The mom of a friend of mine blogged recently about all the famous people she’s seen and met throughout her lifetime, and I thought that was a fun topic. So I’m going to dig through the gray matter and see what I can come up with.
Actors — I met Lou Diamond Phillips one time, when he was playing with a band near where I was living at the time. I still have the T-shirt he signed.
Singers — When I was young, my parents took my sister and I to a few country music shows. I remember seeing the Statler Brothers, Stella Parton (Dolly’s sister) and Tommy Cash (Johnny’s brother). Years later, I took Mom to see Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash in concert at Opryland Theme Park before they tore it down to build a mall. As far as shows I chose to see myself, they’re more in the rock vein. I was a teen in the ’80s, so it was the era of the hair bands. I saw Poison, Warrant, KISS, some other opening bands I don’t remember. Oh, there was Faster Pussycat. I remember thinking they weren’t very good. After I graduated college and got married, hubby and I went to a few shows at a local outdoor venue. Bon Jovi was awesome, Van Halen (still during the Sammy Hagar era) was good, and Creed had a good show.
Athletes — I haven’t met any of them, but I used to see lots of hockey players when we went to Predators games. You’d also spot various celebrities in the crowd during the games. Vince Gill and Amy Grant were regulars.
Politicians — I met Gov. Paul Patton of Kentucky when I worked at a newspaper and he was getting ready to run for governor. I’ve met various Tennessee legislators and U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr. through my former magazine job.
I actually have a picture of me with Mr. Ford, but I look like a complete and utter dork, so it’s never seeing the light of day. When I went on a high school trip to Washington, D.C., I met U.S. Rep. Julian Carroll and U.S. Sen. Wendell Ford (no relation to Sen. Ford from Tennessee). There was also a brief appearance by U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell before our group, but I didn’t actually meet him.
Authors — I’ve met tons of published authors, but I guess the most famous would be romance novelist Nora Roberts and mystery novelist Nevada Barr, both of whom are very nice.
So, what famous people have you met?
March 20th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
Funny you posted about the Cashes–J and I finally watched Walk the Line this weekend and the movie (and people it’s about) has been in my head ever since. LOL on the hair band concerts–I definitely saw Poison and Warrant *g* Then going to college in Texas and dating a major country music fan, I saw Garth, George Strait, David Allen Coe and Chris LeDoux.
As far as famous people I’ve actually encountered, my most tongue-tied I-can’t-believe-she’s-standing-this-close-to-me moment was sharing an elevator with two of the actresses from Firefly/Serentiy (Jewel Staite, aka Kaylee, and Morena Baccarin, aka Inara). If Nathan Fillion or Sean Maher had been there, I would have fainted dead away
Thanks to my publishing career, I’ve had the chance to meet many authors I love and admire but got incredibly flustered trying to introduce myself to Jennifer Crusie (one of my favorites) and Nora Roberts (loooove her JD Robb books). And every time Sherrilyn Kenyon says hi to me, I feel like I should rush home and journal the converstion in my diary, LOL.
March 20th, 2006 at 6:41 pm
I am still soooo bummed I didn’t know about that conference you went to where the Firefly cast there. I’d have been right in that elevator with you, and perhaps stalking (in a non-restraining order sort of way) Nathan and Sean.
LOL about Sherry. She’s so nice.
March 20th, 2006 at 7:28 pm
Jean Claud Van Dam (sp?) It was about six years ago and he’s short, but still very much the hunk. Yum.
Tanya
March 20th, 2006 at 7:42 pm
OH my! I saw Poison and Warrant too. I even rode the elevator with Bill Golden one of the Statler Brothers in the Smokey Mts. He’s short dude.
I’ve been to concerts but haven’t really seen a ton of famous people, but I’ve seen enough
March 21st, 2006 at 8:01 pm
Wait, you met Inara, Tanya? I think she is gorgeous! And Kaylee is cute. Who’s Sean, though? The doctor? I’d rather meet Adam Baldwin.
I met Nora, after stalking her at the New Orleans RWA conference.
Bono sweat on my hand at a U2 concert.
I met skateboarder Bob Burnquist – skipped school and my son played hookey because he was at my dh’s TV station.
The dh has met a lot of people – Kyle Chandler, Malcolm McDowell, Madeline Stowe, Andie McDonnell, The Ramones, John McCain, Salma Hayek.
My dad used to live down the street from Prince.
March 22nd, 2006 at 6:19 pm
Funny post, Trish. In college I interned at a local TV-station, working on their noon news program. I met gads of people. The quirkiest — Skippy from Family Ties, who asked me to run a clip of his latest movie, Return of the Killer Tomatoes. Really. The nicest — Jenny Craig, very nice, very tan in a George Hamilton way. A Miss America was on once, too. Golden days, those…