What Famous Person Have You Met? Were They Nice?

I worked at the Hyatt on Sunset in Hollywood in my late teens, so I met quite a few people. Susan Lucci and the guy who played her husband Tom (this was back in the 70s, how many remember Tom?), David Letterman before he was known, David Bowie, the band "Exile", and the 1978 Yankees, among others. All were very nice! Reggie Jackson even came and thanked me on my break because I stopped some kids from following him into the bathroom for an autograph. I made them wait in the hallway outside, and didn't realize it until later but I announced so Reggie could hear that he would sign their autographs when he came out. Kinda cheeky of me, LOL!!

The most famous two I have met are Muhammad Ali and Neil Armstrong.

Garrison Keillor. Very nice guy however, when speaking with him he was literally in my face. Bends down, almost comes nose to nose, I felt a bit uncomfortable.

B.J. Thomas. He was extremely nice.

The most memorable meeting was Colleen Dewhurst - I'd just graduated from Coast Guard boot camp and was on leave staying at my father's house. He worked for the NY Mayor's office of film and theater and so had an invite to a theater reception at Gracy Mansion to which he took me. He insisted that I go in uniform, which made me rather self conscious. Anyway, I was introduced to Colleen Dewhurst and was able to chat with her for a few minutes. We ended up all leaving the reception at the same time, and she turned and said to me "Best of luck in your military career, Tonia." I was actually pretty blown away that she remembered my name, or cared enough to have her assistant remind her what it was before talking to me.

I forgot to say that the two I named were nice. With Neil Armstrong, I only shook hands and said something stupid, but he was kind. Every time I've been around Ali, he was doing something nice for kids. He visited patients in the children's hospital, offered scholarsips to everyone who graduated from his high school (my daughter went to that school), dropped in community centers, etc. My other daughter was on a bowling league when she was four. He showed up one morning just to sit back and watch the kids. I saw him on Good Morning America this week, and even still, his face brightened when he saw the kids.

Being on the air in radio for many years, I had the pleasure to meet countless famous people from the worlds of music, sports, politics, and stage and screen. By far, the vast majority of them were very down to earth and as "normal" as anyone else. Only a couple times were any even remotely close to being rude or snobby. I just wrote it off to them being tired or in a hurry to keep a schedule. Some I even became a bit familiar with...more than just a single meeting. To this day, every year, I always get a personal Christmas card from Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne...she being even more fantastic of a person than her husband.

Eileen, I remember Tom! Didn't he marry Brooke, too?
Clare, we meant that author who smoked, and you told him to quit smoking, then he later dies of lung cancer... who was that?

Robert Parker, whose Spenser books I love....

Off hand, I can't remember any others. Gee, I'm pretty dull.

My best friend growing up, her step father was simi famous. When he was home we were not allowed over there.
I met michael jackson when he was really young. "You know" when he looked like michael jackson. when he was cute.

Amy Tan. I worked with her and her husband in a pizza parlor. See my Amy Tan encounter

I am truly impressed with the number of famous people all of you have met. I want to get a Christmas card from Sharon and Ozzy. I have one from Bill and Hillary. Why was Hulk Hogan a trip, Julie? Susan Lucci is one of those people who has been on soaps forever and still looks good. That's funny about Garrison Keillor; doesn't it drive you crazy when people are in your space like that? I just remembered that a woman I work with is married to George Seagal's stepdaughter. Maybe I'll get to meet him someday. I used to love Tom Selleck until I found out he was a Republican. Poor Ali with all that brain damage. Deanna, who was your friend's stepfather? Why couldn't she have people over when he was there? That seems weird.

My husband was a photojournalist for many years, and oftened met famous people and photographed them. I met a few, but was never really impressed with celebrity. they are people just like we are. Some are nice... some are not.... just like the rest of the world. Now, my celebrities are the authors and historians of the books about the places in the California backcountry I go to. I know most of them, and am honored to be friends with them., and share resources.

Quite a few as a result of an earlier career in TV... and it often seemed to be in groups during events: Jazz musicians David Sanborn, Gatto Barbierie, Candy Dulfer, The Rippingtons, Earl Klugh, to name a few....

... during the filming of Gettysburg, I met Ted Turner, Martin Sheen, Jeff Daniels, George Lazenby (who played James Bond once) and the late Richard Jordan...

... during the filming of 'Violets are Blue' in Ocean City, Maryland, I met Sissy Spacek and Kevin Kline...

... Roger Penske and IRL racing greats Danny Sullivan, Rick Mears, Bobby Rahal, Mario Andretti and Michael Andretti...

... Volleyball players Sinjin Smith, Scott Acytuby and Randy Stoklos in a tournament I also participated in...

... quarterbacks Kerry Collins (local boy made good interview) and Phil Simms, coach Jeff Fisher...

... finally, through my grandfather, who was a tailor for the Phillies and Eagles, I met most of the World Series winning Phils (Steve Carlton, Greg Lusinski, Tug McGraw, Mike Schmidt, etc.) as well as Ron Jaworski, Randall Cunningham, Dick Vermeil and Vince Papale (who recently had a movie made about his story, 'Invincible').

The only famous author I ever met is John Updike. The BBC filmed a documentary in the area around his hometown in PA (upon which the 'Rabbit' books were based) and the interviews were conducted in our studios.

The longest amount of time I spent with anyone famous was with the late Peter Boyle (of Young Frankenstein and Everybody Loves Raymond fame) stuck waiting for a plane at the Philadelphia airport. He had to be one of the most 'down to earth' famous people I ever met. The man had a natural sense of humor. He definitely left us way too soon.

Landen, you have so many sports figures! I have heard before that Peter Boyle was a real nice guy. It was sad to hear of his recent death. I remember him in a very early movie with Susan Sarandon. I can't remember the name of it now. Cecile, isn't it great to meet people that are our heroes now? I have met many authors and feel very thrilled over the opportunity to meet the very people who are doing what I would love to do - write an entire book.

I met John Irving at a reading he gave in Chicago--a very muscular, compactly built guy. Nice and funny, too. Harry Connick, Jr.--very gracious and appreciative of his fans. Lauren Bacall--snobbish and bristly. Diane Sawyer--probably one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen up close. Julianne Moore--ditto. John Cusack--was nice to me, though kind of seems like a loner. I got rip-roaring drunk with Daniel Stern once. I have a great Johnny Depp story, but I may save that for a Gather article ;)!

Oh, Loretta, I am so impressed. I love John Irving. His looks are a template for what I like in a man. Interesting about Lauren Bacall. On TV Diane Sawyer looks like she has beautiful skin. JOHNNY DEPP??!!! Please write that article soon. Where were you when you got drunk with Daniel Stern?

famous people--

well you have to go back over to the long list I left for performers and then think about them

Pavoratti--absolute egotistic bastard

Elisabeth Schwarzkopf-- very nasty vicious woman
Mirella Freni-- rude and condescending and not exactly pleasant

Andre Watts-- America's sweetheart at the piano, charming and intelligent
Joseph Levine, erstwhile conductor of the American Ballet-- hilarious, funny, intelligent, charming and witty

the unforgettable Duke Ellington-- indefatiguable, wise, funny, serious and warm-hearrted

Rufus Jones, saxist for the Duke-- kind, friendly, chatty and intelligent

Lucia Popp-sweet, shy and bubbly
Leonie Rysanek-- shy, evasive, honest and very friendly when finally caught

Ileana Cortrubas-- shy, modest and sweet
Getrude Jahn-- warm, friendly, down-to0earth and honely
Mara Zampieri-- friendly but seemed scatterbrained and very, very superstitious about signing music. self-effacing.

Miroslav Sekera-- almost famous, hilarious

Tom Selleck-- at the time, reclusive, but one heck of a volleyball player
Shirley Temple Black, Ambassador-- friendly and formal

I can't say I'm surprised about Pavarotti. It's funny how you named the nasty ones first as if their personalities made the strongest impressions upon you. I was glad to read that so many of the other musicians were friendly and pleasant people. Shirley Temple Black seems to have the perfect personality for a former child star who became an ambassador.

I have met Joel Schumaker and Samuel L Jackson because they were in Canton filming A Time To Kill and they spoke at the library I was volunteering at.

I also met Dave Winfield of the NY Yankees at a book signing, very nice gentleman.

I saw Craig Nettles (also of the Yankees) at a Burger King in NJ. He was there with his family. I quietly went up to him and said hi to him, and shook his hand. He complimented my mother on my manners.

Babe Ruth used to go to the restaurant on the Grand Concourse that my step-grandparents owned. Elston Howard, in the off season, was the Armor Hot Dog delivery and salesman for my dad in Food Fair. Moose Skowron and Eddie Lopat shopped in the grocery store my mom worked for. (They all lived in New Jersey.)

I am so jealous of my mother though. Edward "Yogi" Berra was her usher at church. He used to participate in the Childrens' Mass.

Oh, and my mother remembers Eddie Rabbit when he first started out. He played in a bar in Jersey. His band was Eddie Rabbit and the Bunnies.

Roxanne, you will have some sports fans drooling!

I just remembered that I met Ted Kennedy at a political rally once when both he and I were young. He was very handsome with a giant head and and what seemed like many more teeth than anybody else. He was pleasant and outgoing like most any politician.

Nancy, the author that I met who was smoking and i told him to stop and he later died of smoking-related disease was George Higgins. he was quite droll and obviously ignored my advice completely.

I don't think I've met any really famous people unless kneeling for the Pope's blessing counts.

Beryl, if kneeling for the Pope's blessing doesn't count, then I don't know what does.

Last year, I wa at lunch with a very well known Monsignor who is my good friend. We were with several other friends when he said to them that "Dale has met everyone ....including God!" Not thinking, my quick response was "No I haven't , except when I look in your eyes.". Well the group all laughed and he was embarassed. I was sorry for that. But truth be told, he is the most humble and caring person I've ever met and that is the way it is when anyone looks in his eyes.

Clare, you are definitely right. My biggest moment was meeting the author Remi Nadeau who is the great great grandson of the original Remi Nadeau who freighted silver and trade back and forth from my friend's ghosttown Cerro Gordo. We sat on the porch of the 1871 American Hotel together, and I sheepishly asked if he would sign my copies of his books which I just happened to have with me. My husband exchanged photo tips with his wife, while Remi and I visualized the stories he writes in his books about the pioneers that lived in the town during it's heyday. That was better than meeting any so called "celebrity" I could think of.

Blue Oyster Cult...on a plane from Memphis to California..they were drunk, rude and obnoxious.
Steve Perry from the band Journey..he graduated years before me, from my high school and his mother still lived in town so he was seen often driving about in his blue sports car, we ran into him at a downtown eatery one weekend...he was friendly enough.

Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer during filming of Top Gun, my husband's squadron was assigned to the Enterprise during filming and a few of us had the privelage of meeting these two. I didn't care for Cruise and found Kilmer absolutely adorable as well as funny.

Sammy Hagar...quite friendly and warm, not at all what I expected.

Never had the pleasure(or displeasure to meet one).

Barry Cowsill of the Cowsills, family band of the 60's. Unfortunately, he died during hurricane Katrina. Very sweet and polite.

Ray Davies and the rest of The Kinks. Ray invited my sisters and I out. Perfect gentleman, lovely person.

Bob Novak. Spent a few hours with him at the studio my husband works at. He was doing remote broadcasts of his CNN shows and I assisted. Between shows he wanted to know about our family and talked about his own. Very nice man. Philosophical.

John Michael Talbot, Christian (Catholic) musician and monk, a few times; also interviewed him. Personable, shy, radical, quiet, intense; passionate for the poor of the world.

www.johnmichaeltalbot.com

It is positively amazing to me the number and types of famous people we have each met. I think the Pope is right up there, Beryl. And a monsignor. I remember the Cowsills - that was my era. Tom Cruise sounds like a real control freak in real life. I guess my impression of him was forever changed when I saw him with Matt Lauer in the interview where they discussed anti-depressants. It's interesting that so many of these famous people are so down to earth. I thought Steve Perry was in Aerosmith but my music knowledge is very limited. Are there two Steve Perrys? Who is Bob Novak? I am not familiar with him.

Clara you might be thinking of Steven Tyler who is in Aerosmith. Steve Perry was the lead singer for Journey until, as I understand it, health issues forced him into a retirement earlier than he had planned. He sort of kept those of us in Lemoore ticked off at him because Lemoore was where he grew up and as I said his mother still lived in the 80s but he always touted 'the city by the bay' (San Francisco) as his 'home town'. He was nice enough when we met him and of course at the time Journey was extremely popular so we being teens were thrilled to meet him.

Daphne,

As I recall, Steve Perry's mother was very ill and he was caring for her?

Bob (Robert) Novak is an op-ed columnist and CNN political commentator.

sadly(joyfully..) i have never met anyone famous..i have to satisfy myself my looking at the mirror!!

Well I have met All the Osmonds, including the parents, some wives, and thjeir children, and I have to say you couldn't wish to meet anyone nicer, they will always take time to talk to you, they always listen and if you ask for a hug or a kiss you'll get one lol.
I have met Donny many times and he is a true gentleman as are all the brothers.

I have also met William Roach, Lenny Henry, Michael Barrymore and Tony Prince
Great post

Cecile, Now I have to look up your famous author! There are many people mentioned in this group that I want to google and learn more about. I am enjoying all these responses. Hulk Hogan sounds nice. I watch his show on TV and he seems like a caring father and husband who is constantly interrupted when he goes out for dinner for autographs and pictures but graciously signs and poses and then apologizes to his wife because their romantic dinner has been interrupted. I read recently that Hulk and Mrs. Hulk are having marital problems; I hope it's not true. I'd love to see someone in the public eye who actually stays married.

It seems as if the Osmond family has been well brought up and they are very willing to be responsive to their fans. I was thinking of Steven Tyler by the way. Silly me. Can't keep my rock stars straight.

Well I live in Tn and I have met some country music singers The Oak Ridge Boys , Merle Haggard, and grand ole opry Johnny Russel who lived next door from my best friend

Paula, That's cool. I went to Memphis to see Elvis's house and I just loved the whole area.

hi Miz Clare - oh I've met so many - I'll have to post pictures...since I was an extra in several movies filmed down on the bayous - I met several stars there - Craig T. Nelson, Robert Duvall, several I can't remember right now. I've met and kissed Willie Nelson, Doug Kershaw, - but my favorite was Don Ho - yes, indeed - I'll post those pics when I go down to La. for the summer. I have met Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Roy Rogers, Jr., Gene Autrey and Frog, oh yes, Vin Bruce - a famous country music singer in La., Kenny Loggins...I'll try to think of others I've met and shook hands with or kissed...lol...oh yes, Ana Castillo - the author, James Lee Burke, author, Percy Sledge (I sat at his table for his birthday - his wife grew up near me), Irma Thomas, Rocking Dopsey, Jr. and Sr.., Jimmy Buffet, Anne Rice,(went to a party at her house in Garden District) Ernest Gaines,(party at his house) John Lee Hooker, Eddie Cleanhead Vinson, Albert Collins, Bo Diddley, Queen Ida, Les Blank, Pat Mire, film makers... Yes, they were all nice and gracious and sincere. Some are more famous than others - at least in my world, the old blues singers I met because I used to escort Greg Drust, a blind disc jockey around at Blues Concerts so I partied with many. Thanks for asking, Miz Clare. Have a wonderful day. Salud.

Robert Franklin Leslie, author of the book "The Bears and I" Which became a Disney Movie in the 80's. He was my mentor and was co-authoring a book with me, I still have the manuscript and many letters he wrote me. Three books he autographed and sent me and my family. I was in his home and he came to mine three times. He and his wife Leah were both wonderful nice and kind people.

Wow, I am so impressed with you folks. Mariana, what is Anne Rice's house like? What is he like? Jennine, did Robert F. Leslie make tons of money from the Disney movie? Did you publish the book you were co-authoring?

Miz Clare - when she lived on First or Second St. I can't remember now in the Garden District - her house was the same one described in The Witching Hour - it's an old Victorian style house. She owns two lots and the whole house and lots were filled with bands and food booths...the house had gorgeous wooden floors, white walls and typical of that era - 15 foot ceilings - a staircase in middle of hallway - four rooms on each side of the hallway - Stan her husband's paintings were in gold gild frames along the hallway; however, his work is purely primal colors and abstract - nice contrast. She had one whole room filled with antique dolls. I loved it. More later. Salud.

-Agnes deMille (choreographer/dancer) I was her son's playmate at Merriewold Park, a country club her father and uncle had founded in the Catskills. My parents managed the Park.
-George Abbott (Broadway producer) My dad built him a home at Merriewold, and he always had tickets for them to attend his shows. I remember sitting on his lap and singing kids songs for him...circa 1956...I was six.
-Dick Martin (of Rowan & Martin's Laugh In) Served him dinner at a country club where I was a waitress.
-Diane Arbus (photographer) She took my photo in 1963 in South Jersey. The photo last sold at Sotheby's for over $138,000. Look for the whole story in my Gather pages.
-Burl Ives (singer/teller of tales) At a convention in South Jersey.
-Anne Rice (author) We met her walking her dogs on the street in the Garden district of New Orleans where she formerly lived.
-John Edmund Gardner (spy/thriller author)
-John Fulton, (American matador and artist).
-Wolfman Jack (you don't know who the Wolfman was????!!! For shame...)
-Mercedes Lackey (fantasy author)(met through a mutual friend)
-Larry Dixon (fantasy artist/falconer & husband of Mercedes Lackey)
-Poul & Karen Anderson (SF/fantasy authors) We knew them in the Kingdom of the West of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA).
-Marion Zimmer Bradley (SF/Fantasy author)(SCA)
-Paul Zimmer (Marion's brother and another author) He kissed my hand on at least one occasion while we were at a medieval event.
-Diana Paxton (Fantasy author) (SCA)
-Dana Kramer-Rolls (Fantasy/Star Trek author) (SCA) We used to go to her house for gatherings a couple of times a month when we lived in the San Francisco Bay area, and she and her husband, Bill, came to ours. Fun, fun people!
-Sally Stanford (famous San Francisco madame and later, Mayor of Sausalito, CA. - author of autobiographical Lady of the House.)
-Vonda N. McIntyre, (SF author) An occasional correspondent - we met on CompuServe.
-Richard Bach, (author and damn fine pilot) through a continuing correspondence.
-Margot Adler (author and correspondent for National Public Radio)
-Diana Gabaldon (author) We first met on CompuServe's Literary Forum almost 20 years ago, when she was uploading chapters of her unpublished first book, Outlander, and asking for critiques. She did rather well with the Outlander series. ;-)
-Loreena Carver (owner and producer of the famous High Diving Horses on the Steel Pier in Atlantic City) I introduced myself to her and asked to be considered to be one of the girls who rode the horses 40 feet into the water. I was too young at sixteen.
OMG...almost forgot
-James and Josh Brolin (Josh was a little kid of 11 or 12) They had a place with their horses above Magalia, California when I was production editor of The Ridge Gazette, a newspaper in Paradise, California. James Brolin was a friend of my boss and always stopped in to chat with her when he was in town. Josh is a total hunk these days.
-Liberace's brother, George. Another friend of my boss at the paper. He was very nice...sat and chatted amiably with me one afternoon while waiting for Fern to get back from covering a story. He was also a violinist and often played with his brother.
-Janis Joplin at a used clothing store in the East Village in NYC in the sixties.
and...
-Grace Slick - we literally bumped into each other at a Safeway Market in San Rafael, California in 1979.
-Arlo Guthrie - I dropped a bar of Pear's soap on his foot when I was helping him buy soap at the Court Pharmacy where I worked in Mays Landing, NJ. He was in town for the Atlantic City Pop Festival a few weeks before the first Woodstock concert. He was sooo cute, and laughed when I got him with the soap!

That's all I can think of at the moment...there are probably more...I've led a charmed life, I can tell ya!

When I wrote this article I never expected to get such varied and amazing response. Mariana, thank you for your description of Anne Rice's home. What an experience. Annina, your list is just amazing! I think the most amazing thing is having your picture taken by Diane Arbus! That is not just meeting someone; it is being the subject of famous piece of photographic art. I have seen that picture online here and it is simply extrordinary. Your memories are very specific; I am sure that is part of your being a writer. Chris, I enjoyed your memory of the GI show and the kindness of Lee Greenwood. Those are the people we never forget. Thank you for sharing.

I know Armstrong's daughter and grandson, plus a few authors here and there. Also interviewed Dorothy whateverhername is who played whoever it was on Peyton Place, interviewed Shaun Cassidy, went to a Donny and Marie concert to review for a newspaper; met Burt Bachrach and Big Bird. If I think of more, I'll let you know.

I think that was Dorothy Mahoney. I remember her perfectly. You met Big Bird!!!!!??? Nobody can beat that.

Dorothy Mahoney? Sounds so familiar. Was that it? Big Bird (and BOB, too) was great. That story never ran in the newspaper, however, because the very next day, the Pope died. The next Pope up was .........here's John Paul II...

I am so amazed at the list of personages here!!!

Helen Gurley Brown - I read her book when it first came out. I was a bit young at the time...Didn't quite 'get' it, but I came from a forward thinking family who thought it would be good for me to read it. She must have been very very old when you saw her, Clare.

I think she was in her late 60's. Now I have to go check on Dorothy Mahoney, Kathryn.

It was Dorothy Malone.

I met Kevin Costner at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha NE he is an ass.
I met Hillary Rodham Clinton. My husbands former boss went to high school with her and she came to visit him when we lived in Florida.
I met Bob Seger he used to play small bars under assumed names in various parts of Michigan....one night my cousins and I went to a bar and he was there. He was very nice and down to earth not to meantion a great singer.
Hillary was nice too kind of aloof but nice enough.

I've met many over the years:

Type O Negative (band) Met these guys a couple times and they are very nice. Got photos autographs you know the basic.

Jackyl (band) They were nice guys and I had my photo with the singer printed in a magazine called Metal Maniacs (yes, it's an old issue, though, lol)

Anne Rice (author) She was wonderful. I met her 11 years ago this August and I still remember her smile. I'll never forget that day.

Rob Zombie (and most of his band) He was a really nice, cool, warm guy.

China (of band Sinistarr) He seemed nice enough.

Toni LP Kelner (cozy mystery author) she's a wonderful woman all around.

Muhammad Ali. While his entourage and the adults discussed serious issues he came outside and played basketball in the driveway with my brother and our friends. He was very nice. Dr. Martin Luther King when I was very little. Supposedly, I crawled up in to his lap and went to sleep. I was to young to remember, 3 or 4. I assume he was nice.

I am absolutely amazed at the famous people Gatherers have met. Thanks so much for responding to this article.

I went to HS with Miss Vicky Tiny Tim's first wife, before she met him she was infatuated with him; she was in my history class and we all had to write a report on a historical figure of our choice, she picked Tiny Tim and the teacher gave her a D_ because he said Tiny Tim was not a historical figure. Soon after she went to a signing in John Wanamakers in Philly and then she & he feel in love and married on the Johnny Carson Show Wednesday December 17th, 1969. I never saw her after that.

April, it is interesting to me that Miss Vicky obviously had a "thing" for Tiny Tim and then actually met and married him. I do know that they had children (2?) and eventually divorced. It's not many people who can actually claim to have married the star they were infatuated with though.

I am new to the group here and am exploring and I wanted to add and while I hate saying this, the celebs. that I found to be very rude were 'the oak ridge boys' singing group. I was a member of their message board and I made a mistake and while I tried fervently to apologize none of them would have any of it and they also allowed members of their board to speak to me like a dog! It was hurtful and very sad. Also at the one concert I met them at they seemed for the most part in a rush and really not socializing much with their fans. It is sad! I used to think the world of them!

Sandy, Unfortunately some of the people we admire are not all that nice. It is important to remember that they are human beings, some good, some not so good. It's too bad that you had that experience with the Oak Ridge Boys.

Clare, thank you and I am past it and I do wish them well.,

Sandy