Ever meet someone famous...

[BigAl52]

Neat story Dave and what a cool jesture with the flowers. Seems old fashion anymore. Dont see many flowers being passed to people you care about. Al

[daytime dave]

Neat story Dave and what a cool jesture with the flowers. Seems old fashion anymore. Dont see many flowers being passed to people you care about. Al

Al, there aren't many of us left, but while we are here, we will do what we can and just hope others carry on the traditions.

[Vaquero]

Was eating on Beale St. one evenin, shook hands and talk to Jeff Healey for a few mins.

All I got.

RP

[The Wiz]

Jim Nabors on a cruise. Not the headliner. Just bumming with his partner. Had burgers at the outdoor buffet with him. Nice guy, down to earth and what a voice. Got up out of the audience at the request of Florence Henderson, the headliner. It was so cool as he went up he made eye contact with me by accident. He said "How you doing, Mike?" as he grabbed my hand. Made my day.

Grace Slick at book signing. Nice lady, not like her rep. I was in love with her, from afar, for the longest time. She was my kind of hippie chick.

[BrokenolMarine]

Nice story about Jim Nabors.

[RanchRoper]

Well GOLLY!

[Shakey Jake]

Not in the shooting world but I rode an elevator in Chicago once with Lou Rawls. My wife and I were there around Christmas time and he was going to a penthouse party being given by Oprah. I also met Toni Tennille and Daryl Dragon. My wife is big fans and she has been invited to visit after concerts several times. Being a musician and instrument repair technician I've been around quite a few others but never the handshake or introduction. I do have a former sax student who won a Grammy with a group a few years ago and also have another who has quite the reputation of being a very fine university band director.

[Henry88]

I think I mentioned this in a similar thread on the other forum, but my sister married Mario Puzo's boy. They were dating when Puzo wrote The Godfather.

It was a huge summer outdoor wedding, much like the one in the Godfather. I used to spend a lot of time with the Puzo's.

They just kept the two oscars out in the living room where anyone could pick them up, the gold wearing off to reveal a very modest trophy, really.

Went out to California one summer (1973ish), stayed in Carl Betz home on Malibu for a month.

First class 747 on the way over and Kirk douglas is up in the lounge surrounded by stewardeses. I think he was up there the whole flight (no seat).

I wouldn't lie, LOL.

I think that is enough name dropping for one post........

[RanchRoper]

Oh ya...met Wayne Knight (Newman on Seinfeld) on a flight one time. Nice guy.

[BrokenolMarine]

Way back in the mid to late 90s, the date is a little fuzzy now, our department conducted a huge Law Enforcement Expo at our Range. We had department's from all over attending and Vendors from all over and all across the spectrum set up for four days. The main range would go hot every now and then so Firearm's vendors could allow the test firing of weapons. It was a great four days. There were so many vendors on hand that the SWAT range was used as an overflow set up, with vendor's displays lining both sides of SWAT alley.

Miss Tina and I rode out the first day, even though it was my day off, because I was in the middle of a proposal at the time for the transition from Revolvers to Semi-Autos and wanted the chance to talk to the pistol and duty gear vendors. The first day was limited access, for the local departments only. I knew that days two through four would be packed.

I worked my way thru the list of firearms vendors I wanted to provide duty guns for the Test and Evaluation (T&E) Period and had made arrangements to have them shipped to the department, and moved on to the duty gear. When I hit the Safariland table, the rep introduced himself. His named pinged a bell in my head for some reason, but I couldn't match it at the time. Tom Campbell... Hmmm.. really familiar. He went over all the advantages of the new SLS line of duty gear and we talked for over an hour... he said he would make some calls. I told him I would be back the next day and touch base again.

That name was still pinging away in my head when I got home. I knew it sounded familiar. I was reading my new American Handgunner, and suddenly it hit me. The Bianchi Cup pistol matches. I dug thru my old Handgunner mags and sure enough, there in all his glory... Tom Campbell, finishing third in a Bianchi Cup Championship Match. When I got back to the range the next morning, I mentioned the Bianchi Cup and his competitive shootin, and he just smiled. "I still shoot a bit, but this is why I'm here this week."

Tom worked hard to put together a package of T&E gear for the proposal, sets of duty gear with the SLS holster systems, mag pouches and the works. When we transitioned to the Glock 22 a few months later, our new Glocks rode on Safariland Duty Rigs with the new SLS holsters. NEW then, but these days, nearly a Law Enforcement standard. Between the three departments in our county, we eventually bought about 1,200 sets of Safariland Gear in that year; moving all the Officers to the new security rig.

For all his help, I sent Tom a small gift, and as far as I know, it's still displayed in his office. The box is made from cocobola, and the grain wraps all the way around. The wife called it my butterfly box, because the book matched top, looks like a ...

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Some of the top shooters in the shooting sports these days are arrogant and aloof, and you can't get near them. Others are cold fish. Tom was open and friendly, bending over backwards to help. Yeah, some would say, he was trying to sell you something. BUT, so were the other 100 or so vendors at the Expo... but they weren't near as friendly.

[BrokenolMarine]

Did I mention I met Jeff Dunham?...
This was before he was filling huge venues. He played the "Funny Bone" comedy club here for three days, and Tina and I went to see him during his Saturday show. We had been watching his dvds for months. That was the night he debuted Achmed, at least that what he told us...

While waiting for the show to start, I got to chatting with the off duty officer working security. Turns out we knew some of the same folks. I told him I wished I had know as I had something I had wanted to bring for Jeff. He told me to bring it by the next day between the afternoon and evening show and he'd see that Jeff got it.

I brought the bag, containing a nice bandsaw box, and thank you note. The officer surprised me by showing up to let me in, accompanied by Jeff. We chatted in the foyer for 15 minutes or so. I told Jeff I was thanking him because my wife was recovering from a failed shoulder surgery, and meds only dulled the pain. Watching his dvds got her away from the pain for a while. Laughter really was the best medicine. I also told him we both had the same passion, we brought dead wood back to life.

He wrote me after he got home after the tour, and said the bandsaw box had a home on the desk in his office, and peanut uses it as a bench. Later, Jeff became a sponsor for our charity, donating swag for auction each year.

** It was never like I could pick up the phone and call the man... I'm sure a flunkie got our emails, sent a note to Jeff, he sent a note back saying something like, "send them the 'b' package" and write something nice for me to sign. or... Maybe I'm wrong and a screener forwarded our emails each time and he handled them himself. Either way... the veterans benefited.

[The Wiz]

Today, while sorting thru my LP's, I ran across an album by Gene Vincent. For those who are younger, he was an rocker and Rock-a-Billy pioneer. He had top ten hits such as Be-Bob- A- Lupe , his seminal song in Rock and Roll History, being the most recognized. He toured all over the world mostly in England where is considered an icon. He opened for The Beatles. McCartney considered him an inspiration to him. He is in the Rock and Roll and the Rock-a-Billy HOF.

1969, Aberdeen, S.D, in a bar performing, I meant Gene. He was singing on a converted bar top. Actually, I meant him the day before as he introduced himself to the back up band that was hired for this gig only. I was a roadie for that band. As I said, he introduced himself, as we sat around a table in the bar drinking beer. We were, he said he couldn't handle it anymore. The band was in awe and so was I . Here is a band that plays road houses, bars, colleges in S.D., N.D, drinking with GENE VINCENT!! He was a real nice gentlemen not like his persona of a rebel rocker( he shot at Gary Glitter, in England, about a month before this I believe).

The unasked question was what the heck was he doing here playing a no name bar in S.D. We know he was not getting paid a lot ( we knew the owner, the cheap ...). On top of that he had to pay us out of his fee. Finally, our idiot drummer asked. He said he needed the work and left it at that.

Think about that. He needed the work. A guy who walked with giants needed work. Later that night, as he was performing, a guy tried to give him a tip. Gene refused, said he was getting paid enough. I wanted to get up and punch the guy out. What an insult! However, the bar owner told me to chill, that Gene handled it. We found out later that him and Gene where friends from way back.

That night he left to go to NY to arrange a tour to England. He went but had to come back because of health. He was dead within 6 months.

Just a reminder how fleeting success and fame is and how it can all can go away and your playing a bar in the middle of nowhere.

[CT_Shooter]

Just a reminder how fleeting success and fame is and how it can all can go away and your playing a bar in the middle of nowhere.

I'm reminded of the time I went to a coffee house in a church on the green in New Haven to hear Dave Van Ronk. It was in the very early 70's. He was still an icon at the time and I have no idea why, but there couldn't have been a dozen other people in attendance. It didn't seem to matter to him. We enjoyed a very special and intimate performance.