Have you met any celebrities?

Oh! For the Bay Area people, I hung out with Crazy George as a teen. He was dating a woman whose kid was in my baseball team. So he would come to our games and cheer us on. It was really fun cause I was a Pitcher and he would annoy the shot out of the other team.

 

My brother would thumb up to Berkely to friends and go to Dead concerts. We would listen to the Beach Boys at local bars in the South Bay Area under similar circumstances!

 

Not A list. Went to David Higgins-Malcom In The Middle-wedding and also met Dave Foley there-Kids in the Hall-News Radio. Both nice guys.

 

Been racking my brain on this thinking there has to be somebody. As a kid I met Jake the Snake Roberts at a car show signing but I just remember him being huge.
As an adult I think the only celebs I've actually spoken to were Bert Kreischer and Dave Attell. Bert did a midday show here and then hung out in the bar afterwards with about 10 of us. I used to get told all the time I looked like Dave but he's about half my size. Both were pretty cool guys

 

Love Dave. Really brilliant comic.

 

Politicians:
Al Gore
John McCain
Trent Lott

Hockey:
Pavel Datsyuk
Henrick Zetterberg
Chris Chelios
Todd Bertuzzi
Ed Belfour
Jimmie Howard
Tony Hrkac
Bob Joyce
David Hakstol
Murray Baron
Garry Valk
Ian Kidd

Baseball:
Billy Martin
David Winfield
Reggie Jackson
Jim Rice

Carl Yastrzemski – Kid next to me looking for autographs brought a store bought cake with “Happy Birthday YAZ”. Carl said “wait here” … took a ball and had the team sign it, signed his bat and glove and gave all three to the kid …

Ricky Henderson
Gaylord Perry
Tom Seaver

Golf:
Arnold Palmer
Fred Couples
Stewart Cink
David Thoms
Raymond Floyd

Football:
Howie Long
Dan Marino
Peyton Manning
Eli Manning
Jim Zorn

 

I once shook George Foreman's hand. The guy was huge! I'm 5-10, went about 180 back then.

He made me look like a Hobbit...

 

Met Jay Leno a while back in Newport, RI. He was grabbing some food at the Ash Mart down there.

 

Not sure the celebrity status, But back in my Dealership days met Rusty Wallace when he landed a helicopter on an empty lot behind our shop when he was looking for a vehicle for his daughter.

The other encounter was with my Dad when he was single. Went to a large bonfire party and surprisingly met Roman Gabriel, But at the time didn't know who he was.

 

Oh, a few more:
1. The new Ambassador to Venezuela (don't remember his name) at our training center.
2. Mickey Thompson (My uncle was one of his design engineer and Vice Pres. of MT Enterprises.).

 

Ive met Jermey Renner when he did a MWR/USO tour to Afghanistan while i was deployed in 2010.

i was friends with a now retired porn actress who’s alias is Jana Jordan.

my friend Ryan is on the show Texas Metal on the discovery channel. Hes just my friend ryan, but some folks say tv means famous ‍♂️

My friend Cristina Rambaldi is an Italian Actress who’s done some films and won a few awards.

 

Quote:"
Now for the pricks: Ashton Kutcher - one of the rudest people I have ever had the displeasure to be around. I will not watch anything be it a show or a movie he has been in, and I refuse to purchase anything he endorses. Nikon Cameras, that means you. Mr. Kutcher needs his mouth washed out with soap or acid of some sort... There are others, but for the moment I am burned up thinking of this clown..."

I feel that way about Costner. I had a "run-in" with him in SoCal (literally, he barged through a crowded strip mall, knocking people out of the way without apologizing). Oh, Phil Spangenberger was a real D***head, too. When we did the Dub Taylor Celebrity Shoot as scorekeepers (for free, we asked any tips go to the children), most celebs were pretty cool (Leslie Easterbrook, Andy Garcia, Lou Ferigno) but Spangenberger treated all the volunteer help like dirt!

Or, Rick Hacker at the Great Western Gun Show at the Pomona Fairgrounds in L.A. Saw him there standing next to Kerim! (He's pretty short!). Nice guy to talk to (Rick was!).

 

Our company used to fly a number of the race drivers from the Napa, CA area to the racetrack at Sears Point (Infineon, or whatever it is named now...) when NASCAR or Indy Cars came to the Bay Area. Jeff Gordon used to always fly with us (helicopters) and Jeff was always a perfect gentleman. We flew others, of course, but the most memorable were the really nice ones or the Aholes... Like Marco Andretti. He's up there on the list just under Ashton.

 

I should have mentioned that being in the Bay Area, we have flown corporate celebs from time to time. Like Zuckerburg... (I have nothing to say about this man, other than strange and narcissistic). We have flown the Google boys a number of times - one is strange, the other is not.
We flew Steph Curry and his wife when they were house hunting over on the Peninsula when the Warriors were making the move from the Oakland Coliseum to the Chase Center in San Francisco. Nice people.
We used to fly the gentleman that created WhatsApp across the bay to Warriors games quite often. He was a season ticketholder.

 

I met Elizabeth Shue and her brother Andrew skiing while I was in college. I always had a crush on her from "The Karate Kid" days. I told her that and got a kiss on the cheek for my effort!

I met Walter Payton and Mary Lou Retton at the '96 Olympic games in Atlanta.

I met both George H.W. (41) and George W. Bush (43) while 43 was sitting POTUS.

Met Slash from GnR in Sturgis.

 

Ive never met a celebrity, but sometimes I *am the celebrity. I am in our local news (print and tv) often due to the nature of my business. People come up to me in public every now and then and say "I recognize you from somewhere!". lol.

 

Donna Douglas, "Elly Mae", back around 2005. She looked more like the second pic when I met her. The nicest person. And her love for critters was not a TV thing only. She legitimately loved just about every animal there was.

 

Ugh! The movie "On Deadly Ground" was partially filmed here on the Wenatchee N.F.. and unfortunately the fire season was slow to start so the fire crew provided the labor. Steven Seagal was the "star". This was 1993 and his reputation hadn't reached this far north to rural PNW. Complete a**hat.
Bart the Bear was cool though.

Rockstars/Musicians - 9 Inch Nails showed up on a large fire. Tour bus appearing through the smoke, kicking up dust.
Def Leppard

Do the Deadliest Catch dudes count? Probably not.

Athletes? I was fortunate enough to meet Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna 2 weeks before their death. They attended a basketball game in Cashmere, WA, to watch Haley Van Lith play in one of her final high school games.
John Stockton....my basketball idol.
Jason Hanson - placekicker Detroit Lions and WSU Cougar. Go Cougs!
Drew Bledsoe - QB Mostly Patriots and WSU Cougar. Go Cougs!
Otis Sistrunk - DL Oakland Raiders 1972-1976. Friend
Phil & Steve Maher Olympic gold and silver medalists - Alpine skiing

I feel like there's more but then again, I spent years in the woods before there were smartphones.

 

Don Shula NFL HOFer, a polite and professional man.
Paul Warfield NFL HOFer, not quite as polite but professional.
Lorenzo White, NFL Running Back, he ran over me in a HS District game. Did ask me if I was OK afterwards.
Jackie Gleason, a complete jerk.
Tom Watson, he never said a word and just smiled. Strange he was flying coach on Southwest.
James Doohan, a very nice guy who would talk to you like he knew you.
President George H W Bush, amazingly approachable (for 20 seconds) once you got through Secret Service.
Luciano Pavarotti, the wife met him when she was a model. He was very friendly. Got a picture giving her a bear hug and the smile on both of their faces was genuine.
Carl Sagan, an arrogant snob.

 

David Hasselhoff. Anyone is downhill from there.

 

How poignant the timing of this thread.

Four time Indy 500 Champion Al Unser Sr. (RIP) I was just hanging out at my neighborhood establishment and he bellied up next to me and enjoyed time there. No media, no nothing. A normal guy. I wouldn't have paid him any attention except for the rock on his right hand that was an Indy 500 Championship ring. One of three men on the planet (at that time) who has ever done that.

Also, Anna Kournikova, on a USO tour in Afghanistan. A very well assembled lady. Thank you Anna. A breath of fresh air in a place that really needed it. I won't forget that!

 

Did you know my old neighbor Ky Michaelson? He was in the STUNT BUSINESS?

https://www.youtube.com/user/kytherocketman

 

https://www.rocketmandoc.com/kymichaelson

 

Hmmm.....

Someone's other post reminded me that I've ridden with Erik Buell. He signed my '98 S1 Lightning tank for me. Awesome dude. I was furious when HD screwed him.

Dolph Lundgren. He was a friend of a friend and we did a party he was attending. Also a nice guy. And ridiculously smart.

A lot of local musicians: the guys from Kix, Jimmie's Chicken Shack, SR-71 (were called Honor Among Thieves then), Henry Rollins, Dave Grohl.

Hung out with Metallica backstage after a show one year. Tons of fun. Great bunch of dudes.

Mike Rowe at a convention one year. Can't even remember what it was for (science stuff, maybe?). My stepdaughter wanted to go, and I took her. I was bored and wandering around and ran into him.

Last one: So, I'm in the NCIS (original) pilot for about 15 seconds. Can't even tell it's me, but it is. They came down to DC to film some establishing shots for it. They were there for a weekend and I made a lot of overtime that weekend! Also ate for free from catering! Can't think of her name of the top of my head, but the dark-haired actress that played the forensics technician visited and I got to meet her.

Oh! I forgot two. Big John Studd (wrestler) was my neighbor growing up. I had no idea who he was. Didn't care much for wrestling. He was just Mr. Minton to me.

And Joe Jacoby. He was a former NFL player for the Redskins. This was long after he had retired. He lived nearby a general store I worked at for many years. I can't remember if it was his brother or brother-in-law, but he drove a little truck that had a giant, fiberglass lobster in place of the bed. The tail flipped up for storage. He would come get ice in it every time Joe had a party.

Okay, I'm starting into the realm of unbelievability now. I was friends with Mia Hamm's cousin, and she came out with us one night.

 

I met Morgan Freeman at a Harley Davidson dealer in Meridian, Mississippi.
I live close to Nick Saban and see him often...nothing closer than that.

 

I briefly met Colm Meaney getting off the same plane from Mexico as my uncle. He's Miles O'Brien on Star Trek TNG. He seemed to be in a hurry so I didn't ask for a photo or autograph. This was probably around 2014.

 

Undertaker works out at my gym

 

Not in chronological order, and some now deceased-

Shania Twain, Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell, NASA Challenger explosion Astronaut Judy Resnick, Sigourney Weaver, Chuck Yeager, Sarah Brightman, Linda Gray, Reba McEntire, Bo Schembechler, Daniel Peck, Danica Patrick, Martina McBride, Al Hirt, George W. Bush and wife Laura, Peyton Manning, B-29 Enola Gay Commander Paul Tibbets.

 

Gadabout Gaddis at the Quack Quack Cafe in Melrose Montana about 1979. He was fishing the Big Hole and stopped for lunch. A nice man.