This post is all about experiences meeting famous people . I've met a few and had the chance to meet more but missed out on a couple of big ones by a whisker. I wouldn't know what to say to my heros anyway. Most of the people that I consider famous are musicians and footballers so forgive me if you do not know who the hell they are. I am interested to hear your story and who you have met and whether you found them nice or not so nice. If you have some images throw them up with comments. I cannot wait to see them! There may be a few SBI in it for the best story also. Anyway onto some examples. My uncle Trevor had a great one.
Uncle Trev
My Uncle and his friend were hitch hiking down a country road in Louth , Ireland in 1983. They were in their 20's and just finished a gig. The two of them played acoustic and sung and were basically having fun heading around Ireland.
They were on their way to Belfast for their next gig and needed a ride. So after thumbing for a while a Ford Sierra pulled up (Sierra's were posh at the time). My uncle got in the front and his friend got in the back. They were talking away and the driver was loving the banter. Trevor thought he looked familiar but he was beside the driver and didn't really want to stare. The driver asked Trevor and his friend to play a song and the driver started singing with them. Trevor, my uncle turned around to his friend in the back seat and said joyfully.
"Sting is only fucking driving us to Belfast."
Sting was married to a Belfast women a the time and had flown into Ireland to spend time with her. The two lads met his wife Frances and they put them up for the night where they played guitar and sung. Isn't that just really nice.
It's funny how reading Steemit posts jog your memory and all of a sudden a post comes out of nowhere. @cryptoandcoffee had a post today about being caught in a traffic jam in London. And this is where I got the idea for this post. I only ever got caught in one traffic jam coming into London in 2005. I was with my friend and traffic was at a standstill. So I got out of the car to have a look at what was up ahead causing the jam. There was a Renault Clio beside me. I took notice because the woman in the car was an absolute stunner. There was an older guy having a cigarette standing near the bonnet. I went over and asked him what was the story with the traffic and he offered me a cigarette. He then preceded to sit up on the bonnet of the Clio. I knew this guy. Its only bloody Paul Weller.
For those of you that don't know Paul Weller , he is the king of mod with many hits. "You do something to me" is probably his biggest hit and Wild wood is a close second but I love his earlier stuff with the Jam and the Style Council with hits such as "Town called Malice" and "That's Entertainment" and this one........
I was starstruck.
I told him I was a big fan. He said "Oh Yeah"? "What you think of my last album". It was a cover album called Studio 150. Not great was being kind so I had to be diplomatic. I told him i liked a good few songs such as "wishing on a star" and an Oasis cover called "One way Road. He told me he was finding it hard writing music so needed to do a cover album to fill a gap. I still listen to "wishing on a star" on my playlist.It's class so at least something good came of it but he murdered the Carpenters song " Close to You". They say never meet your hero's but he was really nice! I acted pretty cool towards him and just had a chat.No autographs or photos. We had only snake on our Nokia's back then . No cameras. I loved the fact he was in a small little Clio with his girlfriend. Girlfriend didn't stir from the car. That was fine with me. I was having the chats with a rockgod. The traffic got moving so he slid off the bonnet in a rock star kinda way and got back into his girlfriends' chicken chaser.
Alot of you who are not from the UK nad Ireland probably don't think Weller is famous famous. I can think of a few Steemian friends that wouldn't have an iota who Weller is but he was in my spectrum of famous famous so I was happy but I had a chance meeting a proper superstar once and here's the story.
While I was in Germany I had two near misses and I am gutted I didn't meet them because they are my hero's.
The first was actually sickening. There is a pub in Frankfurt where I used to live called the Anglo Irish. Now the anglo is the shitiest, smokiest, smelliest, most unbelievable pub with best atmosphere that I ever encountered. It doessn't look much from the outside nor the inside for that matter. It always attracted the "whatever happens happens" crowd and I loved it. Anything could happen in there. I met many an interesting person in that bar including an American secret service agent but thats for another day. I used to bring everyone there because the craic was great. To this day I still get " Blanche what was that crazy pub you brought us to in Frankfurt? That night where Ben went home with a German model and John ended up going the early house with a transvestite banker with a business shirt and tie on top and ladies suspenders on the bottom". Yeah that kind of pub. One night my best friend and his wife were over and myself and my girlfriend were entertaining them in the pub. The pub was an L shape and we were down the back in a haze of smoke that wasn't our own. For my followers that read my posts it was after the burgers in Hooters.That very night so we were having a laugh. Anyway there were a bunch of Americans at the bar. Lots of tattoos and hair. The main barman who was an Irish man called Sasha was very strict on his music playlist in the pub. He was at some gig. If Sasha heard a song was played in the pub that was not on his playlist there was holy war. Styx his loyal assistant barman (protector of the precious playlist) was on and he was chatting away to the boys up at the bar. After a while Styx came down and asked me if I knew the guys at the bar. He knew I loved my music and I would know. Noone else did. I was deep in conversation with my visitors so I told him I'd have a look in a minute.I never got to go up. Drinks just kept landing in front of me and I kept drinking them. The next day a guy walked in to the pub with a present. His clients were really impressed with the bar and the music and sent their manager in. It was a Gibson guitar. Slash had been in . Velvet Revolver had played in Frankfurt that night. Sasha had been at it. When Sasha came in the next day he was physically sick. His hero was at his bar and no-one knew. We all got a bollicking for not telling him. I was sickened myself as I never went up and had a look. Slash had his hair short at the time so you can forgive poor Styx for not knowing. Slash does not bring the tophat to pubs we learnt also. I wouldn't blame him.
The same thing happened with the Kings of Leon a month later but I was one that went to gig and they had a drink in the same pub. We were just about to go in and we decided we were too wrecked from the gig and went home only to receive the dreaded text. "Remember where you were sitting when Slash was in. Yep ! They're here!"
For F@@$@$@%@£$@%@£@$$@£k sakeeeeee.
Anyway this is a post to ask any other Steemians to comment on whether they had an experience with a celebrity or hero of theres. ? Was it good or bad Do you have a snap of you two and what was the story? Il be interested to hear your comments.
Sláinte
Blanchy
Hi @blanchy. I had a slash with Buzz Aldrin a few years ago if that counts. Wouldn't shake his hand for obvious reasons. Like you I know lots of sportsmen and played with a few of them as they were team mates. That has got me into a few private functions. The last one was at the rugby world cup when it was held in the UK. A function at the Chicago Rib Shack for the 1995 world cup winning team.
It is funny how posts bash the memory banks and things pop out. I haven't given this one much thought but I am sure I have met someone better than Buzz.
Well when you think about it , not many people will beat that . Buzz left the earth and was on the moon. How class is that? When he was going to the toilet did he say "One small step .... "? 😂
I don't get is sir cryptoandcoffee. why wouldn't you shake Buzz Aldrin's hand?
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I wouldn't know a famous person if they punched me in the face these days, as I stopped watching TV in 2012, and I haven't a clue who's in the charts. But I've met a few "stars" over the years.
I was a big fan of The Associates in the 1980s. They had a big hit with Party Fears Two, and a cover of Love Hangover. I still think their music is very original. I used to work in Dundee, and I once spotted the band's singer, Billy Mackenzie, at a club. I'd had a few drinks, and I went over to him and told him that I loved his music. He beamed and we had a brief chat.
The next morning I was totally slagged off at work, because apparently everyone knew Billy Mackenzie. People seemed to think I'd been trying to chat him up, and it became a bit of a running joke (mostly in good humour though!). I didn't care, because Billy was so gracious when I approached him. He looked genuinely pleased to be complimented, and he seemed to be a lovely guy. I was really sad, years later, when I heard that he'd killed himself.
I'm glad that I had the chance to show my appreciation.
I heard of that guy. Yes ! So what if you were trying to chat him up. The others were probably jealous he wouldn't give them the time of day!
I think that just about sums it up ;)
I've never met a famous person. I'm in the introvert camp. I actually don't want to meet famous people. I think if I knew a musician I liked was in the same room as me, I'd want to take a peek just to see how they looked, but have no desire to talk. But it does make for an interesting story, as you've proved.
So there is my party-pooper philosophy. Have a lovely night :)
I’d love a good chat with Bob Dylan though. 😀😀.
I thought he was dead. Now we are getting into another topic...
I thought he was dead.
Now we are getting into
Another topic...
- ginnyannette
I'm a bot. I detect haiku.
Why thank you.
@ginnyannette 17 syllables and 3 verses. Alive Bob Dylan is so proud of you
Ha!
I've met hundreds! - unfortunately I can't tell you any of their names ! lol
Pesky integrity.....
[immediately follows lucklin] 😂😂😂. You don’t have to mention names. Great story even without them. It’s amazing none of these people took photos of them etc
.. if you took photo's there, you wouldn't see the tomorrow...
Fair enough. A rule that looks like it was strictly adhered to .
great stories.
so i got no picture, and to many this guy is not famous... but 10 years ago in india i met the author of the book Shantaram... Gregory David Roberts. I was walking by the cafe leopold in Mumbia. i saw this crazy nice motor cycle and my friend had told me about how Roberts still lived in Mumbai and rode around on a sweet motorcycle. So i popped my head into Leapolds cafe and sure enough. fucker was right there... with a stack of books.
My buddy and i sat at a table and spied for a bit. then we saw that other people were going up to say hi.
so i had literally just finished the book 2 weeks earlier. and no joke...sappy as it makes me... only 3 books that i can remember have ever made me cry.
Where the red fern grows, the grapes of wrath, and his book shantaram, at the tragic bit about 2/3 through the book.
I was a grown man crying in a shitty bed bug ridden dorm room in mumbai at a place called the YMCA though it had no affiliation at all.
Haha... well i went and told him this. And this guy was so gracious and funny.
He chatted with me and my friend for several minutes. cracking jokes about if we had received our indian drivers license when we go in the country... we were confused so he showed us his. he pulled a 1000 ruppee note out of his pocket... backsheesh.... a license for everyone.
(backsheesh means bribe)
any way... thank you for sharing and reminding me of this story.
That’s a great story ! Thanks for commenting . I must read this guys books . Which do you recommend I start with?
i have only ever read Shantaram. i really enjoyed it. prison break, travel adventure, love story....
I used to have my hair cut at the same barber as Sir Laurence Olivier, have also met Tom Jones. But, hey they are just working guys that are very good at their job. Have also met several of the legendary Copper family from the world of folk music.
Most famous people are great guys but very focused on their careers so sometimes their conversations are limited to their careers.
Working famous guys!! Big personalities I imagine . What were they like?
Wow! Such amazing memories! Sting!! I can imagine how gutted you must have been at the near misses!
Well so far, I haven't really had many encounters with famous people, perhaps 2/3 at organised events. I went to a Paul Weller concert with my dad 3 years ago, and really enjoyed it, I had only known of 1 or 2 songs at that point, but I found myself really enjoying his music. We were close to the front too!
About 7 years ago I went to a show in London with now an ex boyfriend, I'm a big fan of Derren Brown if you know of him. He's big on psychology/suggestion/magic etc (not a 'psychic'). At the end of the show we went to the stage door where few others were getting photos/signing of books/chatting etc, it got to my turn and I had rehersed in my mind what I would say, nothing too much, just a simple 'thank you, great show & I enjoy your work' kinda thing... however, what came out my mouth was not that! I said 'I really enjoyed your show, thank you, I love you'.. I was so embarrassed at the last part I turned away before he could see my beetroot red face when I heard him shout after me 'I love you too'! I was so made up haha!!
I was in South Africa and met a comedian at his stall on the market, 'Barry Hilton' 2 years ago. I was with a friend and we were stood talking for ages, lovely man. It ended with him showing me pictures of his son who was in London at the time, we had a laugh as he informed me his son was also single lol, was just a fun day had really! :)
I hope I get to have some more experiences like yours!! I went to Dublin for my 21st with a friend 3 years ago, met some interesting people and really enjoyed ourselves, definitely would go again, but to other areas! Fun times had!
Thanks for sharing! Enjoyed reading :)
@letsgetquirky. I just seen those photos there as I replied to you on Weku. Great photos. I know who that comedian is now!
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sir blanchy ..sorry I know nobody famous, you and cryptoandcoffee are about as close as I get to knowing someone famous. If I did meet someone famous I'm sure they'd be impressed. but I hain't. yet.
Sure I’m the king of Ireland and you’re the scorpion king!
sir blanchy! I thought Sean Connery was the King of Ireland..or was that Scotland? close enough but it's true that I AM the scorpion king! lol.
actually you're too logical to run a country, it would upset the equalibrium of the whole world.