Claim to Touching Fame thread.

[Drak]

I was surfing around and saw some clips of William Shatner. Then I was reminded of something.

I met William Shatner a few years ago. I can't remember the year. I think my son was 2. I think it was 2008 or 2009? I was at a video game awards show and he was hosting it.

Before the show, my two bosses and friends (I worked for two companies, sort of interlinked, one a tech company and the other a video game review site, which is why we were there) were able to get us up to meet him for a picture. We all had some drinks so I was a tad tipsy.

Anyway, the two bosses were up front with Mr. Shatner and I was just behind them since I was the tallest. For some reason I was too comfortable, and before the picture I put my arm around or on Mr. Shatner, who was pretty close to right in front of me, but I thought it was my boss/friend Murray who was just to the side and in front. But apparently it was on Shatner. And near or on his ass. I dunno why.

So Shatner turns to my friend Murray and says, "Murray, is your hand on my ass?"

I realized it was me. So I spoke up and said, "No sorry, that was me." I was sort of embarrassed.

Shatner responded, "Well it's giving me a hard on."

We all couldn't stop laughing. There's a picture, somewhere in my files.

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My other story is U2. Back in the early 90s we scored tickets to their Achtung Baby concert in Vancouver. We had prime seats, 7th row on the floor and right beside the catwalk. I don't know how we got those tickets. I was on the phone all day trying to score them and when I finally got through they were going to give me bleeders. I said I didn't care, that I was just happy to get in. So she gave me 7th row on the floor. I was a HUGE U2 fan back then. Not really anymore.

During the song, The Fly, Bono was standing right beside me looking down at the audience in those huge fly glasses. So I reached out an grabbed the bottom of his black glitter pants. Bad call. Security was on me super fast holding my shirt with both fists and screaming in my face. I'm lucky I didn't get kicked out but the security guy let me off with a warning. The band also came out on the catwalk to play another song later and on their way back they were slapping and shaking hands with members of the audience. Larry Mullen, the drummer grabbed and shook my hand as I held it out and my friend had the same happen to him with the Edge. Adam wasn't touching anyone and just held his bass in the middle of his body as he walked down the middle of the catwalk. I don't remember what Bono was doing. I think he rushed off ahead of the other guys to change. Don't really remember.

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The only other person I met was Mandy Patinkin, AKA Inigo Montoya, He was at LAX heading to Vancouver, probably for a TV show or movie, and we were heading back from a convention. The guy was sitting right with everyone else. I guess he doesn't get recognized. I got him to sign my note book because it's all I had. But on the plane he covered his face with a newspaper. I guess I should have left him alone.

Anyone else have any celeb encounter stories?

[bird]

Saw Billie Jean King at O’Hare airport back about 20 years ago. Saw and talked to Moses Malone just prior to a flight we were both on leaving from O’Hare.

Talked briefly to Brian Sipe at the Cleveland Playhouse during the Kardiac Kids Browns season in 1980.

[Ted]

I was about 14 years old when I met Hank Aaron in my driveway.

That was the day that mom decided it was more important for me to be in school than to get to go pheasant hunting with Hank Aaron. I learned fuck all that day because all I could think about was why I wasn't pheasant hunting with a celebrity.

The hunt finished shortly before I got off the school bus. I got to meet Hank Aaron and shake his hand just before he left our house.

[gounion]

When I was a teen, I worked in the hotel business, and got to meet several celebs. Johnny Cash and June Care, Willie and Waylon, Wolfman Jack.

And later, I got to meet Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel, one of my fave bands.

Lots of politicians in my union career, Al Franken, Hillary, Al Gore, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Bernie Sanders. Clinton, Gore and Sanders were more or less a receiving line kinda thing. Had a nice sit-down talk with Townsend, had a fun ten minutes or so with Al. This was RIGHT before he got into the trouble where he had to resign. Got a great pic with him and was going to have him sign it, but suddenly he was gone.

Probably one or two others I can’t think of right now, but I’ve never considered it a big deal. Never knew any of them to the point they’d ever remember me! I was just another face in the crowd.

[Number6]

When I was working in a liquor store here, in the very early 30s, a customer came in and bought a bottle of liquor. He looked familiar so I asked "Are you Senator Alan Cranston" and he said yes. That's the closest "claim to touching fame" I've had.

[gounion]

I did forget my meeting with John Kerry. I was running an action outside of the first Democratic Presidential Debate in Columbia, SC in 2004. A coworker had rode his Harley down to assist me. We were staying in a Hampton Inn. I was working in my room, and looked down into the parking lot. My co-worker was standing by his Harley, talking to John Kerry. Seems he was staying at the same hotel. Kerry was alone, no security or handlers. I ran down with a camera.

My friend introduced me, and I said “I was thinking about you the other day, Mr. Kerry.”

He said, “Oh?”

I said “I was watching Bush on that Aircraft Carrier in a flight suit like a war hero, and I was wondering what you thought!’

He smiled and said “Yeah, that motherfucker”.

He rode my buddy’s Harley around the parking lot, we had a nice conversation, and we took pics with him. He was affable and genuine. I think if THAT John Kerry had ran for office, he would have had a chance. But they’re so damned scripted, they don’t come across as real people.

[ProfX]

Huh. Let's see if I can remember them all.

Well, as I've said, Ketanji Brown-Jackson was my classmate at Palmetto Sr. High. I wouldn't say we were close friends, she wasn't part of my D & D group , but we were friends.

There was that time I ran into Kurt Vonnegut in NYC. We took a photo with him. My Dad lost the photo. Grrrr.

Lewis Black was once on a plane with me to Virginia.

William Shatner came to speak at my campus in Gainesville. Still shocks me the m'fer is one of the few from the original cast still chugging - OK, besides George Takei and Walter Koenig and some of the minor cast.

I've met both Hillary and Bill Clinton. Worked for the latter, back in the day. I also worked for Senator Bob Graham.

[gounion]

Huh. Let's see if I can remember them all.

Well, as I've said, Ketanji Brown-Jackson was my classmate at Palmetto Sr. High. I wouldn't say we were close friends, she wasn't part of my D & D group , but we were friends.

There was that time I ran into Kurt Vonnegut in NYC. We took a photo with him. My Dad lost the photo. Grrrr.

Lewis Black was once on a plane with me to Virginia.

William Shatner came to speak at my campus in Gainesville. Still shocks me the m'fer is one of the few from the original cast still chugging - OK, besides George Takei and Walter Koenig and some of the minor cast.

I've met both Hillary and Bill Clinton. Worked for the latter, back in the day. I also worked for Senator Bob Graham.

Yeah, there's a lot like that, it hard to remember quick encounters. Pretty cool about Ketanji Brown-Jackson.

I was in a rope line when Gore was running for President - got to shake his hand. Got to meet black comedian/activist Dick Gregory somewhere around 2000 in a DC Hotel Bar. He's a really nice guy - was about five of us, and we sat drinking with him for a few hours. All us white guys. Gregory was one of the strongest anti-racism voices of his era, but he was wonderful and told us some great stories. He only held contempt for white people that hated black people.

[Number6]

This is a semi-claim for fame. I knew both Tina Turner and Elizabeth Taylor and the three of us were on first name basis.

Okay, they're not the singer and the actress but it was always fun when I told people I'd introduce them to them. Let me explain.

When I was stationed in England in the mid-80s at the clinic at RAF Upwood. I was staying in the NCO dorm until the apartment I found was available. Two of the women who worked as housekeepers, both spouses of American airmen, there and one of them was named Tina Turner. The English lady who supervised them was named Elizabeth Taylor. One day, while in the clinic, Elizabeth saw me and told me she was looking for Tina, who was at a medical appointment, because her husband had received a line number for promotion and his commander asked for her to be there when he told him about his promotion. I took Elizabeth to patient records so they could use the PA and explained the situation to the airman. When I told her this was Elizabeth Taylor and she needed to find Tina Turner. The airman looked at me like it was a joke but I explained to her it wasn't and we needed the PA to be made. She did and although Tina had left the clinic the did get a hold of her. While leaving the clinic, Elizabeth told me she gets a lot of curious looks because of her name and she told me she used to have a Robert Taylor (another well known star) who worked for her.