Which favorite musicians have you met in person?

[cajunchefray]

Simple question, as our members are well rounded folks:
My short list:

Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), 1992, at the Texas State Fair. Both of us taking a pee in the downstairs bathroom at the after party.

Paul Simon 1990, at Mulates in Breaux Bridge, La after concert in Lafayette Louisiana. Short guy, very nice, he was tired after a helluva concert.

Arthur Neville (Neville Brothers), 1993 (little foggy back then), outside TIPITINA'S, Uptown New Orleans. We were outside having a smoke.

Buddy Guy, at his Buddy Guy's Legends venue in Chicago, 2003. A corporate paid event, Buddy played a few songs and was pissed off that the Wisconsin people didn't know his music to sing along. He did one set and went to the bar. We drank a couple of Hennesy sips and talked about Louisiana.

What have been your experiences?

Stevie Wonder (2014 or so) , I literally ran into him at a music club in the Warehouse district in New Orleans, night of New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (JazzFest here). His bodyguards cleared the way.

 

[Hillbilly Marine]

1977 at the WV State fair met Barbara Mandrel and her sisters Louis and Irlene. Was on the fairway tossing darts at balloons talking to this blond girl when I heard someone say "Irlene, we got to get ready to go on." There stood Barbara Mandrell! Got a good story, an autograph, and a picture with all three. The autograph and the picture disappeared somewhere along the line.

1984/85 I was on a deployment and we were in port in Toulon France and a guy came over and told us it was nice to see an American Marine and 2 Sailors and picked up our tab. Harrison Ford looked way different in person than in Star Wars.

 

[Brent in Az]

Barry Sparks- Bass player for Yngwie Malmsteen, UFO, Michael Schenker, Ted Nugent & others. I was friends with his sister in High School

Micky Dolenz of the Monkee's. Met at a bar party for the Michael Landon celebrity tennis classic in Tucson, the year before Landon died
Also met actor Christopher Atkins of the "Blue Lagoon" fame at the same party.

Ted Nugent - got to chat with him on the phone the day after a Tucson concert

Frequently chatted with actor William Devane when i was in Montana. We are both avid fly fisherman

Not many, but There are a couple others i cant remember off hand
.

 

[mdwest]

Truly too long to list... (quite literally hundreds across several genres of music)...

I ran a security firm many years ago as a side gig when I was in law enforcement.. we had contracts to provide protective services to a handful of entertainment management companies as well as firms that held protective services contracts with the fortune 500 (we'd sub to them whenever they had clients come to our city)..

The one I got closest to was Jerry Lee Lewis.. my company worked with JLL directly for about 5 years (he lived in the same area that we were located)... It was a pretty surreal experience when I dropped in on him to wish him a happy birthday on his 70th... one of my guys had been there all morning and afternoon working.. he told me the phone had been ringing off the wall with "people" calling to wish JLL a HBD.. while I was there Mick Jagger called... a little while later Bruce Springsteen called.. apparently the list of "greats" was extensive and my guy was completely blown away by all of the people he had said "hello" to while answering the phone that day (he was a younger guy that knew JLL was a famous musician.. but JLL was a couple of generations before his time.. he really couldnt appreciate all of the current top name musicians that he had influenced who would all call to pay homage to him on his birthday..

another funny experience happened a few years later... I was running the protective services unit at The World Bank... I was escorting the then president of the bank (former US Deputy Secretary of Defense) on a trip to Paris.. we went to a tiny little exclusive restaurant that literally could only seat 5 tables.. While we were there, there were only 4 tables seated.. one was with my guy and his date for the evening.. another had two older gentlemen seated that were wearing obviously tailered, high end suits.. both had on very expensive watches, etc (you could tell they were european "elites" of some sort), another had two gentlemen that looked more "common", and at the last table sat Jessica Alba (movie/tv star that at the time was a top A lister) and her apparent "date" for the evening...

I moved to the rear of the restaurant and posted up near the kitchen door, out of the way, just so I could see everything going on inside the restaurant.. and have to admit, was a bit taken back by Ms Alba.. she is genuinely beautiful.. its not just hollywood make up.. I dont typically stargaze.. but I did struggle to pay attention to everything else going on in the room and not just focus on her lol..

while I was standing there, the restaurants chef came out, clearly excited, and asked me "do you know who that is?????" I responded "of course.. thats Jessica Alba.."... he looked at me like I was insane and asked me "who????".... he wasnt looking at her table at all.. he was looking at the table with the "common" guys sitting... one apparently was a globally acclaimed food critic, and the other was some internationally notable french chef that the restaurant chef said was the person that inspired him to get into the business... he couldnt care less who my guy was (the President of the World Bank and former Deputy SecDef), and couldnt care less who Jessica Alba was.. all he cared about was two dudes in cheap shoes enjoying his cooking lol...

So.. when the night was over, when we're getting into the car, my guy asks me "Hey Dave.. did you see who was sitting at the other table????" he was obviously just as excited as the chef...

I respond with... "Well... Jessica Alba is who got my attention..".. to which he responds "who is that????" lol....

So then I ask him "Sir, surely you dont know that food critic and chef that were sitting next to you?"... to which he replies "Ive never heard of them?"...

What he was excited about was the President of Deuche Bank and the President of the Benz Corporation having dinner next to him.,. (who I also had no clue about lol)....

 

[C.W. Richter]

Too numerous to list as my Mom's fam is chock full of RIP and retired pro musicians (including Mom!) who are ALL my absolute favorites! As a kid, I'd get "dragged" to many, many gigs, including not only indoor/outdoor concerts, but studio sessions as well in Philla, NYC, Boston, Canada, etc. But, I must say I met the most musicians ever at the latest, greatest Sigma Sound Studios in Philla as a kid (Elton John, David Bowie and many others...lol including Michael Jackson and Barry Manilow-who was hitting on my Mom! All were very professional and hands off w/ the young lad!) LOL She played for Yes, Moody Blues, BB King, did bits for many studio albums, and was in Frank Sinatra's orchestra for years. Mom's cousin (..nameless lol) was Steely Dan's college roomie. Her career as a music professor is equally impressive to her work. Everyone in my family has retained their musical traits (Son is a phenomenal drummer/endodontist! Daughter can still play violin, but is also busy with being a Dr. and family. Bros play. Aunts/uncles/cousins play on weekends.) My parents' only mistake was to tell us NOT to become pro musicians! There were too many to list. It was grand! Dad could play EVERYTHING. He'd often go over to an organ/piano/e-keyboard and take requests at dinner time. (Me being the prankster, I'd request tricky stuff from Billy Joel or Rick Wakeman, et. al. and he'd pull it off!) 'Saw many many concerts involving so many more. 2 min pop songs are the exact opposite of what the true progressive, fully-formed musicians can and want to play! The reason for the musicianship is simple. Her fam came over in the 1630s, their shipyards in Boston and RI were burned during the Revolution 150 yrs later, they had to re-group and start over westward, beginning the first shipping industry on the Delaware River in NY and PA (rafting ag goods, lumber, tannic acid/methol alcohol, bluestone) down to NYC and Philla. After delivery, everything would be sold and they'd hoof it back up river (playing music in toll houses along the way in exchange for room & board!) Her grandfather (my G. Grandfather partook in this and took me hunting as a toddler on an ancestral farm-and I was HOOKED!) CDB/ABB/ZZ/Rush/Genesis/LZ/Cream/Hendrix/SRV-NOT their short stuff played for Commercial Radio. Taytay is pretty, billionaire and from a farm fam in PA (so she gets partial cred.) I'm certain she just sold out for the extra ducats thrown her way by Ticketmaster/DNC etc. LOL

 

[SFRanger7GP]

Jesse Uribe (Colombian Despecho y Musica Popular artist)

Paula Jara (Colombiana Despecho artist)

Residente (Leader of Calle 13 reggaeton and protest music)

Ana Gabriel (Mexicana Ranchera artist)

Willie Nelson

Los Viscontis (Argentina folkloric music)

Chayanne (Salsa artist)

Juanes (Colombian pop rock artist)

Mana (Mexican rock band)

Leonardo Favio (Argentine baladas y romantic music singer)

Jorge Celedon (Colombian Vallenato singer)

Alfredo Gutierrez (Colombian Cumbia y Vallenato singer)

George Strait

Andres Giraldo (Colombian Parrandero music)

Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley

Chico Jaramillo (Colombian artist musica popular)

Los Bacilos (Colombian pop band)

Romeo Santos (Bachata singer)

That’s about all I can think of for now. Is it too obvious where I spend a lot of time?

Safe travels

 

[C.W. Richter]

Too numerous to list as my Mom's fam is chock full of RIP and retired pro musicians (including Mom!) who are ALL my absolute favorites! As a kid, I'd get "dragged" to many, many gigs, including not only indoor/outdoor concerts, but studio sessions as well in Philla, NYC, Boston, Canada, etc. But, I must say I met the most musicians ever at the latest, greatest Sigma Sound Studios in Philla as a kid (Elton John, David Bowie and many others...lol including Michael Jackson and Barry Manilow-who was hitting on my Mom! All were very professional and hands off w/ the young lad!) LOL She played for Yes, Moody Blues, BB King, did bits for many studio albums, and was in Frank Sinatra's orchestra for years. Mom's cousin (..nameless lol) was Steely Dan's college roomie. Her career as a music professor is equally impressive to her work. Everyone in my family has retained their musical traits (Son is a phenomenal drummer/endodontist! Daughter can still play violin, but is also busy with being a Dr. and family. Bros play. Aunts/uncles/cousins play on weekends.) My parents' only mistake was to tell us NOT to become pro musicians! There were too many to list. It was grand! Dad could play EVERYTHING. He'd often go over to an organ/piano/e-keyboard and take requests at dinner time. (Me being the prankster, I'd request tricky stuff from Billy Joel or Rick Wakeman, et. al. and he'd pull it off!) 'Saw many many concerts involving so many more. 2 min pop songs are the exact opposite of what the true progressive, fully-formed musicians can and want to play! The reason for the musicianship is simple. Her fam came over in the 1630s, their shipyards in Boston and RI were burned during the Revolution 150 yrs later, they had to re-group and start over westward, beginning the first shipping industry on the Delaware River in NY and PA (rafting ag goods, lumber, tannic acid/methol alcohol, bluestone) down to NYC and Philla. After delivery, everything would be sold and they'd hoof it back up river (playing music in toll houses along the way in exchange for room & board!) Her grandfather (my G. Grandfather partook in this and took me hunting as a toddler on an ancestral farm-and I was HOOKED!) CDB/ABB/ZZ/Rush/Genesis/LZ/Cream/Hendrix/SRV-NOT their short stuff played for Commercial Radio. Taytay is pretty, billionaire and from a farm fam in PA (so she gets partial cred.) I'm certain she just sold out for the extra ducats thrown her way by Ticketmaster/DNC etc. LOL

one memory I'll share...mom was in the orchestra for Eddie Fischer and Debby Reynolds (or his other wife? LOL) and this pretty, older girl sitting in the front row seats during rehearsal (at the former Valley Forge Music Fair-a round forum where the stage could rotate slowly, and the venue packed in more sold seats!)...was bored and wanted to hang out with me. Mom SWIFTLY intervened and one of the few times she absolutely refused it (the other being another beauty, taking private lessons from her at our house, that was putting herself through college by being a go-go dancer! ) anyway, that girl turned out to be Carrie Fischer (pre-star wars Princess Leia.) I probably could've helped the poor gal later on in life! Awww Mom! LOL Still kicking at 82 and got awards for most mileage on the AT for several years.

 

[Rare Breed]

Simple question, as our members are well rounded folks:
My short list:

Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), 1992, at the Texas State Fair. Both of us taking a pee in the downstairs bathroom at the after party.

Paul Simon 1990, at Mulates in Breaux Bridge, La after concert in Lafayette Louisiana. Short guy, very nice, he was tired after a helluva concert.

Arthur Neville (Neville Brothers), 1993 (little foggy back then), outside TIPITINA'S, Uptown New Orleans. We were outside having a smoke.

Buddy Guy, at his Buddy Guy's Legends venue in Chicago, 2003. A corporate paid event, Buddy played a few songs and was pissed off that the Wisconsin people didn't know his music to sing along. He did one set and went to the bar. We drank a couple of Hennesy sips and talked about Louisiana.

What have been your experiences?

Stevie Wonder (2014 or so) , I literally ran into him at a music club in the Warehouse district in New Orleans, night of New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (JazzFest here). His bodyguards cleared the way.

Garth Brooks and Cindy Laupher. We sponsored them both for our Dr Pepper commercials

 

[K-man]

Too many to accurately list, but ones that stands out the most are Reba McIntire and Willie Nelson. Back in our younger days she would play the local county fairs and I was riding bulls. Don't care much for her acting career but she is a great singer/entertainer. Willie is too nice, it has hurt him over the years giving away too much. Better to be that way than too mean.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Before he hit the big time, Jim Croce, where he worked operating a bulldozer at Sweeney's dump off of Dutton Mill rd. in southeast Delaware county. This was back in the '60s. There was some nasty chemicals dumped there and IIRC became a superfund site.

 

[Hunt anything]

Good friends father was the facility manager at Auburn University, in 1974 Elvis came for a concert and my friends dad took us back to meet him. I was only 10 and had no idea who he was, but really a nice man.

Joan Jett in a bar in Durham, North Carolina 1988

Eddie Rabbit in a bar in Chapel Hill, North Carolina 1988

Roy Clark at a spring training baseball game in West Palm Beach, Florida 1988

 

[SFRanger7GP]

How could I forget this one. I danced with Sade in Nice France.

Safe travels

 

[mdwest]

Too many to accurately list, but ones that stands out the most are Reba McIntire and Willie Nelson. Back in our younger days she would play the local county fairs and I was riding bulls. Don't care much for her acting career but she is a great singer/entertainer. Willie is too nice, it has hurt him over the years giving away too much. Better to be that way than too mean.

I eat at Reba's restaurant in Atoka, Oklahoma every time we pass through there (its on the route between Dallas and Fayetteville, AR where our youngest goes to school now)... Went in there on a whim the first time.. we were hungry, and its right off the highway, etc..

We go back now because its actually a great place to eat.. the food is good.. the staff are super friendly and helpful.. and everything is very well priced..

Lots of her stuff from her early singing career (fairs and rodeos, etc) is hanging on the walls in there.. its a pretty cool place to visit..

 

[Hogpatrol]

How could I forget this one. I danced with Sade in Nice France.

Safe travels

You lucky dog. I listen to her best hits album in transit to Joburg. Never get tired of hearing her sing.

 

[Fixfire]

Pavarotti

 

[C.W. Richter]

Before he hit the big time, Jim Croce, where he worked operating a bulldozer at Sweeney's dump off of Dutton Mill rd. in southeast Delaware county. This was back in the '60s. There was some nasty chemicals dumped there and IIRC became a superfund site.

And, I believe he died of cancer! 'Have seen many documentaries featuring his loving wife.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Pavarotti

LOL mom played for him too! Top woman french horn player in the World. Galileo....lol

 

[C.W. Richter]

How could I forget this one. I danced with Sade in Nice France.

Safe travels

She was HOTT! Could you hear her when she spoke? I'd think her Hz was out of human range. lol You're a smooth operator...lol

 

[Scott CWO]

Country singer Tracy Lawrence a couple times backstage at concerts in Colorado. Super nice guy and so many great songs. His in-laws hunt with me regularly. Here’s a picture of my wife and I backstage with him. I cut him out of the picture because I wouldn’t post his picture online without permission.

 

[Hogpatrol]

And, I believe he died of cancer! 'Have seen many documentaries featuring his loving wife.

Plane crash, age 30.