you doing HERE?” Very under-rated genius.
Tom Waits playing piano (as a customer, not a performer) at the Beach Chalet in SF. I asked if he would play The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me). He did. But I HAD been drinking. Quite a bit.
There are more, but minor encounters, minor musicians.
BEST FOR LAST: “aAccidentally
Part 5: Musicians (pretty much every San Francisco sound band at some time)
My best friend and I went to Esalon Institute with Phil Lesh, Owsley (The Bear) and Jon McIntyre after a Grateful Dead concert in Monterey. The band, except Garcia and Pigpen, were there. And some of the Kwipment Krew. Naked. Weir was with new girlfriend Frankie (Sugar Magnolia). I ADORED that woman. SHE should write a book, best stories.
Watched the first moonwalk at Weir and Frankie’s house in Ross. The next week, Mike Hagen (Merry Prankster) invited my friend and I to Woodstock on the Further bus. She couldn’t go and “forgot” to tell me when he called.
My favorite John “Marmaduke” Dawson. New Riders of th Purple Sage. Met him before at a Dead benefit for —- Scientology. TC was keyboards and a Scientologist. Dawson warned me to scratch my name off the guest book! He sought me out and bought me drinks at every small club for years. Kindred spirits. It kills me he died widowed and depressed and drinking in Mexico.
Janis Joplin at New Orleans house. I was under 21 and ordered two pots of anise tea to meet drink minimum. She offered to spike it but I told her I was going to puke from all that tea. Still hate licorice.
Sam Andrews and James Gurley from Big Brother in the 60s and in the 90s. I told James Gurley he and I had something in common — people bet that we’d be Dead way before the 90s. He said “Guees we fooled them” and twirled his propeller on his beanie.
Box Scaggs several times at the Matrix in SF. Clark Pierson, Scagg’s drummer.
Frank Zappa, Matrix. My friend was cocktailing and spilled a half-liter of red wine on his all-white, embroidered Afghan goat skin coat. She was mortified, until he said it was “only clothes,” earning my utmost respect.
Peter Santora before he was George Harrison in Beatlemania, broke my heart when he dumped me for a homely rich girl. I thought I had done something wrong and it was a while before I “got it.” Daddy had show biz connections… yeah …
Junior Wells asked me to go out for “breakfast” after his show at The New Monk (later Keystone Berkeley) but I declined. (I was unrequitedly in love with a guy now Dead.)
David Cosby, he came to visit his guitarist, my H.S. pal, Carl Schwindeman in Crockett, Calif. I went to a coke dealer’s house and there was “poor, pathetic David Crosby,” as my boyfriend described him. It was very sad.
Interviewed Dale Watson (alt. country) and Ronnie Dawson (rockabilly) for the paper.
Robbie Fulks (alt. country) — we have family reunions at Robbie’s shows, and he usually stops by. When I showed up at his show in NYC, he said “what are you doing HERE?” Very under-rated genius.
Tom Waits playing piano (as a customer, not a performer) at the Beach Chalet in SF. I asked if he would play The Piano Has Been Drinking (Not Me). He did. But I HAD been drinking. Quite a bit.
Lots more minor encounter. EVERYONE showed up at EVERYONE else’s gigs in the 1960s and 1970s.
BEST FOR LAST: “Accidentally” touched Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and ♥️ Gram Parsons on the platform behind the stage at Altamont.
How did this duplicate? It’s jumping all over. As long as the Mick, Keith and Gram is there.
How did this damn thing duplicate? It’s jumping all over. As long as the Mick, Keith and Gram is there.
Chef CJ Jacobson from Top Chef at James Bar in Missoula, Montana. He’s reallly cute, funny and Tall. I recognized him from across the room as he was standing with some friends at the bar. It was crowded. I pointed him out to my sister and together we nervously approached him. He was super nice and agreed to take a couple selfies with us. He said he was there visiting his Dad. I remember he asked our advice on how to get this cute girl he had eyes on nearby to go home with him for the night. I think he failed. It was all funny and everyone was jolly. I don’t remember much else. We were white girl wasted. My sister and I went home with our now Ex husbands.
Rush Limbaugh at rehab in Wickenburg, AZ. He was in my NA group Oct 2003. He went by the name Carl. I’m not going to say much except about 3 weeks in, my insurance company was refusing to pay for the full 30 days and somehow he got wind of it and paid for the 4th week unbeknownst to me. I found out when the head honcho called me into their office asking if we had hooked up as that kind of behavior is strictly prohibited (but does happen. It was pathetic watching the rehab slores pawn all over Carl) I was freaking out. My only encounters with him was in group. I denied all allegations and I guess they believed me as I got to stay the full 30 days. I remember he did the “News, Weather, Sports” part of the community morning announcements. He was quite entertaining. He sat in the common room on Sunday’s and watched sports on TV, usually with a cling-on by his side. I did send him a thank you note for helping me out by community mail. The whole experience was weird and embarrassing but I was grateful. Insurance companies suck. Nice rehab btw but very intense therapy. …it didn’t stick for Carl, from what I heard. Idk.
I used to work in Atlantic City at the Ocean One Mall. I met a few good ones . Marla Maples bought hand lotion. Gallagher bought the stuffed animal moose head. Saw Naughty By Nature. Mike Tyson (short but buff) Nell Carter. But the best was when George Carlin acme in and asked me where the drug store was. I said why you wanna buy some drugs?? Referring to his comedy album. He said he was looking for contact lens solution. I told him the drug store was upstairs. I laughed so hard st myself. Saw a lot of the Miss America contestants. Their families are notorious for being cheap tippers. Saw Rick Okasic from The Cars walking around Boston with his wife Paulina.
In college, I was in a show with Marin Mazzie. She was quite beautiful and extremely talented. The rest of the cast partied and joked around, but Marin was all business. She went to one cast party, but didn’t really socialize much. Even when Marin was in a Choir setting she stood out, because she was so stunningly gorgeous. She died too young.
Also, in college, I met Edward Albee at a cast party. Stood next to him in a doorway, he was very small, and very quiet.
Also, in college, I met William Windom. He did a casual meet n greet with all of us theatre students. He smoked a stogie, wore a cotton fishing hat, shorts, and a Hawaiian shirt. Very down to earth.
When I was a cook at a resort I met Allen Melvin, (Joe the butcher from the Brady Bunch). Explained that I was administrator for a community youth group, he signed a napkin, very nice guy.
I cooked room service for Robert Goulet, whom I was told that his wife was very protective, and somewhat a bitch to the staff.
I cooked room service (stir fry) for David Lee Roth. I was told he loved it. “Compliments to the cook!”
Part 6: Douche Canie Hall of Fame (it’s almost over, I swear)
In order of appearance, not douchiness
Eddie Money: When he was just an asshole, not a famous asshole. I went to see another band at Longbranch in Berkeley. He was the opening act back in the day when both bands did two sets at Bay Area clubs. Between sets, he sent a roadie over to tell me that Eddie requests “the honor of my presence backstage.” I asked who was Eddie. I told him o tell Eddie I was flattered (I wasn’t) but that I had a boyfriend (I didn’t). Fast forward to 1980. My boyfriend’s ex was Eddie’s ex. We looked alike (she was prettier). He must have a type. Eddie had pushed her down the stairs when they lived above McNally’s in Oakland. Then he stole (ALLEGEDLY) a bunch of Persian from a mutual friend, OD’d and used another mutual friend’s ID so he could be admitted to ER under the radar. Didn’t work for long and never thanked our friend.
Martin Blinder, shrink who created the Twinkie defense for Dan White after he killed Mayor Moscone and Dan White. He came into the Nantucket with a really cute guy (Wolf). He told me he was “mesmerized” by me. (LOL) I didn’t know he was Twinkie Guy. He asked me to dinner at “Chez Martin” for a small dinner party and wanted my address and phone number for invitation. Because Wolf would be there, I agreed. He sent me articles about his role as Twinkie guy (he asked me to return them, I didn’t).He sent me extravagant flower arrangements. He barraged me with phone calls. The last time I spoke to him, I had a RAGING HANGOVER. He asked “would you feel better if I had my finger in your vagina.” I screamed “I DON’T HAVE A VAGINA, I HAVE A CUNT!” sending my bedmate FRIEND into hysterics as I hung up. He sent me a drawing of himself crying that I still have. Two of the women he later married killed themselves.
So I am completely oblivious to celebrities. I see them all the time, but I almost never know who they are.
Examples: Ate an entire meal next to David Byrne, no clue.
Passed Sting on the street. No clue.
Passed Sam Sheppard (RIP) and Jessica Lange on the Street. Noticed he was handsome, but no clue.
For fucksake I didn’t even see Keith Richards eating 10 feet away from me. I mean, motherfucking Keith Richards?
Oh, and in Florida once I stood talking to Bruce Springsteen for 1/2 hour in a midcentury modern store in Palm Beach while our partners shopped. No idea.
I also see Alec Baldwin all the time in the neighborhood but I recognize him now. He shuffles around like an old man.
There are more examples. The Mr. always tells me about them AFTER at which point I always slap my head and go “oh, they really looked familiar”
Him: “I mean, Sting had a guitar strapped over his back.”
ok, ok. You get the idea.
The three encounters I have had where I recognized the person:
I met Valerie Harper. We hung out in a dog run together in the rain. She was really lovely and I told her how much I loved her in MTM and her own show.
Hugh Grant – I have a pic. We were in the British Airways first class lounge together. How I recognized him I still have no idea.
Carol King. I saw her at the Sushi bar at Yasuda 2 weeks after the Presidential medal and the Aretha Franklin ‘fur drop.’ I actually didn’t recognize her at first but I heard her talking to her friend and realized who she was.
I’ve got a lot more sightings.
Like the Broadway play with dinner thingy?
Actually, that was the opera and I was in a box and then at intermission dining next to the Clintons. I actually recognized them!!!!
Gwenyth Paltrow I didn’t notice. Maybe if she had been expelling jade from her vagina?
You are the fanciest person I know.
I am friends with RICH FOLKS y’all.
I mean I have never met them,but they post on my site!
This year in August I met some friends in Vegas. My friend invited me to a VIP concert to see Stevie Wonder where we were ushered in by special security and seated on the front row. Much to my surprise we were asked to join Stevie at a reception after the concert where there were lots of good food and drinks. Stevie was so personable and it felt like I’ve known him forever. There were other celebs there and I tried to act like they didn’t impress me. Johnny Gill had so much bling on he really needed an armed guard. Stevie is not very tall but his skin was smooth like a baby and boy can he talk. We took pictured together and it turns out he and my friend are like family. He was at her house for Thanksgiving where it’s just another family gathering. Meeting Stevie and hanging out with him is strictly a grown folk kinda party which I’ll never forget.
Stevie Wonder ? Grandmalou, you win everything.
He is my favorite artist,he is THE dealbreaker for me.
Anyone who does not like Stevie Wonder’s music can not be a part of my life nor should they be trusted with small children and animals.
His music gives me life….
Please let me know when and where to meet for the next get together.
President Trump in St Louis in March. He was speaking at my hotel. A coworker and I were trying to see him as he left. The secret service tried to block our view. He leaned around them with a big wave and smile.
Was an extra on Hawaii 5-0 many years ago. Got to meet Tom Selleck, but was too young to know how hot he was.
Willie Nelson, his daughter was a friend in high school. Ha came to graduation. And John Stamps was at 8th grade graduation. His nephew was a classmate.
Decades ago we went to a book signing of a Middle weight boxer named Rubin – The Hurricane – Carter. He was wrongfully imprisoned for murder – spent almost 20 years in jail for a crime he did not commit.
Such a gracious and calm human, listening to him – he was forgiving but wanted to make changes in the penal system. His experience scared me, because this actually happened to him and had his freedom taken from him.
The other person we met – Lenny freaking Kravitz!! that was wicked – we had a backstage pass and we were able to take pictures and he signed our tickets!
Lenny Kravitz is a demi god. So talented too. Happy Holidays Samael !
AND he hasn’t aged A BIT since he first came on the scene.
true dat Nanett!
watched him on the ellen show within last month – dude looks ageless!
marc
I accidentally put my response to you – downthread – sorry
Lenny’s rifs are epic! Merry Christmas Marc!
No worries. Happy New Year Samael !
Has NO ONE MET CAPTAIN LEE STUD OF THE SEA?
If I do I will hold him down & call you. I know you love him & his wife. Must get his book you said it was great. If you ever see Christopher Meloni for the love of GOD have Banjo guard him til I arrive. He used to have a Facebook page with pictures of his wife children dogs etc. CHARMING FELLOW !
marc
Lenny Kravitz rifs are epic! Happy Holidays marc!
Hahaha! Yes, I’ve met Captain Lee and his beautiful wife. They are very lovely people.
And no one want the story about how I maybe allegedly stayed on the property of a POTUS?
And I was in Andy Gibbs dressing room where he apologized from being half nekkid.
Well, yes, Tamara, I believe we do want to hear those stories!
Ditto !
Spill it, please
So now we have been treated to the Andy Gibb story in the Christmas post. Still waiting for POTUS.
Oh POTUS. I dated a guy when I was very young with a drinking problem and as it turns out sort of a criminal past. He went to jail in Florida after we had broken up but he was really hot and I could not get enough of him, He was scandalous and once we had sex on a golf course of the gated community he lived in IN BROAD DAYLIGHT. If anyone has photos I would love to see them, I was hot then.
So many years later he living in Miami. I have always had a nervous stomach and would throw up for literally no reason but his fridge smelled disgusting. I was home alone for a few days while he was actually working somewhere.
So the plan was to drive from Miami to Key West. I was underage and dumb and thought this was not a long trip. IT IS A VERY LONG DRIVE to Key West from Miami
And he wanted to drink the entire way an stop at all the strip clubs.
I was literally on the road with a drunk driver who I could not pull out of the club (while I waited in the car? I was VERY YOUNG) And when we eventually got on the road, I kept asking him to pull over and he was being a dick
I started asking him to just let me off on the side of the road before he killed us all..
Then he said he knew of a good place to stop. He took me to bush family property or maybe the property of their friends. We slept in the care. In the morning we showered in an outdoor shower that said something like Bush showered her (the elder). I was freaking out because we were trespassing and committing like a million crimes ALLEGEDLY THIS IS JUST A STORY AND BTW I WAS A HOSTAGE he was all calm cool and collected about the view. I think it was a house owned by the Bush family and I have no idea how he knew the location but his dad died and he had some sort of inheritance.
I’m pretty sure he is dead by now.
Jesus. Y’all literally know everything about me.
Sex on a golf course! You got me beat. I had quite a naughty encounter on a life guard chair in Miami but dont tell anyone ! I think the next open forum for New Years Eve should be this one!
A GREAT STORY. Why some of us women with high IQs (I can’t accurately use the word “smart”) end up in these situations with bad men (who are hot and good in bed!) makes little sense. I guess it is the hot and good in bed part.
Dont forget RAVISHING LOOKING EXTREME INTELLECT & GORGEOUS on the inside & out. Those bad ass dudes still remember us ! T.T & Andy Gibb !
I went to high school with Richard Gere’s brother David and we were great friends. My sister was best friends with his sister Laura. The Gere family lived 5 houses from us. His parents were lovely people. Richard had already left home and was living in LA then. I met him for the first time when I was a freshman in high school. He was a very strange guy who found it really odd that his brother and I were just friends since I am female. We were never more than really good friends but Richard was so rude. I was in his company dozens of times after that over the years. He was always standoffish and constantly talking about Buddha.
The strangest thing and frankly what I considered to be so rude of him was EVERY TIME he was coming home to HIS parents house 2 days before he arrived he sent “his people” which were three guys to stay at his parents and await his arrival all while “sweeping the house” for both days and for his whole stay to be sure there were no hidden camera’s or hidden microphones being used while he was going to be there. He was very paranoid at all times and was very dismissive to his family. His brother David is much better looking that he was and his sister Laura is beautiful and a very kind soul. I used to always ask David how his lovely family could have such an asshole for a son? He always smiled and said “Hollywood, that is when he became a dirtbag”.
Anyway sorry for the long post Merry Christmas everyone!
Holy crap! Way t o crash all my Richard Gere dreams. He sounds like the Nene Leakes of real celebs.
Agree. That gerbil has nothing but filthy things to say about him.
At the LA Farmers Market when I was 8, my dad paid me $1 to go up to Edd Burns and say “Kookie, Kookie, lend me your comb.” I thought it was stupid because I didn’t know it was a song, but I REALLY wanted that dollar. I said it and ran away as fast as I could because I was very shy. He came up to us and gave me his autograph.
Aunt Jamima gave me her autograph on a paper plate. I was very young and thought she was the real deal.
Colonel Sanders (KFC) sort of … We were really stoned and went to KFC near Halloween. M friend put on the Colonel mask a peeked around the corner and I was so high, I thought the Colonel was busting us for taking about 50 masks!
This should have been in the Douche Canoe Hall of Fame:
Little Oscar was hanging out next to the Weinermobile smoking s cheapass cigar. He was trying to impress the 13-year-old boys by making lewd comments to us 13-year-old girls. (None of us could ever agree whether he liked boys or girls.) Luckily for him we thought it was hysterical that he thought his ugly self could even score one of us kids. In today’s world it would be #timesupforlittleoscarschildmolestingass
When I was very little, maybe 9 yrs old I went to Disneyland with my best friend and her mom. I went into a bathroom and there was an older lady in there putting lipstick on. She asked if she could use my hairspray and told me my outfit was cute. When we walked out we were still talking and then she held my hand and told me to have a llt of fun and bye. My friends mom was shaking and told me ‘do you know who that was? That was Ginger Rogers!’. I had no clue who that was but I do now!!
I was on a plane home to LA from Vegas once with Kevin Federline and his posse. They were all drunk and talking w their hands over their mouths. He bought a beer and when the stewardess asked over the intercom is anyone had change for 100$ bill, he told her to keep the change.
I’ve met Dave Matthews and he hugged me and kissed my cheek. I was lucky enough to ho with a friend who won backstage passes to one of his shows. I did follow DMB around the world for about 5 years of my life. Been to 33 shows. He was so kind and funny and charming.
And at another DMB show I was in the concession line with James Taylor and his son.
I was lost one time in Ventura county and Garth Brooks was next to me at a light. I asked him for directions to the hospital there and he asked someone in his car then told me to follow him. He led me to the hospital made sure I was ok and left.
Most here won’t recognize my first celeb (other than my lifelong crush, Roy Rogers, but that was a paid show when I was 10 or so), Gorgeous George (the once-famous wrestler). It was 1954 & I was on vacation riding with my parents through Massachusetts on the way to Canada & he was standing up in a convertible on the road just ahead of us waving at all the cars. He was recognizable by his long blonde locks in an era when no other man sported hair like that. I spent a lot of time in Newport Beach because my late husband, Rocket Man, & I kept a boat there, & even lived there for a few months while preparing to go cruising. I once braked for Penny Marshall as she jaywalked in front of me on her way to the market from the beach. Back about 1974 I was at an Orange County nightspot with a girlfriend when two scruffy young men came over & sat down at our table. I was so unimpressed that eventually I just got up & moved over to another table & sat down with someone I’d never met. I returned to my friend when the strange young men left & she informed me that they were the Righteous Brothers, which meant absolutely nothing to me because I’d never heard of them. A short time after that I saw them on television & thought though they had cleaned up nicely for the cameras, they still were not my type. Every time Rocket Man & I took out our boat we passed by John Wayne’s boat, a converted PT boat, the Wild Goose, & we passed by his house, an ugly outdated place with a mansard roof, though we never saw anyone in the yard. However, my new-this-year husband, Fly Boy, met John Wayne several times in Viet Nam, & was once hugged by him. Fly Boy did 14 tours in SE Asia 1960-1974, & was in military service more than 30 years, so met many famous world figures, including presidents & despots. His life would make a movie franchise more exciting than anything Hollywood has done to date. He’s also a world-class diver/instructor, & as a result has met many celebrities that way, including Lloyd Bridges (anyone remember the TV show Sea Hunt?), & he was even in the Sean Connery movie Thunderball in a big underwater fight scene. He’s still the most exciting man I’ve ever met.
Forgot to mention that I went to high school with David Boies, very big attorney who represented Al Gore in Bush v. Gore in the 1980 controversial Supreme Court case that gave the presidency to GW Bush & not long after, our country our longest war. David was a year ahead of me, but his 1st wife, Caryl, was in my class. She put him through school, where he seduced the wife of one of his professors. After their divorce Caryl went to law school herself & practiced on the West Coast. I saw her last just in March & was surprised & sorry to hear just a couple months ago that she died. David is worth a bundle, & oddly, joined with his 1980 opponent, Ted Olsen (whose wife died in the plane that hit the Pentagon), to overturn California’s Proposition 8, which had banned gay marriage until the victory c. 5 years ago. David is one of the best known & highest priced lawyers in the U.S. today.
I broke bread with Diane Sawyer, John Heard, Peter and Becky Fonda, Jeff Bridges, John Mayer. I have sighted in my small town – Whoopi Goldberg, Margot Kidder, Jane Fonda, Beau Bridges, Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan, Scarlett Johanson. I served alcohol to Brad Pitt, Craig Scaefer, Tom Skeritt. My small Montana town is also know as “little Hollywood”. It is where the stars go to “get away”.
In the early sixties, at a very young age, I ran out to the car of parade Grand Marshall, Buddy Ebsen (Jed of Beverly Hillbillies fame) and got his autograph.
In October of 1964, my mom took me to City Hall in Riverside to listen to Lyndon Johnson give a speech. I was so small that some older kids were trying to squeeze me out of my front row spot near the press. One reporter saw what was going on & lifted me over the ropes & sat me down in a chair next to his, at a table, for the remainder of the speech.
Not too many years later Mom & I were standing in line for a Disneyland ride talking with Deforest Kelley (“Bones” from the original Star Trek tv show). I had many star sightings at Disneyland as a child. Too bad I can’t remember who they all were!
In the late nineties, in a restaurant, on a small island, in the Bahamas. We were having dinner, when 3 people, 2 women & 1 man, walked in & over to the cigar counter. I mentioned to my friends, “that looks like Martha Stewart with messy hair”. Just then, the women turned around and it WAS Martha Stewart! I heard later that she was there to look at some linens that were for sale upstairs.
Around the same time I saw Dave Stewart (Oakland A’s player, then) at a night club near SFO.
In the early 2000’s I met Don Henley (of Eagles fame) before a concert at the Saratoga Mountain Winery. It was a charity meet ‘n greet. He was so soft spoken, and kind.
In 2005, while standing in the customs line at Narita airport in Tokyo, I talked to Tommy Lee. The lines are like the ones at an amusement park, and he was behind me in line, so each time I wound back around there were more members of Motley Crew in line with him.
In ~2011, I was taking my friend to Cedar Sanai hospital, in Los Angeles and talked to Bobby Brown in the parking lot. Nothing exciting, just parking stuff.
Was the Buddy Ebson encounter at a St. Patrick’s Day parade in SF? If so, we were there at the same time.
Was the Buddy Ebson encounter at a St. Patrick’s Day parade in SF? If so, we were there at the same time. I would have been so envious if I had seen that.
Mr. T!! While checking into a hotel in Las Vegas, he was in line in front of us. FYI, he is SHORT! I am five feet nine and a half, and I towered over him, lol….
I used to have an apartment on West 57th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues and would see celebs in that hood all the time!
Living in South Florida and being in the restaurant business, I see celebs on an almost daily basis.
My favorite is Henry Cavill and he may be the most beautiful human I’ve ever seen. Perfect body, gorgeous skin, black curly hair, steel blue eyes, and just as sweet as he can be.
I once spent 30 minutes in Sephora in Times Square talking to Drew Barrymore about red lipstick. I had no idea it was her until my hubs told me.
Loved reading all of your stories!
I was in Vegas a few years ago, having a very late, very emotional night. Somehow we ended up in an elevator with Flavor Flav (clock necklace and all!) and some of his friends. The details are hazy, but instead of taking selfies, I ended up calling someone a douchebag and (thank goodness instead of getting upset!), they responded with “why would you say that? even your man is mad at you!”
I was shopping in an airport concourse when my husband texted me from the airline lounge that he thought he was next to a Kardashian, but he wasn’t sure until she stood up and he saw her behind. (Her makeup was done, but not DONE.) We waited until someone else approached her and then sent our 5 y/o to get a picture. My daughter didn’t know the family, but she knew Cavaliers and was excited to meet one of their girlfriends (this was before True and the cheating). Still amazed that she was by herself, no friends or security, not sitting in a private room or anything.
Got to interview some C/D listers in my career, including Radar O’Reilly from MASH and one of The Beach Boys. And a very cranky comic, Kevin Meany, who lived up to his name.
Saw Queen Elizabeth coming out of a London restaurant years ago. She was tiny and had that dang purse on her forearm and a fussy little hat. She looked like my Nana.
Closest I ever got to a famous person was when Fee Waybill of The Tubes signed my boobs. He had pointed me out during the show, remarking on my boobs. I looked behind me, thinking he was referencing someone else. Nope, it was me. Hubs was over the moon. So, of course I got them signed. ❤️
I’ve met: Al Gore when he was VP just as he was preparing to leave office and renovating his next home. He was gracious and kind and even remembered me the second time I met him.
Reba McIntire was at my high school baccalaureate because her godson graduated with me and I met her there.
I met Brooks and Dunn at a birthday party at a friend’s house. They were both SO laid back.
I met Keith Urban when he was dating Niki Taylor in line at a bookstore, we chatted about what books were buying then sat next to Niki again a few weeks later at a walk-in clinic. More recently Keith & Nicole Kidman sat a few seats down from me at a children’s theatre production that some members of my family performed in.
I’ve met NFL Coach Jeff Fisher several times, at a restaurant, at the bank.
I was in a suite adjacent to Paris Hilton (we shared a bartender) at the SuperDome when she was dating Brian Urlacher and they were playing the Saints. We didn’t interact but she was pleasant to everyone around.
I saw Kristin Cavallari filming her show at a rooftop bar.
I met the guys from Cage The Elephant a few times, on a plane, at someone’s home.