Wally Schirra

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NOT SO FAST,, NOT-- SO-- FAST

Without a doubt, Leonard T Pididdle. I mean afterall, they named a whole CAR-GAME after him!

The Highlander

Had breakfast once with A.J.Foyt and Mario Andretti. Well, we were in the same restaurant anways. They were running in the Hoosier Hundred and I was attending an old Porsche 356 rally. I asked them if they wanted to take a ride; Foyt said those things were way too dangerous. -S2

Johnny Cash in 1986 in the lobby of a Holiday Inn at Paducah Kentucky. I was fourteen at the time and had my four year old cousin in tow and walked up to him and stuttered "You're Johnny Cash". I knew him from listening to my parents LP of Live at San Quentin probably a hundred times. He took the time to chat with a gangly teenager and a four year old. The main thing I remember was how big his hands were and that he had a chest like barrel.

I don't get out much....

Sherwin Linton-Musician/Entertainer
Ken Schrader-Racer

KO

Short list. Delf A. Bryce, Clarence Hurt, Jerry Campbell, John Calvin Rice.

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... fortunate son...

Maybe not a celebrity, but still famous in my eyes.
Chuck Leighton, flight navigator on the Memphis Belle.
He was close with a high school buddy's grandfather.

Flip wilson at Neptunes Net Malibu
Bergis Merideth....aka Penguin Subway sandwich shop Malibu
Frank Gorshin aka the ridler at a swap meet
Steve Mcqueen Ventura drive in swapmeet He bought my antique Mousetrap. The circular kind with lots of holes.
George Kennedy Mr. Breath asure. Lived at Oxnard shores. Delivered culligan to his house.
Mickey Rooney in Westlake California delivering Culligan to his house.
Charles Bronson. Guidos restaurant in Malibu. Loved Unsweetened Ice tea I was delivering working for Pepsi.
Johnathon Winters Neptunes Net Malibu. Loves clams and drove a amc pacer...lol
Martin Sheen. Total Jerk was blocking alley at Ralphs Shopping center in Malibu while talking to a homless man. I honked my horn for him to move and he yelled at me. I yelled back "Some people have to work for a living"
Nick Nolte Buys Icream in Zuma Beach Met while delivering Pepsi. Has Really Really big feet. and wears pj's and a trench coat.
The guy that played Huggy bear from Berreta at Fallbrook mall JC penny outlet. Sorry dont know his name.

Lee Van Cleef at the Esplanade Mall in Oxnard California. He was smoking a pipe inside when you could smoke inside back then and I Asked him are you the guy from the western movies Angle eyes?..I was kinda embarrased..I didnt know his name till he told me. He was very nice.

Charlie Sherril, Leland Ray, Dick Burg, Lee Jarrett, David Carroll. And I know Burt (Tennexplorer) personally!

I'd love to meet Roy Jinks and chat about...well, anything.
(I know I know...go to the SWCA meetings).

Roger

Kitty O,neil. Kitty O'Neil - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Back in about 1977 My buddy and I were flying over El mirage dry lake, saw activity and I landed on the lake. Kitty was trying for speed records with a rocket car. The group was called Stuntmasters or stunts unlimited. I could be wrong, but I think it was Hal needham that asked me to fly back the next day and standby. We did. I flew a photographer for wide world of sports to film some runs from the air. It was fantastic watching her go over 500 mph! Kitty was a pretty small deaf girl. She still holds many land speed records for women. She gave me a shirt and a belt buckle with some of her records printed on them.
I guess I was jazzed up from watching her. My buddy bill was sitting behind me in my citaberia as we were leaveing. Bill hadnt strapped himself in yet and I assumed he had. I had a climb pitched prop on for towing gliders and felt the need to do something fancy. I took off and decided to do a "Immelman". That is the term for a half loop where at the top when you are upside down you do a half roll and you now are flying higher, rightside up, and have reversered your direction. I heard bill beller some uncomplimentry things at me, looked back and his head and shoulders were on the ceiling of the plane and he was hanging on to the braceing! I still have to laugh every time I remember the look on his face!

Rode in an elevator in Madrid with Michael Jackson in the 80's. Sat next to Marlon Brando in the airport in DC. Lived next door to Leon Russell in Tulsa, OK. Met George Harrison one day in the mid 70's at that house. Sat next to Pete Rose on an airplane in the mid 90's. He was a jerk because I didn't know who he was. Flew in a plane with Robert Plant. Met the Hollies on a flight to London when I was 10.

Huggy Bear was Antonio Fargas but he wasn't in Baretta. That would be Rooster who was Michael D Roberts.

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sticks-n-stones&hollowpoints

Worked backstage for 3 years at the biggest concert venue in Columbus.
Met all of the acts coming through at that time. Another guy that worked there went on to play bass for Miles Davis. (Depression=Leaving the hotel for a gig in Cheyenne, Wyoming in the dead of winter, turning on the tube and seeing that guy, at the Grammies playing with Chick Corea.)
Biggest douche was Barry Manilow.
Sold a very rare vintage snare drum to Nicko McBrain from Iron Maiden. got to play his drumkit through a 75,000 watt P.A. where I worked.

Lemmesee...

While I was a staff musician at a recording studio here in town, Ted Nugent was coming through there and booked the studio to record some demos. The rest of his band was Derek St. Holmes (singer on, "Stranglehold"), Michael Cartellone ("Damn Yankees" drummer, now with, "Lynrd Skynrd"), and the bass player's name was, "Charlie", never got his last name but he was in, "Brownsville Station" and wrote, "Smokin' In The Boys' Room". He and I talked about for about 45 minutes about drum machine programming. Being a shooter in a VERY liberal musical community, Nuge and I got on quite well.

Did a gig in St. Louis back in '91 (I think) playing behind a guy named J.D. Blackfoot. Also on the bill that day was Peter Frampton, Bachman Turner Overdrive, the newly re-formed, Kansas, and, Steppenwolf. We were all hanging out backstage in the, "dressing complex" at Riverport Amphitheater.

David Allan Coe's drummer used my drums on a gig a few years back.
I had to use Confederate Railroad's drums once a few years back.

Next month, I'm playing behind a guy and we're opening for Blue Oyster Cult.

A whole bunch more but I guess that's enough name-dropping. Out of all the folks I mentioned, the least successful in the business was/is ME.

Edited to add: Oh yeah, forgot. One night I was playing in a craphole in the bad part of town, looked to the back of the joint and some guy was gettin' the livin' $#!+ beat out him by 3 other guys. The movie, "Teachers" was being filmed in Columbus at the time in the old Central High School building. The recipient of the beatdown at the gig was Nick Nolte. Apparently, a drug deal gone south.

Buffalo Bob, Don Knots, Charlton Heston, Buzz Aldrin, Gen. H. Norman Schwartzkopf, Doc Sevrenson, Roy G. Jinks, G. Gordon Liddy, R. Lee Ermy, Randy Weaver, Paul W. Tibbets (Enola Gay pilot), Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Carlos Hathcock

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Bill - SWCA #2327

Jesus, 1984

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Sure you did

Back in the 1980s a bunch of us got together for Tuesday lunch. The gathering place was on Cincinnati's west side, at a little joint called the Wagonwheel Cafe. Our waitress was Carolyn Rose, Pete's exwife. By that point Pete had moved on to skinny babes and hotties. His ex continued to expand, to put it nicely. In fact, she was so big that she had her own place up by the bar and window to the kitchen. She used 2 bar stools, one for each more than ample cheek.

There are a lot of folks here I'd like to meet, too. Cajun Lawyer up near the top of the list, but Leezana Joe should come up near Yankeeland with brother Charlie sometime.

And I'd like to spend an evening talking with Ferilmerril. Bet that would be an interesting discussion. From our posts, we view everything just a little differently. But often come to the same conclusions via different directions and roads!

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Dick Burg

Why thanks, Dick, dont know what to say! Frankly I am on the computer a lot since I moved to utah from lancaster calif. A bunch of us used to meet at a cafe for coffee several times a day. There was a core group of maybe 25 guys and you could walk in almost anytime and there would usualy 2 to 5 guys sitting there BS,ing. I really miss going for coffee there and this site is a sort of replacement for it!

Hillary Clinton at the 1992 New Mexico State Fair (just a handshake). Bobby Knight at the Phoenix airport a couple years ago (had a nice minute or two conversation with him). As a young Navy photographer in the 70s I took group photo that included Alan Shepard and Werner Von Braun.

My few encounters with famous people have all taken place in Vegas on different trips.

John Cusack ~ MGM Garden Arena. Cusack literally tackled me while running up the stairs after the first Tyson/Holyfield fight. He apologized for about 2 minutes and complimented me on my suit. He kept calling me "Hoss". The Guy is first class. With him was Entourage's, Jeremy Piven. Cusack is taller than me. I'm 6ft tall.

Wesley Snipes ~ MGM Garden Arena. We were at ring side, side-by-side looking at semi-comatose Tyson while he was recuperating from his loss and the beating he received from Holyfield. Snipes was upset and seem concerned for Tyson. Told me He couldn't believe that Tyson had lost the fight by knock out. Snipes is somewhat short, but very muscular.

Pamela Anderson ~ Hard Rock Casino. Played a few games of Roulette with her at a table full of well behaved men. She arrived with 4 very big body guards. She was wearing a black skin-tight leather outfit with knee-high laced boots. She was very timid. Didn't say much, but had a beautiful smile. She was a bad Roulette player. I was sad to see her leave.

Mike Tyson ~ The Venetian. Shook his hand at the AVA [Porn] Convention. He shook my hand tenderly. The man has huge hands.

Dennis Rodman ~ Hard Rock Casino. Played a few hands of Blackjack with him . He was "a little tipsy" and was being too loud, specially when he lost. He Left with his two young female friends. Very tall dude. I was glad to see him leave the table.

"And I know Burt (Tennexplorer) personally!"

And you're a better man for it!!

I've known Dirty Burt since Navy/Marine ROTC days at Auburn University in 1972. (He's an ex-squid, ya know.)

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

Shook hands & spoke with Johnny Cash with June standing by-for a number of reasons the most moving encounter I've had with a celebrity.
Ringo Starr & his beautiful wife Barbara Bach
Couldn't get up the nerve to introduce myself to Emmy Lou Harris-just stood near & basked in her reflected glory
I played harmonica with Trisha Yearwood,the Del McCoury Band,Spencer Davis & Martina McBride on different occasions.
My wife & I were on Good Morning America with Charlie Gibson-a real gentleman- & with our son on the Dr. Phil(no comment) show-not pleasant experiences but in our minds necessary.
I've encountered enough celebrities to know I definitely don't want to be one.
Regards,
turnerriver

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turnerriver

I met Hunter S. Thompson at the Kentucky authors forum. He drank a fifth of Kentuckys finest while being interviewed by a local tv personality onstage at the Kentucky Theater. Louisville is Hunters hometown and his handler was careful to keep anyone from getting to close. They canceled the meet and greet due to his condition as it were although I noticed no change in his words or behaviour. When I realized I was going to miss my chance to shake his hand I did something I am ashamed of. I told a lie. I said, "Hey Dr. Thompson. I fished with Russ Chatham this summer." He stopped, looked at me, elbowed his handler out of his way and pulled his trademark cigarette holder from his mouth and extended his hand saying, "You know Russ? Really?" I asked for forgiveness and said, "Yes I do." He chuckled and shook my hand at which point we were both pulled apart lest I slip him some pharmaceuticals. Russ Chatham is a semifamous flyfisherman and painter from California/Montana and I knew from their writings that they were tight. Hunter was a strange bird. I heard he sold all of his guns before he killed himself but kept his model 29. I don't know if that is what he used or not. RIP Hunter.

I met both Buster Crabb & Aldo Ray

General Jimmy Doolittle. When I was assigned to Los Angeles Air Force Station back in the 70s, General Doolittle would often be invited to protocol events and my wife and I had the pleasure of having dinner with the General and his wife on two occasions. Two of the nicest people you would ever want to meet. I was amazed though at his small stature but that was an artifact of the small cockpits in early military aircraft. I've met quite a few 'famous' people but General Doolittle will always be the number one in my list because of his contributions to aircraft development and his incredible bravery in WWII.

Ronald Reagan. He came to Chicago to sign a treaty banning genocide at the Air reserve facilty @ O'Hare. It was raining pretty hard so they hastily moved the ceremony into a conference room. I was standing there armed in a hallway and he came around the corner all by himself. We chatted a bit. He was shorter than I (me 6') but broad shoulders. I still can't believe he was left alone with some Air Force cop.

Elmer Keith, at the 1974 NRA Convention in Atlanta..what a character!

Back Up

Just in case we missed someone.

I love these stories.

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Now That's Bullet Maintenance!

I met Elmer Keith when he was working the Peterson Magazine booth at the SHOT show in St. Louis in 1979.

Dan Quayle when he was a senator.
Chief A.J. at the Indy 1500 gun show.
More important, lots of years ago, Dick the Bruiser.

Lyle Lovett. Met him at a Harley dealership many years ago when his Road King was being dyno'd. He and his Dad had matching black Road Kings at the time. I ported the heads on both bikes.

Very soft spoken and friendly guy.

Flew as a crew member with M.Scott Carpenter back in 1952-54 while with Navy Patrol Squadron 6.(He was navigator,I was gunner) (For all you kids out there,Scott was 1 of the origional 7 Astronauts.)

Bill

Adolph Galland

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G.P. Charlie

Does this count?

My sister-in-law used to live next door to Gary Busey in Canoga Park, CA. Her son, my cousin, put Busey's son in a toy chest, locked it....and sat on it.

My wife called her sister....Busey was at her house....talked to Busey on the phone.

Does any of that count?

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G.P. Charlie

After reading 39 pages, I've decided to add my 2 cents since I've met a couple people that haven't been mentioned yet.

Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle. Met him at the Paris Air Show shortly before he decided to kick NATO out of France. No, Our chance meeting wasn't a contributing factor in his decision.

Clarence "Kelly" Johnson. Also at a Paris Air Show, but different year. Oddly enough, several years after his death, his grand niece and my niece are sharing a house. I had no idea she was his grand-niece (different last name) until I was admiring some exquisitely detailed model planes that seemed completely out of place in the home of two women (not that women aren't into airplanes, but these two collect Pandas, Windmills and Lighthouses) and she commented that her uncle had designed them. Then she brought out a scrapbook containing about every newspaper article ever written about Kelly and other memorabilia, and I spent several hours learning more about I guy that I had met briefly many, many years earlier. Incidently, he is best known for his engineering skills, but I suspect his management skills were just as good, if not better, than his engineering skills.

Flipping the coin over, there is a famous person I've never met, but I'm sorta-kinda "related" to. Terry Bradshaw and I share a common aunt and uncle. They are both gone now, but his father's sister married my father's brother. That would probably make us cousins once removed or cousins-in-law or something along those lines, but we've never met and probably never will unless our paths accidentally cross in the future.

JohnnieB

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Age + Treachery = JohnnieB

I don't think I've posted on this, maybe I have, but anyway.

My mother told me we were kin to 1968 NASCAR "Grand National" (in those days/"cup" today) rookie of the year, Bill Dennis. My grandmother was a Dennis and they were related somewhere in there. Bill later went on to win three straight Dayton 300 sportsman races in the early 70's (Nationwide series today) driving for Junie Donleavy.

I also knew Lennie Pond another NASCAR racer from those days (another "Grand National" ROY and Daytona 300 winner. He beat out Darrel Waltrip for ROY that year.). I knew him well enough that he remembered my name which always surprised me. Of course he was a car salesman so that's a good ability to have I suppose.

Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, and Boddy Allison now that I think of it. Met him at a Bassmasters Classic of all places. Hummingbird depth finders was one of his sponsors in NASCAR.

We "met" Richard Petty often at autograph sessions, but the time that really stands out was at his family's place in Randleman. We were there visiting his museum and had met and talked to Dale Innman, his cousin and crew chief in the museum. My son, who was about ten or so wanted to meet Richard. Dale told him to watch out the window and Richard would be coming by in a few minutes. Sure enough RP drove out, stopped and talked to my son and autographed his hat for him. That kid didn't take that hat off for days I don't think.

I met a lot of professional bass fishermen back in the day. Roland Martin, Bill Dance, Ray Scott, Rick Clunn, Jimmy Houston, and dozens of others from the late 80's and early 90's. The one who impressed me most of all was a cat named Harold Allen. I met him once at a boat show and talked to him for a few minutes. A year later, I saw him at another show and walked up to him. He looked up, and called me by my name, like he'd known me all his life.

Now that I think about it. Randy White (Dallas Cowboys) was at that same boat/tackle show. That was a BIG man. My hand just disappeared in his when we shook hands.

Oh. My son also got Bassmasters Classic winner Guido Hibdon to sign his Richard Petty hat. He had his two hero's autographs on one hat. Guido said he was quite honored to sign next to "the king."

That's enough rambling I suppose.

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John 3:16 .

Harry S Truman, during a whistlestop in Iowa in his 1948 campaign. I was a baby, and received a Presidential kiss according to my mom. That probably explains everything subsequent.


Bullseye

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Five screws and 3-1/2 inches.

Probably the most notable is Neal McCoy the country music singer. I designed the house that he and his family currently live in. And he is one of the most down-to-earth guys you'd ever meet. Other than that I've met several world famous bowlers. Years ago at a nationals bowling tournament during the Hall-of-fame squad there was a huge turn-out of hall-of-famers that I was able to meet and get autographs. Earl Anthony, Dick Weber, Nelson Burton, Walter Ray Williams, Mike Aulby, Don Johnson, etc.

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jbozz out...

Sir Edmund Hillary, after a lecture at the University of Pennsylvania.

Hubert H. Humphrey when he was vice president. And no I didn't have any choice about the matter.

(Ralph) Dale Earnhardt, Sr.
Back in the early 1990's the Winston Cup Series was at Watkins Glen, New York one weekend.
He was doing a charity appearance a few days before at the Newington Children's Hospital in Connecticut.
They had a big tent set up with one of his cars, I got an autographed picture from him.
I never realized how tall he was, so I asked him, he said 6'-2", he sat so low in his cars.
He is dearly missed.
Regards,
BM1

George Bush in San Antonio back in 1998 when he was Governor of Texas. He gave a speech at a Council of State Governments award meeting right around Christmas.

The largest was Andre the Giant whan I was a teenager. The best was Linda Carter (wonder woman) right after 9/11. I was on active duty (Navy Chief) at the Casualty Assistance Center in Washington DC helping the victims of the Pentagon attack and she was heavily involved with helping the families - you hear about stuck-up celebs but she was just the opposite - nicest lady you ever want to meet and she really cared about the work she was doing.

Other than clients, Mickey Rooney at Disneyworld. He was standing by the Studios by himself for a few minutes waiting for his handlers to come back. Very nice, just like talking to my Dad.

Same here, just days before.....
And "Murphy Brown". She chewed me out. What a babe back then....

Big Daddy Lipscomb, the ferocious defensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers, during a Superbowl in Miami when I was in high school. I had a field pass, and when Mr. Lipscomb was sitting on the bench while the offense was in, I approached him from the side and asked him, "Mr. Lipscomb, sir, may I please have your autograph?"

Elbows on his knees, he raised his head, looked at me, glowered from under his brows, and said, "Son, I'm afraid not. Can't you see that I'm playin' ball?"

I'd rather have the story than the autograph.


Bullseye

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Five screws and 3-1/2 inches.

John F. Kennedy in the 1960 Presidential campaign. I shook his hand. My dad worked at an airport and I also met Richard M. Nixon in that campaign. You remember things like that as if it occurred yesterday.

Nguyen Van Thieu, Chiang Kai Shek, Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. Take your pick. Aboard USS Enterprise.

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SEMPER-FI

LBee

1968


Though not the most "famous", Gatemouth Brown was definitely the "coolest".


Without question, Foyt is the toughest
(built a model for him of his world speed record car)

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Professional Trainer

Muhammed Ali. Spoke to him one on one for about 15 minutes early one morning at Chicago O'Hare while I was waiting for a cab and he was waiting for his Limo. It was a week before the Spinks fight.
He was very friendly.