The Most Famous Person You've Met

Maria Shriver
John Kennedy Jr. and his sister.
At a flag ceremony for special olympics. I ran the bucket lift so they could insert the nations flags.
Time to leave the governors body guard didnt like my black motorcycle jacket. I met the body guard again when the governors kids were riding dirtbikes were I was riding too. I got a big wave then. Lol Even the governor rode.

Bill Skoran ny yankee first basemen I went to summer camp with his kid.
Micky Mantle in a drug store in Ridgefield, Nj.

John Travolta's dad put tires on my dads truck. Travolta Tire in Westwood, Nj. James Gamblefini aka tony soprano grew up in west, Nj too.

I moved from Westwood, NJ. To Connecticut. I went out one morning here to get breakfast. There was some state workers on there coffee break. One called me a hick as I walked by. I laughed. With the proper clothing I could blend in anywhere. I'm just a kid from north jersey.
 
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Tiger Williams. He asked me what I used for deer hunting and when I told him "Lee Enfield .303" he told me that wasn't good enough and then lent me a Model 70 .300 Win Mag.
 
Richard Nixon, at the Texas State Fair. I think I was about 12.

I've been within 10-12 feet from JFK, but had no opportunity to talk.

Have met various gun writers and novelist David Lindsey, who kindly autographed all of his books that I brought, despite the shop owner's griping that he should sign only copies bought that day.

I've talked with C.J. Box and Virginia Houston on the phone but not met them.

All three are excellent authors.

BTW, the woman pictured on the hardback cover of Lindsey's " In the Lake of the Moon" looks like my doctor. Yes, both are Hispanic. The doc was amused and flattered when I told her and she looked up that book cover.

I met Suzanne Arruda and gave her a spare copy of Taylor's, "African Rifles and Cartridges" and some added gun advice. She kindly credited me for this in later titles of her books. She had previously sought gun advice from a fellow professor and he didn't know zip about guns, let alone those that'd be used in 1920's Kenya, where her books are set.

Oh: Morgan Fairchild. She and her sister had the next table in a restaurant and I recognized her voice.
My mother taught her in 11th Grade Honors English in HS and her mother also taught in the Richardson ISD in T X.

We talked for maybe 45 minutes, partly about a shared interest in paleontology. She said her sister had just given her a fossil snail for Christmas.

I told her that I'd reviewed one of her movies in a gun magazine and asked if she had liked the Ithaca M-37 shotgun she used in it. But she barely recalled the movie!

You may recall her from TV series like, Flamingo Road and, Falcon Crest.

I've also met Barbara Eden, TV's, Genie. Very nice and I got her autograph in a TV station..

My daughter and I met Dr. Donald Johanson, whose expeditions discovered the fossil Australopithecus afarensis hominid they dubbed, Lucy. He was cordial in signing his books for me, but seemed nervous and a lot of campus police were around. I asked a sergeant why, and she said they'd had death threats from rabid creationists who opposed his belief in evolution.

Dr. J. was very polished and witty and my then-teen daughter loved him. Had a great lecture and slide show.

We also saw Jane Goodall there (SMU) on a different night. But she seemed condescending and impatient. I think she just wanted to raise money for her Gombe Stream chimp reserve and leave.

The celeb I most regret having missed when she was in Dallas is Candice Swanepoel, a famous spokesmodel for Victoria's Secret. (See Wikipedia, YouTube, etc.) She was in town, but I didn't know until she'd left. Missed the ad in the newspaper. But I did see Heidi Klum years ago. I stood in line for a long time to meet her, but that line extended around every aisle in the VS store and out down the hall and maybe into the parking lot of a LARGE mall. I did get within 20 feet of her and she seemed very smart and had good English by then. I think she was thinking the same as I was: how we were packed in there like sardines and there might be a fire or other emergency. I finally left without meeting her. But it was very informative just to see her in person. BTW, she looks even better in person than on TV, by no means true of many celebs.

My barber said her husband, a cop, was friends with a cop who guarded Heidi and he was very impressed by her. I could understand why. She seemed both very smart and gracious to her many fans. Her right hand must have hurt from signing so many autographs.
 
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John Wayne. I grew up in Newport Beach near his waterfront home. He would come over to the high school to watch us practice football and basketball and sometimes come into the locker room to say hello. One time we were paddle boarding around his yacht, the Wild Goose, and he started yelling at us. We figured we were in trouble but he invited us on board for a Coke.
 
Jingles said:
John Wayne. I grew up in Newport Beach near his waterfront home. He would come over to the high school to watch us practice football and basketball and sometimes come into the locker room to say hello. One time we were paddle boarding around his yacht, the Wild Goose, and he started yelling at us. We figured we were in trouble but he invited us on board for a Coke.
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I once had dinner at "The Arches" and sat in his favorite 'horseshoe' booth.
 
Viggo Mortensen Lives in my town, so he gets seen alot. And back when I lived in AZ I ran into Lebron James and Charles Barkley a few times, seems the diner next to my cousin's hotel was a favorite with basketball players.
 
ladder13- "Sha Na Na"
I loved Sha Na Na's music- That's the problem with getting older. So many people like Sha Na Na, stop singing and then die.
 
I shook the hand that shook Sirhan-Sirhan ........That's Rosy Greer.

I wear XL gloves and his hand engulfed mine as if it were a 3 year olds.
 
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Was passing through Banff years back and decided to play a round of golf. The started paired me up with Bill Russell and one of his former team mates. True gentlemen and Bill signed autographs a number of time during the round for folks that came up to him. After the 18th hole he pulled up to a green RollsRoyce convertable and loaded their clubs in the trunk. I was never a basketball fan growing up in Canada but figured out they were NBA players. The next day I mentioned this meeting to my golf pro. His comment was that he would have rather played with Mr Russell than Jack Nicholas.
 
I go to the Bianchi Cup every year for a week. There are lots of famous shooters there. I talk to them all week and have had dinner and drinks with several over many years time. Names like Jerry Miculek, Rob Leatham, Max Michel, Doug Koenig, Julie Golob, John Pride, Mickey Fowler, Jesse Duff, many others. I'm no one special, everyone at the match can talk to them too.
 
Louis Freeh, Director of the FBI, when I graduated from the 187th Session of the FBINA. Colin Powell when he spoke at Harvard commencement in 1993, was attached to his security team, gave us a Joint Chiefs tie bar. US Senator John O. Pastore when he handed me the award for top shooter at my police academy graduation in 1975. A bunch of senators and congressmen when I would make a yearly trip to beg for funds for a group associated with law enforcement in the early 2000s. Those office buildings are like a middle eastern bazaar.
 
Back in 2012 while vacationing in Virginia with the wife we stopped into the NRA National Museum. We were surprised upon entering the museum that the Crew from Midway's Gun Stories were filming there. We got to meet the star of the show Joe Montegna. Very nice person and a great gun guy. We talked for a little while and he posed with us for pictures. This made my wife very happy as she and I both like Criminal Minds as well.
 
The most famous person

In 1960 I met Walt Disney at Disney world. He was greeting people at the entrance.
In 1965 I Met Johnny Weissmuller at a sighing in Houston, Tx.
I was very impressed to meet both of them. Mr. Disney was very nice and friendly to everyone. Mr. Weissmuller was very imposing to meet, but also one of the friendliest people that I have had the pleasure to meet, in my lifetime, as he took the time to actually talk to me about his movie career and winning his Olympic Gold medal (although it was only for a short time).
As you can tell I was impressed by both.
As a footnote I have on two occasions met the Bud Clydesdales (also very impressive.)
 
Probably one of the best talents in CW music, Marty Stuart IMHO. We went to a concert near Pittsburgh and got to talking to a security guy. He asked us if we'd like to meet Marty. Of course we said yes, so he showed us through the kitchen to where they were having a meet and greet. He seemed to be a heck of a nice fellow.
Franco Harris. When I was a lad, a buddy and I went to a local dept. store was having a promo of some type with some of the Steelers. Franco was giving autographs and when I got my turn I had nothing for him to sign except for a folded up piece of paper which I handed to him. He unfolded it and it was a "spot sheet" which would give the weeks games and the "spot". You could pick 4, 6, or 10 games on up and if you picked correct would win a certain return on your "bet". Of course this was for entertainment purposed only. Franco opened it and looked at me and trying to look angry asked if I was trying to get Him in trouble, trying to get him sign a "gambling" slip. What did I know, I was just a kid. I hemmed and hawed while the other players looked on laughing at my discomfort. Then he looked at my picks, and the Steelers game in particular. Which he mistakenly thought I picked the Steelers to lose. Then the others started on me. "Man what do you mean Pittsburgh minus 3? We've got this!" I was sweating like a ***** in church! In the end we all laughed and I got my autograph. Wish I still had it.
Also Jack Lambert at another autograph session.
 
billdeserthills said:
I got to pick open a lock on Steven Seagal's summer house once,
does that count?
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I rode in a limo with Steven Segal for about 5 minutes. The experience was not pleasant.

GUNMIKE said:
In 1965 I Met Johnny Weissmuller at a sighing in Houston, Tx.
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I would have loved to meet him. He is one of the greatest sports athletes that ever lived. He never lost any swimming race he entered.
 
bigwheelzip said:
My former house painter in the 60's and 70's, Gino Done Paro.

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Found out after his death that we was something of a hero in Italy for being a particularly effective Partisan fighter, working with the British in WWII.
And in Cuba, for being the only European in the fight against Batista, and saving Che Guevara's life.

Been the subject of books, movies, and songs in those countries.

I never knew anything about his past, and he never spoke of war or politics. Ya never know about people.
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I just read your first post more carefully .

He was not the only European against Batista. Fidel Castro was a Spaniard!
 
Back in the '60s, I was at a park where a bunch of rock bands were playing for free on a Sunday. Steve Miller was scheduled, but didn't show. Everyone went home except me and three other guys who were tossing around Frisbees. Eventually a van showed up, and out stepped Steve and his band. We went over and told them there was only four of us there, and they didn't need to play. Steve said, "We're going to play." And play they did. For four guys. For free. These days Steve still plays, but in 20,000 seat arenas with big bucks admission prices. For some reason, I haven't felt the need to go to those. I guess I'm spoiled.

Once, in a very crowded bar, for a few seconds I found myself wedged up against Janis Joplin. It was a pleasant experience.

The most famous person I actually know, is a former graduate student of the university department where I taught for many years. He was one of our best students. When I was in charge of our teaching assistants, he was in great demand by the faculty, because he always did an excellent job in any course to which he was assigned. He lived 100 miles from campus, and commuted in his personal airplane. One time, when travel funds were low, he and some of our faculty wanted to attend a conference in South Carolina. He offered to fly them if they'd chip in for gas. My faculty colleagues agreed, and they all went to the conference, flown by the student we know today as "Dr. Phil" McGraw.
 
Texas Star said:
I just read your first post more carefully .

He was not the only European against Batista. Fidel Castro was a Spaniard!
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He may have had dual citizenship birth rights because of his father being Spanish, but he was Cuban born.

After I posted about him, I poked around the net a bit more looking for his story and found a bunch of stuff, but almost none was in English so I could understand it.

I did see that there are still honorary annual celebrations in those countries. Found this picture from when he visited for the 40th anniversary of the revolution and Fidel hugged him.

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What I've read was the successful attack against Batista was launched from Mexico aboard a yacht called the Granma. 82 were aboard and landed in Cuba. Within 3 days, Batista counter attacked and killed all but 20 of the raiders, who eventually rallied and deposed Batista. A photo album of the original 82 Granma raiders has my painter in it.

Granma.jpg


Shortly after the victory, he left Cuba for NY, divorcing his Cuban wife. Maybe it didn't turn out the way he hoped, trading one dictator for another.
 
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That would be Roy Rogers.... I was an OR Tech at St Mary's Hospital in Victorville, Ca when he came through to have a couple of teeth removed.
 
Tony Curtis - when he carried my two year old daughter off the plane in San Jose.
Jacques & Philippe Cousteau - at a Cousteau Society convention/concert in Anaheim.
Chuck Yeager - at an airshow at Edwards Air Force Base.
 
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