Brush With Fame

At my old job in the US our computer guy was also the driver for Yes when they would tour the US. The guitar player was in buying vitamins and I rung up his purchases.  I'm not a Yes fan, so I wasn't excited about it.

A couple years ago I took a fiddle workshop before a concert with Martin Hayes.  Not exactly a household name, but one of the most famous contemporary Irish fiddlers and my absolute favorite, so it was like a rock star moment for me.

At the open mic I go to, one of the antique experts from Flog It hangs out and once performed as well.  Again, not exactly a major celebrity!

Trying to remember... I've met Paul Young, members of Echo and the Bunnymen, The Cure, Gene Loves Jezebel, New Order and assorted other 80s bands.

I saw Steven King at O'Hare though DH says I didn't. And I saw Marvin Gaye at the NO Airport shortly before he was killed.

I used to go fishing with Chris Tarrent who presents Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

Compo from last of the summer wines son used to send me valantines cards when I was in my teens ( he was gross  )

My dad dated Sue Lawley and stood her up on their 3rd date to go out with my mum instead!

I stood next to Christopher Biggins was in my local Woolworths buying a CD a few years ago.

Nigel who used to be in Eastenders ( not sure his real name but I think he is in Casualty now ) I smacked into his trolley at my local Wyvelle Garden Centre.

Me and Sting ( and stings bodyguard) were the only two on a platform going to London and he signed a fiver for me.

Before Macy Gray was well known here in the UK..I past her in the street and she ran her suitcase over my foot and walked off not appologising and so I said something naughty under my breath - next week later she was on the Telly.

I grabbed Lee Evans and kissed him rather passionatly after one of his shows against his protest!! 

Chatted to a man in a cruddy nightclub in the VIP room for ages telling him how disgusted I was with the price of drinks in the place and that they only way to have fun is to be rich these days..He agreed with me.  I walked away towards my gobsmacked friends who said I had been chatting to Lenny Kravitz!! ( I was completely oblivious )

Went for a afternoon drink in a pub with a friend of mine back in the lates 90s and we ended up having a pint with Chris Evans and Danny Baker.

What's the title of the movie?  Where should we look for you? 

It's called "Me and Orson Welles" It has Claire Danes in it as well.

I am in the opening night audience I have a white fox stole on..at one point the camera is pointed right at me.....yikes...

I saw Jeff Goldblum and Salma Hayek at the Cannes Film Festival in 1999--I was there as a tourist, sadly, not a VIP.

Bill Clinton passed within a few feet of me when he was heading to the podium to speak at my grad school commencement in 2003. 

My husband insists that we saw Bryan Adams at Sainsbury's in Windsor last month, but I have my doubts. 

Ben Stein walked right past me on the campus of my grad school -- he was there to give a talk to the business students.

And I was across the Champs Elysees from the guy who tried to assassinate Jacques Chirac on Bastille Day in 2002!

Last summer I spent a nice 10 minutes chatting with Morrissey at Space NK in leafy Cheshire while he spent over £1000 on mens hair products and candles. I told him he was the reason I came to the UK in 1993 and he had a good chuckle about it with me.

I have loads more, but can't be arsed and I want to go to bed.

I lived in LA for a long time, so I had lots of celebrity spots. Some of the ones that really stick out for me:

Shook hands with Bono and Adam Clayton at the premiere of Rattle and Hum.  They are tiny!

Met Jacquelyn Smith of the original Charlie's Angels a few times because of work.  She is one of the few celebrities who is as absolutely stunning in real life as they are on the screen.

Sat next to Tom Hanks at a play.  Got Jon Bon Jovi's autograph for a friend.  Partied on several occasions with Sam Kinison.  Met Tom Landry (that is for sports fans).   

When I was a kid, I was in the same class as Dick Van Dyke's daughter, Carrie Beth.  I spent the night at her house a few times.  I even got a part as an extra in a class room scene in "The New Dick Van Dyke Show." 

From the same era:  My dad was in a movie with Bill Cosby back in the '70s.

Not a whole lot of celeb spotting since I moved here...but I do see Richard Grant every now and again in Richmond.  Literally ran into John Hannah coming out of a shop, and I am pretty sure I saw Matthew McFadden at the WH Smith in Richmond as well.  I don't watch the soaps, so I am not as up on UK celebs as I was back in California!  I keep hoping I will run into Mick Jagger one of these days!

My nana briefly dated James Garner of Maverick.

I've met several Patriots players at season ticket holder events and greeting them when they came home from one of their Super Bowl wins.

Went to some Nascar shows and got driver's autographs.

Saw Diane Sawyer on Martha's Vineyard.

Sam Waterston and James Spader would often come into the Blockbuster I worked at (the summered near my parents' house).

My nana briefly dated James Garner of Maverick.

That's an excellent one! 

I have a bunch of straight-forward meetings of celebs, but my favourite very tangential one is: The grandmother of the girl who used to shampoo my hair used to babysit Tom Jones.

I went to high school with Brett Michael's (from Poison) step-sister. My friends lived down the street from Ricki Rocket (also from Poison) and could hear him practicing in his garage.

My nana briefly dated James Garner of Maverick.

On behalf of my mother, who's had a lifelong crush on Mr. Garner, your nana sucks.

I have a bunch of straight-forward meetings of celebs, but my favourite very tangential one is: The grandmother of the girl who used to shampoo my hair used to babysit Tom Jones.

Ooo!  I like that!  Those are far more fun than "I saw ______ in _______", don't you think?  Here's my favorite:  My parents' next door neighbors had them to dinner, along with Jean-Claude Van Damme's body double.

It's like reverse Six Degrees of Kevn Bacon!

On behalf of my mother, who's had a lifelong crush on Mr. Garner, your nana sucks.

According to my mom, my nana's the one who broke up with him. What would you mom think of that!? 

I was on the same flight coming from the US as Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein. Jon and I were walking behind him when we got off the plane. I had no idea who he was until Jon pointed him out.

That's as close to fame as I'll ever get, methinks.

I completely forgot about this until I read this post but I met Gerry Adams at a music festival in Belfast yonks ago. Thoroughly nice chap considering.

I saw Tony Bennett getting out of a limo in NY.

I was checking in for a flight at Heathrow the same night the Spice Girls officially opened the Virgin Check in area in Terminal 3, in December 2007. I couldnt see them as there was a false wall between the show and the check in desks but I could hear them and caught a little glimpse every now and again.

I met loads of NY Rangers in the 90's but I am sure no one will have heard of them.

I should've added that my father, an military policeman in Germany in the time just before the Vietnam War, worked security at a USO show where he met and hung out with Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Cream backstage.  Pretty cool!   

My mother partied with Jim Morrison in his hotel room after a show - but had to leave early as she was only 16 and had a curfew!! 

My favorite story is the one about meeting Jimmy Carter in an elevator and telling him that we were fifth cousins - and him knowing the shared ancestor I was talking about!

More later - my flight is boarding!