TVSquad

Hey I did it exactly right last Saturday!! I met Jordis Unga and went up to her, shook her hand, introduced myself, explained how I enjoyed her work on Rockstar:INXS, and asked if she would be so kind to be in a picture with my husband and myself. She was very gracious and kind. We did the picture, I said thank you, and she went back to some people who kept on and on getting pictures from her. She sang beautifully, and I am anxiously awaiting her CD.

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Years (and years) ago when the movie "The Toy" was filming here, a friend and I had the opportunity to meet Richard Pryor. When shooting downtown took a break for lunch, he began walking over to a parking lot that was set up with catering and oddly he was walking alone, so we ran over to him, told him how much we liked his work, shook his hand and left. I wish we had gotten autographs, but we figured celebrities get the crap bugged out of them all the time and it's just ink on paper.

This past Thanksgiving, my wife and I passed Weird Al Yankovic in the Dallas airport. We didn't bug him at all, but we got a laugh because both he and my wife were wearing nearly identical shirts and she has the same kind of hair he does (curly/kinky and rather long). As we passed he sort of slowed down and they stared at each other for a second, then he resumed a fairly quick gait and looked sort of up and away from people in what we assume is some sort of "avoidance mechanism" when in public.

My oldest daughter, who wasn't with us and is a Weird Al freak, is still a bit miffed about it.

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This is espeically touching for me now.....at the name I lived in New York City...was walking in Tribeca with a buddy....just walking down the street, passed an outdoor cafe..and sitting there so casully was JFK, jr.....man, what a handsome guy...(and I am straight)...I did not notice who he was...but my buddy did...I did not mean to stare...but we do walk back and forth about 3 times...photos of that guy do him no justice....to this day I do not think I have seen a more handsome guy...wish he was still around! Oh, and he said and did nothing as we went back and forth..just kept talking and drinking his coffee....wearing shorts and a t shirt and sneakers....Jackie O raised a good kid!!!!

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A few years back, while at a mini mart in a small town in Upstate NY, I was sitting in my card reading when I looked up and Woody Harrelson was pumping gas. I had to look twice but indeed it was him. I walked over and chatted for a moment and had him sign something for me and that was it. Pretty cool guy. I have also met actress Karen Allen a couple times. Neat!

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I met Paolo Nutini!

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A couple of winters ago I was in a Stop N Shop food store in White Plains,NY and standing in line in the meat department was Mariano Riveria from the yankees with his two kids. I seen one man walk up to him and hounded him for an autogragh. After the man finally left I was standing in line next to him and just said that you had a great year and look foward to you pitching this year and left. He said thank you and seemed thankfull that I did not hound him with his kids around.

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During a stay at a Holiday Inn we were going to the restaurant for breakfast. Everyone was all excited because George Jones was in having breakfast. My husband and I were with several friends who were all trying to decide what to do. Since I am probably his number one fan, I just left my friends and walked into the restaurant. I ask the hostess if she thought Mr. Jones would mind my saying hello to him. Getting her approval, I walked over to his table (there were four of them). I waited until their current conversation ended, excused myself, and said good morning to Mr. Jones. I told him that I was a fan and loved his songs. We chatted a bit; he was very cordial, I thanked him for talking with me, excused myself for interrupting them, gave him a hug, and left. My friends couldn't believe that I did that and then didn't get his autograph. I was in such shock that I did it myself that I didn't even think to ask him for his autograph. But I will carry the memory of that meeting for the rest of my life.

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I met Eric Clapton twice in the same week! Nice guy!

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My husband was seated in first class next to Ray Charles one christmas season. LA to Denver...His 'handler'(?) discouraged him from talking to my husband, but Mr. Charles waved him off, saying it was OK. A Ray Charles Christmas tune began to play over the speakers...my husband asked him how it felt to hear his song playing...he replied "It's nice"...we heard he died shortly after that. My husband was deeply moved by his graciousness that Christmas flight...

We've live in LA for years. Chuck Connors is cool. Drives a Chrysler New Yoker. Dina Shore was mean to her mother at Savon - impatient about buying her an Ice cream cone...Joe DiMaggio was "Mr. Coffee" to most fans, but 'the best' baseball player to the few fans. Nanette Fabray bought the same sofa I urged my mother in law to buy. That gap-toothed guy from Knotts Landing (I don't remember his name) was horribly rude to my mother in law at Ciero's Italian resturant in Indio...Morgan Fairchld openly stared at me in LAX - I'd just had a baby and looked ragged - a few days later she was on the circuit promoting a beauty book.

Last one - Bill Clinton sent black people to sign up at my uncle's Health Spa in Little Rock during segregation. It got him black votes, but ruined my uncle fianancially for the rest of his life. Wealthy white people didn't want to share a hot tub with black people at that time - my uncle is a nice guy.

Shame...

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I spent 3 years on an Air Force base, with 7,000 men an less than 100 women. I would never EVER bother any celebrity EVER after that experience. Three years of being bugged to death!! Your underwear size discussed openly in public, every bite you put in your mouth critiqued!

NEVER! NEVER! NEVER!

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Exactly !! I once met Fred Flintstone face to face !! I simply told him that I like the way he handles a dinasour at the quarry . When I walked away he was so excited, he said Yabba Dabba Doo !!

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I met Gene Simmons of Kiss at the bookstore across the street from my apartment in L.A. on June 30th,2003. And I shook his hand. I met Lisa Whelchel in the same bookstore 6 and 7 years ago and please never sit next to mom. I meet Paul Westhead twice 1980 and 1981 when he was the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers at Pepperdine Universtiy. I met Pat Riley when head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers at Pepperdine University and I shook Pat Riley's hand back during summer 1982. I met Todd Bridges at bowling alley in L.A. and Todd Bridges and I congratulated each other in 2005,2006 and 2007. I also met Shavar Ross,his wife and thier son over 6 years ago Shavar Ross's character on Different Strokes was Dudley. And that is it for right now.

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A number of years ago I saw Gallagher at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas eating breakfast while appearing there for a couple nights. He was alone so I slid into the booth with him and asked for his autogragh for my daughter. He wrote a note on a napkin along with his famous signature. I thanked him, he continued eating his breakfast and I said good-bye...one of my greatest memories! Bette

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I had a job at a car rental place in an airport years ago and met Muhammad Ali. I ran over and shook his hand (what a huge hand he has!) and told him what an honor it was to meet him. He seemed much more with it than people give him credit for.

Another time a coworker said she "just saw that guy from Sister Act" go by. I didn't know who she meant so I hopped over the counter and walked after him to get a look at who it was. Without thinking it through, I followed him into the Men's room! It was Harvey Keitel. He was very gracious, very cool and funny. He even signed a paper towel for me. Talk about embarassing. I lost a lot of respect for my co-worker that day for thinking that Sister Act was his most memorable movie.

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I concur with the advice you mentioned about meeting celebrities introduce yourself, praise their work and move on. A friend and I were in Beverly Hills having sushi and I saw Travis Barker with all three of his kids. I was impressed how his children behaved and how attentive he was with his kids, even his step-daughter. Dude is a total cool dad and his kids respect him, because they were so mannerable and it shows that he spends quality time with them. My friend and I stopped over and complimented him on his kids, especially the little baby in his lap. He smiled. It was brief and we left. I called him Mr. Barker.

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I use to work for this small hotel chain in southern GA when I had this guest G Close check in. At the time I had never heard of her. But after that weekend I rented every movie she had made. Anyway I checked her into her room and with her was Laura Dern.
Both ladies very nice. The following weekend was the talk of our little town of Jesup Ga that Glen Close had been in town.

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I saw Steven Wright at a local college performance. Of course, he was hilariously funny! After the show, I was on my way to the bus to go home and in a bar right next to the theatre where he just played, there he was near the front window hanging out with the comedians who opened for him. I went inside to tell him how good he was and how much I loved his sense of humour and they all invited me to sit and hang out with them for a while!! So I did. I don't think I was there for more than half an hour. I had a bus to catch. I asked them if they'd ever heard of Rick Rockwell. They did, and all proceeded to make fun of him. We all had a great laugh when I told them that I went to school with him and that his real name is, Rick Balkey.
A few years before that, I went to see Cheap Trick. I knew where a lot of the bands stayed when they came to town, so I went there to see if I could meet the other 3, I already knew Rick Nielsen from a few years before that. I talked with Bun for a short while, as he invited me to sit with him, because we are both record collectors, so we talked records for a while. He gave me his address so I could trade records with him in the near future, but, I just never made the effort to write him.
I met Angelo Moore (of Fishbone) outside of his tour bus about 5 years ago, shook his hand and wished him a good show that night. After the show, Norwood Fisher gave me his pager number. I only called it once, though. A few years later, I saw them here again and, after the show, I hung out with Angelo and shared a large Symphony chocolate bar with him that I bought before the show in case I got hungry before I got back home.
I used to help a very good friend of mine, Joe Kelly, run sound at a local club. One night, Joydrop was playing there. After the show, I helped them tear down their gear, especially Tony, since, being a drummer, I know more about that than the other stuff. We got to be friends. Everytime the band came to town after that, I'd go to see them and when we'd see each other, the whole band gave me hugs and was very happy to see me again.
I've met lots of famous people in my time, but I don't want to go into every story here.

Dale

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I'm a veteran at this -- I've gotten the autographs of Steve Allen, Liberace, Jo Ann Castle, Hugh Hefner, Jack Benny, Julie Newmar -- I've shaken hands and/or talked with Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Milton Berle, Gary Owens, Tiny Tim, Buffalo Bob Smith, and many many more. What are they like to meet? THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONALITIES, JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE. 99 percent of them were very nice people. The nicest celebrety I ever met was probably Lee Meriwether. Pianist Roger Williams is maybe next up. But they went out of their way to make me feel very important! Treat them as though they're a good friend, but don't interupt them if they're busy. Just use good judgement.

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I'v met a few... and I have never and will never give my autograph no matter what they say !!!

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I was at McCaran airport in Las Vegas & saw Jerry Lewis sitting at some video poker machines. A young girl went up to him and politely said hello & asked him if she could have an autograph. He has a rude attitude about him and told her, leave your name & address with my assistant & we'll send you an autographed picture in the mail. She said something like Thank You anyway. When she walked away, he turned to the assistant with him and said F@CK HER !! I used top be a fan, but now I wouldn't wipe my azz on the guy.

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