Famous Friends

[MikeZito]

Every so often I see a post where somebody casually mentions that some 'famous' musician is/was a friend of theirs.

Since the overwhelming majority of us never get to meet or know musicians that we admire, I thought it might be interesting to start a thread where all of those names can be gathered in one place. Perhaps by putting a list like this together, with people who are willing to share stories/information about their famous friends, anyone who has a question about a particular musician can possibly find a primary source to get some answers.

My 'famous' friend was Blue Sky Boys mandolinist Bill Bolick.

[Paul Busman]

My famous friend wasn't a string player. He was Julius Baker, long time flutist with the NY Philharmonic. It's a sort of long story how I met him and became friends. Julie was one of the top flute players ever and taught many of the first chair players of today. At the time I was a pretty serious recorder player and loved ribbing him about how many of the Baroque "flute" pieces were actually written for recorder. His opinion, which I share, was that good music, well played is great no matter what instrument it's played on. I got to play duets with him, and he did me the great honor of asking me to play a Handel recorder sonata for the students at one of his summer master classes with his main accompanist. Talk about a Walter Mitty moment!

[Swimbob]

I got to meet my bass playing idol, Percy Jones several years ago. He was traveling through my home town with his band, Tunnels and another friend of mine managed to get them a booking at a local venue. After the show we met and spent over an hour talking about bass related things and I even got my picture taken with him. It was on their website for a couple of years.

[JeffD]

I have had the pleasure of interacting professionally and developing some real friendships with some of the world's top technologists, real rock stars in their field, though they might be sitting next to you on a bus and you wouldn't even know it.

In music and entertainment I have had the most interaction with Jacob Reuven, which interaction has had a very large effect on my playing and my musical life.

I had an opportunity to meet Marty Stuart, but fanboy nerves got the best of me and I held back.


Some regrets, I never met Alison Stephens. Or Butch Baldassari.

[Randi Gormley]

Alas, the people I know who are professional musicians probably wouldn't be familiar to most people (and pretty much none of them plays mandolin). But a good half dozen are all-Ireland in fiddle or box and the younger ones (like Ned, who plays guitar with Tall County) are probably more regionally known, if known at all. But if anyone wants gossip about, say, John Whelan or Brian Conway or wants an introduction to Mary Coogan, let me know.

[Willie Poole]

Since bluegrass was just about the most popular music in the Washington D.C. area for many years I met and enjoyed friendships with a lot of the "Big Boys", John Duffey, Buzz Busby, Don Reno, RedSmiley, Bill Harrell, Jimmy Dean, Don Stover,most of the Stonemans, Ed Ferris, Cliff Waldron, Bill Emerson, Chris Warner....Those are just a few that my old mind can recall right now...A lot of others I met and shook hands with but never really considered them as good friends...As the old songs says, "I`ve lived a lot in my time"...The question is "How many of them still remember me"?

I also played in bands with some big names, Gary Cooper, Kenny Rogers, and Rick Nelson....Of course those were not the big stars, they just shared a name with them...

Good post....Willie

[Sakamichi]

No famous friends but some interesting interactions:

1. Played on stage with Billy Joel to an empty venue
2. Nearly got into a fight with the vocalist of Faith No More
3. Met the Red Hot Chili Peppers while making a delivery to a customer
4. Had to tell members of NKOTB to keep their motorcycles off the grass
5. P.J. Harvey asked me for a light me in NYC (I don't smoke, but I keep a vintage Zippo as my fidget device)
6. A guitarist from TSO stepped on my foot during a concert—and apologized!
7. Met Joe Negri (Handyman Negri from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood) at a Christmas party (His jazz trio was playing)

#7 was the only time I was visibly star-struck. :)

[Sakamichi]

I also played in bands with some big names, Gary Cooper, Kenny Rogers, and Rick Nelson.

No matter what you say, you're kind of a big deal. :)

[FLATROCK HILL]

You know you're a member of a 'niche' community when 99% of the people in the world have never heard of your 'famous' friends.

[sgarrity]

Roland White sends me text messages......:mandosmiley:

[MikeZito]

Willie: I wish I had seen this post several years ago. For nearly 20 years I produced (and occasionally hosted) a local old-time country and bluegrass music radio show. The regular host of the show was from D.C. You would have been a great guest.

Sakamichi: Playing to an empty house with Billy Joel sounds very familiar . . . the biggest audience I ever had at one of my solo gigs was ONE person - and he he only stayed for half the show.
I was only 'star stuck' once - and it wasn't even a normal 'star struck'. I met Crystal Gayle after a show back in in 1983, and she was 100-times better looking in person than when you saw her on television, album covers, magazines, etc. I was so floored at how good looking she was, for a couple of seconds I couldn't speak!
I also met George Carlin one time, and was amazed at how humble and soft-spoken he was . . . definitely not what I expected.

[allenhopkins]

I've been around a bunch of well-known musicians, opening for people like David Bromberg, Doc Watson, et. al. (it was my function to make the main act look even better by comparison), but the only musician I've hung out with at all, that Cafe members might know, is Paul Prestopino, he of the super-Strad-O-Lin.

[Jim Hilburn]

My famous friend is Jordan Ramsey. And he's getting famouser and famouser.

[Steve Ostrander]

I can't say I'm friends, but I've met Jeff Daniels, Josh Davis, Don Julin, and Billy Strings.

Josh White Jr. invited me on stage to sing with him. Danny Gatton invited me backstage at a gig. I played Stevie Wonder's piano. I shined Tom Selleck's shoes. I've held Ted Nugent's loin cloth. I took Aretha Franklin's dress to the dry cleaners. I delivered Gerald Ford's official portrait. I sat at a table next to Tim Allen. I played Brian Setzer's guitar.

I'm not making this up...

[bdpeters]

not a friend but an encounter. ran into,(almost literally) Rosanne Cash when i was working at a Holiday Inn. I knew she was there because of the bus. I was shoveling snow from the walks and came around the corner and almost tripped her. I cannot for the life of me remember what she said to me though.

[Sakamichi]

I was only 'star stuck' once - and it wasn't even a normal 'star struck'. I met Crystal Gayle after a show back in in 1983, and she was 100-times better looking in person than when you saw her on television, album covers, magazines, etc. I was so floored at how good looking she was, for a couple of seconds I couldn't speak!

That happened to me when I saw Leeza Gibbons a handful of years back when I auditioned for Who Wants to be a Millionare? She literally took my breath away. A couple years after that, I met her in Columbia, SC, but I was able to remain (somewhat) composed that time.

[Sakamichi]

I can't say I'm friends, but I've met Jeff Daniels, Josh Davis, Don Julin, and Billy Strings.

Josh White Jr. invited me on stage to sing with him. Danny Gatton invited me backstage at a gig. I played Stevie Wonder's piano. I shined Tom Selleck's shoes. I've held Ted Nugent's loin cloth. I took Aretha Franklin's dress to the dry cleaners. I delivered Gerald Ford's official portrait. I sat at a table next to Tim Allen. I played Brian Setzer's guitar.

I'm not making this up...

There's some good stories there, I'll bet.

[William Smith]

Well I have a few family members who/have played in well known bands, My gramps "RIP", Big William Smith, his brother Great Uncle Dick Smith, my other Uncle Gene Johnson, other Uncle Mike Smith, I partied hard core with Jack Lawrence a long time ago and played at a festival with my old band and Jack was playing there also. I've kept in contact with him every now and then. I've got to meet way to many Country and Bluegrass STARS to list. Some know me from trading/buying instruments like the Dawg.
Oh and my best friend from high school, his stepdad wrote a few movies-Wild Things-Traffic and maybe more I don't know of? Juan Wilson, I think he wrote under a pen name..

Oh and I forgot I cooked Ted Nugent breakfast at my old restaurant I owned years ago...He had MEAT..No joke

[foldedpath]

Alas, the people I know who are professional musicians probably wouldn't be familiar to most people (and pretty much none of them plays mandolin). But a good half dozen are all-Ireland in fiddle or box and the younger ones (like Ned, who plays guitar with Tall County) are probably more regionally known, if known at all. But if anyone wants gossip about, say, John Whelan or Brian Conway or wants an introduction to Mary Coogan, let me know.

Yeah, some of us are in niche areas like this where nobody outside the niche will recognize any names.

My fiddler S.O. hangs out with pipers and Scottish/Cape Breton fiddlers at local workshops, so I've met pipers like Fred Morrison, and a slew of Cape Breton fiddlers who make it out this way for concerts and workshops, like Troy MacGillivray, Andrea Beaton, Wendy MacIsaac. I've had Dave MacIsaac over to my house during a break from the local Fiddle Tunes festival, where he was more interested in my guitar collection than anything else.

We're house-hosting New England fiddler Katie McNally (http://www.katiemcnally.com/) and friends for one stop of her concert and workshop tour this summer. She plays an amazing mix of Scottish/Cape Breton and jazz-influenced progressive music. It's part of her tour hitting Mt. Vernon WA, Port Townsend, WA, Portland OR and then down to Berkely CA.

I'm just the mandolin hanger-on in that scene, surrounded by fiddlers and pipers. These names won't mean anything to anyone who isn't in this narrow niche of music.

[jaycat]

. . . . Danny Gatton invited me backstage at a gig. . . .

You win!

[jim simpson]

Since bluegrass was just about the most popular music in the Washington D.C. area for many years I met and enjoyed friendships with a lot of the "Big Boys", John Duffey, Buzz Busby, Don Reno, RedSmiley, Bill Harrell, Jimmy Dean, Don Stover,most of the Stonemans, Ed Ferris, Cliff Waldron, Bill Emerson, Chris Warner....Those are just a few that my old mind can recall right now...A lot of others I met and shook hands with but never really considered them as good friends...As the old songs says, "I`ve lived a lot in my time"...The question is "How many of them still remember me"?

I also played in bands with some big names, Gary Cooper, Kenny Rogers, and Rick Nelson....Of course those were not the big stars, they just shared a name with them...

Good post....Willie

Willie,
I believe I've met and played with the same Rick Nelson that you have. I met him through Bill Breazeale of Kensington, Md. I took a small class from Roland White. I played in a private jam with Alan Munde.
Just a few magic moments.

[Swimbob]

Once I was knocked over by Chubby Checker as he bounded out of a hotel in Myrtle Beach to jump on a band stand to sing a couple of songs.

I also got Stevie Ray Vaughn's autograph in Washington DC after the Red Hot Blues Jam that Lee Atwater put on for the HW Bush inauguration. One of the nicest and most humble people I think I've ever met.

[Willie Poole]

Jim, Yes that is the same Rick Nelson, I also think that I have met you somewhere on the circuit...

I might also add that the biggest star I ever met was Zaza Gabor, my band was hired to do a show in Middleburg Va. where they were having a giant party and a steeple chase (fox hunt) and Zaza walked up and took my hat and placed it on her head and danced around a bit, the hat was sweaty but she didn`t mind, I put that hat on a shelf in my house and still have it to this day and have never worn it since then....What memories...

Willie

[MikeZito]

- Produced a weekly radio show for a man who was once offered a job as Bill Monroe's manager.

- Almost got hit by David Bowie's limousine after a show in 1983.

- Had moderate ongoing contact with WWVA Wheeling stars Doc Williams and Lee Moore (later opened a show for Lee Moore), rockabilly pioneer Bill Flagg, and my Bass-playing hero, George McArdle of the Little River Band

- Met Gordon Lightfoot in the mid-1980's.

- Back when the internet was still fairly new, I got a couple of e-mail's from Roger McGuinn.

- Met Rick Derringer at a record store in Hartford, CT in 1979. The meet-and-greet was sponsored by a local radio station who sent their morning disc-jockey to the event to promote the radio station. The largely-ignored disc jockey was some younger guy named Howard Stern.

- Met 70's pop star (and one of my music idols) Andrew Gold at a Linda Ronstadt concert in the 1980's - and many years later drove to his private recording studio to by a Taylor acoustic guitar from him . . . the same guitar that he was photographed with for a profile in People magazine, and was played by Karla Bonoff on a television show from the Ryman.

- Got to play a Loar F5 that once belonged to New England bluegrass legend Joe Val.

- Taylor Swift sometimes eats at my cousin's pizza restaurant.

What does all of this mean? Not a damn thing . . . but it's fun to reminisce . . .

[JEStanek]

I have met and shared a few words with Dawg, Del and Ronnie McCoury, Frank Sollivan, Uncle Earl, Sarah Jarozs, Marty Stuart, Mike Compton, The Chieftains, and even stood right next to Arlo Guthrie for about 10 minutes but didn't have anything to say to him. I've driven Jake Shimabokuro to his hotel and he bought my young daughter an ice cream. I got to see and strum Steve Martin's Loar on loan to Mike Guggino of the Steep Canyon Rangers. I can't say any of them are friends but every one is friendly. A great benefit of volunteering for the Philadelphia Folk Festival is getting to meet and help these folks out (schlepping instruments to stages or CDs to the merch tent. You'll find out they are just folks doing a job they really love. Sometimes they are stressed by traffic and other junk but when your job is to help them out and you do it cheerfully you get to see the kind of people they are.

Even the famous players I've met haven't been pissy about this or that... they have managers for that ;)

Jamie

[Stompbox]

I had a great time in my 20s to about 35, befriended Derek Trucks' camp early on.

I have met and at least had a discussion with: BB King, Derek Trucks (all of Derek Trucks Band, Susan Tedschi Band, and Tedeschi Trucks Band), Warren Haynes (all of Govt Mule), Dickey Betts, Bela Fleck, Black Crowes (when Audley Freed was in the band), Infamous Stringdusters, Devon Allman, Cracker, Rusted Root, Jason Isbell, and I am sure many more not counting many "punk" bands.

My wife's grandmother is cousins with Ted Nugent but haven't been able to meet him.

[Charles E.]

So, not me, but a member of our group that plays every week. This gentleman is a very well known lawyer in NC. He shows up last week with a beautiful Santa Cruise 'Tony Rice' model guitar with HIS name inlayed at the 12th fret. When asked about it he said " Tony had this custom made for me as a gift for work I had done for him over time". Amazing guitar and friendship.

[Phil-D]

Where do I begin? When I was three I petted Rin Tin Tin.
I bumped into Billy Joel coming out of a hospital.
Was invited back stage to meet Cher. She generously invited a group of kids with facial defects to a concert.
Had breakfast with Rich DelGrosso at a mando camp.
Shook hands with Dawg after a show in NYC
Joe Pesci has a house not far from where I live and ran into him once or twice.
Rubbed elbows with Cousin Brucie
A law enforcement friend of mine had to go to Tommy James' house and brought me along
None of these are my friends, but it's a fun collection. They're just people.

[Astro]

I'm not even sure I'm friends with the guys in my band.

[Rosemary Philips]

I've been to several acoustic music (mostly mandolin) camps over the years where you just kinda get to hang out with, and learn from, many of your musical idols in a pretty low-key way. And, of course, with Skype lessons, you can take lessons with some of the best. My most intimidating moment was at a camp playing Old Daingerfield with Ronnie McCoury and the second time through Ronnie told me to keep playing the melody and he'd play harmony. My fingers kept moving but I'm not sure what notes I actually played.

[Rosemary Philips]

I've held Ted Nugent's loin cloth.

I'm not making this up...

I afraid to ask...?

[KEB]

Since I've been going to Delfest Academy for the last handful of years, I've had the opportunity to talk with Sierra Hull, Ronnie McCoury, and Jesse Brock during the course of some lessons and a handful of minor discussions. Had some pizza and talked about the Louvin Brothers with Leigh Gibson one year. Can't say they'd consider me a friend, but would probably recognize my face and say howdy as we crossed in the street.

Can't wait to see my *friends* again at the end of the month.

[Ray(T)]

A banjo playing, guitar playing dobro playing friend of mine claims to have made beans on toast for Rod Stewart (before he was famous) and Tim O'Brien once let me get of an aircraft before him in New Zealand. Oh - and I met Ivan Kelsall, in the flesh, 40+ years ago!

[T.D.Nydn]

Is this about friends,or people that we have met? I think it turned into both now,,,so ..in no particular order,bluegrass wise,I've met David Grisman and Tony Rice,talked to Buck White and played his mandolin,have met Bill Monroe several times and held his mandolin as he signed an autograph for me,went to a free workshop by Bobby Osborne and was the only one who showed up,,talked to Earl Scruggs and walked with his son Randy,partied with Butch Robbins,, there's more,this is what I recall at the moment...

[MikeZito]

T.D., you are right - the thread was originally intended for a listing of folks with famous 'friends' . . . but we are letting members reminisce about brushes with the famous also . . . .

[Tony Sz]

Although by no means was he in any way involved with the mandolin, way back in the 1970's, I used to live in the apartment below a well known tenor sax player, Joe Henderson. He was a great guy, and there was a steady stream of jazz musicians that would visit. Not having been into jazz so much, I have no idea who some of those players were, but I'll bet there were some heavy hitters coming and going. I would hear Joe practicing often. He also had a piano, and I remember hearing him play lines on the piano, and later hear the same idea again , but on the tenor sax. Very cool.

[Charlieshafer]

Jim, Yes that is the same Rick Nelson, I also think that I have met you somewhere on the circuit...

I might also add that the biggest star I ever met was Zaza Gabor,

Willie
Best quotes ever come from her. I remember "I'm a marvelous housekeeper. Every time I marry a man I keep his house."

[Charlieshafer]

I've driven Jake Shimabokuro to his hotel and he bought my young daughter an ice cream.

Jamie

Those are the sorts of moments that are the most fun for me.

[Phil Sussman]

I've met some famous novelists, poets, artists, actors, and musicians at various camps and festivals. I took a leak next to Sonny Terry. I stepped on Noam Pikelney's feet.
But this is more interesting:
Famous People I Have Known: https://www.amazon.com/Famous-People-Known-Kentucky-Voices/dp/081319069X

[jim simpson]

Mike Zito: "Had moderate ongoing contact with WWVA Wheeling stars Doc Williams and Lee Moore (later opened a show for Lee Moore)"

Mike, I got to play for Doc William's birthday party along with other groups not too long before Doc's passing. I'm friends with his daughters: Peeper, Punkin', & Pooch. Did a recording session with Punkin' (Karen). When I lived near Philly, a band member upon learning I was from Wheeling, WV told me that he had learned guitar from a book he had ordered from Lee Moore (the coffee drinking nighthawk's radio show) - small world.

Willie Poole: "Jim, Yes that is the same Rick Nelson, I also think that I have met you somewhere on the circuit..."

Willie, I once played with my group (Haywire) in Mitchellville, Md in the mid 90's. The last group I played with in PA was Walls Of Time, we played some festivals (Wind Gap, OATS, etc.) Perhaps I've run into you at one of those?

[nickster60]

Donald Duck Dunn was a customer for many years when I lived in Florida. Not a musician but Jared Jeffries of the Knicks was my neighbor.

[Ivan Kelsall]

I got to know Bill Clifton pretty well when he lived over here in the UK back in the 1960's / 70's. The only other person of note that i got to know fairly well,was Mike Seeger. Mike used to come over to the UK quite regularly either on hs own or with Alice Gerrard, & he nealy always played at the MSG (Manchester Sports Guild) Folk Club in Manchester. I went down with a mandolin playing friend of mine to see him & Alice one Sat. night back in the late '70's,that was where my friend saw his first Gibson F-5 mandolin,the 'blonde' one that Mike used to play - that was a real jaw dropper for him !,
Ivan

[Paul Busman]

IN the non-musical department, I had a famous relative. My uncle was Ira Levin, author of Rosemary's Baby, Deathtrap,The Stepford Wives etc.
No, he wasn't weird (everyone asks me that). He was a genuinely nice, soft spoken guy with a terrific sense of humor.

[sprucetop1]

Got acquainted with the late John Renbourn when we were both in our late teens back in 63/64 and he was just starting out. Re-connected with him in 2014 about a year before he passed on. He visited and sat in my kitchen for a couple of hours playing three or four guitars I'd built.......a magical experience.... He was a delightful gentleman and a wonderful guitarist for sure.

[Jeff Mando]

Not a close friend, but a neighbor, I would see Tiny Tim shopping at the same grocery that I did when I lived in Manhattan in the late 70's. He was recently divorced, no longer on TV, and his career was declining, but he liked being recognized and I would always say "Hi, Tiny Tim!" and he would tilt his head and smile, beaming with pride. It still brings a smile to my face thinking of him in a loud plaid sport coat pushing a shopping cart through that small grocery. I was glad to see his career was revived somewhat in the 80's and he was able to tour and play some of the smaller clubs, again. :cool:

[Fretbear]

Stood next to Tony Rice in a legion hall washroom.
After he washed his hands, he turned his head sideways, peered at the empty slot in the paper towel dispenser where the paper should have been, cursed and walked out. I would have let him use my shirt to dry his hands, but I was in too much awe to think clearly.

[Austin Bob]

Kate Upton keeps calling me.

[Bren]

Where do I begin? When I was three I petted Rin Tin Tin.
Winner!

I've met some big names. They are just people.

(Except when they're dogs, of course)

[Jim Garber]

I spent a bunch of time over the years with Barry Mitterhoff and Carlo Aonzo. I studied with Roy Smeck for about 4 years in the 1980s and also with Tiny Moore and Jethro Burns. I corresponded with Mike Compton and Butch Baldassari and met both of them later at concerts and CMSA respectively. I spent three wonderful weeks building a guitar in a class with Wayne Henderson in the mid-1980s. We worked in the shop for a bunch of hours then hung out and played some.

[barry]

My second cousin is married to actress Bree Turner. Bree co-stars with Claire Coffee in the TV series Grimm. Claire Coffee is married to Chris Thile.
So, Thile and I are practically "mishpucha".

[PiginaPen]

I'm friends with Chris Thile, Carrie Underwood, Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs.



On Facebook. :)

[guitarpath]

When I was 7 years old, I met Leonard Nimoy.

What do I win?

[Willie Poole]

One thing that I forgot, I was offered a job playing lead guitar with country music star Charlie Walker when I was in San Antonio, I was in the Air Force at the time and no way I could take the job without going AWOL so I could travel with the band...PICK ME UP ON YOUR WAY DOWN was his most popular song at that time, I did do a demo recording on the song but my guitar lead was dubbed out and replaced with a steel guitar break when it was recorded for real.....No, no royalties were received by me for doing that....

Willie

[MontanaMatt]

OK, I'll chime in,
I played a wedding ceremony a few years ago and the guest seated closest, four feet from us, was Jeff Bridges...we're (my band, The Bridger Creek Boys) playing his daughters wedding rehearsal party later this year. I get to meet Blain Sprouse and John Reischman next week at a show I'm hosting. I also gigged the after hours bar set at Grand Targhee BG fest in 2007, and got a back stage pass, got to meet Danny Barnes, Mike Marshall, Dawg, and Dawgs band. Oh and I've gigged and greenroomed with Drew Emmit, Bill Nershi, Vince Herman, Tony Furtado, Jackstraw, Foghorn Stringband, PertNearSandstone, and Trampled By Turtles. I tought a mando class at a festival I was playing at and had Frank Sullivan sit in and help with the class. Once while busking on the street after a gig in Whitefish, MT, we looked up to see John Cusak digging our stuff. Music is a fun business!
Happy picking everyone!

[jdchapman]

Probably won't get anywhere reviving this thread, but I just saw it.

My college cowpunk band used to compete for stage time with this Physics major who we thought was kind of pretentious. Time has proven that Vijay Iyer was not pretending on any level. Wish I'd spent more time listening and less drinking.

[F-2 Dave]

I once met a guy whose neighbor had a cousin that had an uncle who played a Schmergel Devastator.

[Ray(T)]

Probably not what the o/p asked but worth telling anyway - A band I used to play in occasionally were roaming around a large complex looking for the room they were booked to play in. They thought they might have found it and opened a door which led onto the rear of a stage. There were three or four me sat on the stage in front of a large audience. They apologised and one of the men came out and directed them to the right place. Did you see who that was? one of the band asked. It was the Archbishop of Canterbury.

[mandoglobal]

My late step father went to high school with David Grisman, and they stayed in contact over the years. When I first became passionate about the mandolin, I was introduced to him when he played a show in my then home town of Louisville, KY. Dave offered to meet up with me the next morning at his hotel to give me what was my first official “lesson”. Spent 2 hours with me, got the whole thing on tape, and needless to say that motivated me beyond words. Still in touch from time to time by email.

[HappyPickin]

I have a friend that is a luthier and seems to know everybody. When I first started messing around with the mandolin I asked him if he knew any instructors near me. He asked me why I didn't call Adam since we both are from Jonesborough. When I told him I didn't know him he seemed shocked. He gave me Adam's phone number. I'm glad I asked, "Adam who?" before I called Adam Steffey and made an idiot of myself.

[Bernie Daniel]

I got to meet Johnny Cash in 1958 in Ray, ND - - he was the headliner band on the area Harvest Festival - he had a new song called "I walk the line". I also shook hands with three men who became POTUS but none had their bands with them at the time.

Oh and someone mentioned "Star Wars". Well in 1975 there was a "Star Trek" convention (trekies I guess it was) in Columbus, OH and 4 or 5 members of the original cast ended up on a tour of "real science" at the Ohio State University campus - -my lab was one those on the biomedical part of the tour I shook their hands of the cast members but I can't recall at all who they were except that none of them was Lieutenant Uhura -- that I would have remembered.

[OlDanTucker]

Ahem...much to dignified to name drop. But one of the fun things about getting old and playing with a lot of people in a fairly narrow musical genre on a relatively obscure instrument is you get to meet about everyone eventually. Even some kinda famous people. Get to play with others, and get to know a few really well.

I think that's really cool.