Have you met any rock stars, or anyone else famous? If you saw one of your idols in the street, would you have the guts to talk to him or her?

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

Answers

Well, no, but, the premise is, that if you've slept with someone, then you've slept with everyone they ever slept with. If such is the case, I've had sex with Kenny Loggins -- if that counts.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

After the first "Big Mele" in Hawaii, me and my friends wandered backstage and bothered Les Claypool for several minutes. He was a funny guy, though clearly exhausted by playing in the icky humidity.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

I waited on Sean Kelly and Andy Sheldon from The Samples one summer in Delaware at this dinky little resturant/bar on the coast. I had no idea who they were, but one of the other waitresses gave me $20 for Sean Kelly's credit card recipt.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

Earlier this year, at the used bookstore I manage, this group of guys wandered in to browse. They were middle aged, hip, and clearly not from our town. My boss was sure they were some sort of band who had a show in town and when they came to the counter to check out, he asked them if they were playing anywhere that night. They said they were and we asked who they were. It turns out they were Sonic Youth (we were a little embarrassed to not know) and they put us on their personal guest list for the show. We ran into them again at dinner that night at a restaurant a few blocks from the venue. Superdrag was eating there that night too, but that doesn't count so much because they're from here. We see them everywhere.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

One hot august night a Nick Cave wannabe (we're talking black leather and all) was sitting behind me in a club and kicking me with his long pointy boots. I started to get a little upset, even though he kept apologizing. I kept kind of shooting him dirty looks, and was giggling with my friends loud enough for him to hear about his silly outfit. Turns out of course it was really Nick Cave. I hope he got a good laugh at my comments.

I also once stared at liz phair for a full minute in a coffee shop while she stared at me, trying to figure out where we knew each other. I then realized I only knew her through the record covers in my room. I felt pretty silly. But she was sitting there wearing a red parka and looking very un-rock star, so it seemed like she was someone I once knew or something.

Do I even idolize anyone anymore? Yeah, I guess if I ran into a few people in a bar or a coffee shop I might tell them how much I liked their work, but that's about it. I think if I saw someone whose work I liked somewhere wierd or unusual I would try to talk to them, but I'd never talk to a rock star at a concert, or a rock star in a bar. Maybe if I saw Ani DiFranco in a bookstore I'd say something. that sort of thing.

That said, it doesn't surprise me and I think its great that members of Pearl Jam are nice enough to just chat with their fans. I mean, maybe michael stipe used to chat with folks but probably not anymore, ya know?

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

Ok, despite my jaded attitude, I have to admit that when I worked in a bookstore my dream was for any member of Sonic Youth to come into it. Its all a matter of context. very cool.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

I was a movie critic, so I've met tons and tons of famous people, including rock stars. Perhaps the most memorable "Rock Star" meeting, however, is when I interviewed Sonic Youth, and Kim Gordon, through a haze of bong smoke, was, like TOTALLY sure we'd met before. "Don't I know you?" She kept asking me. "God, man, I SWEAR I know you." She was kind of freaking me out, to tell you the truth. And of course, I don't think she'd remember me now.

I wouldn't have any problem saying hi to someone whose work I admire. However, I would probably say "love your stuff" and then walk on or otherwise leave them alone if it was clear they wanted to be left alone, which it usually is (imagine if random people kept bugging you all day).

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

I went with two friends to see The Police when they came to Milwaukee on their first (maybe second) US tour. "Roxanne" was all over the radio and the band was starting to generate a lot of interest, although at this stage of their career they were still playing clubs. We were right in front of the stage and got to chatting with one of their roadies before the show. We saw him again at the end and asked if we could get backstage. "Sure," he said. Backstage there was a table with some coldcuts, cheese, a veggie tray, soda, and beer. There were a few other people hanging around. Not really sure what to do, we just sat down and tried not to look too obvious. Almost immediately, Stewart Copeland came over and said, "Got any pot?" We did, and that broke the ice. We were probably there for about half an hour or so, and managed to chat with all three of them at various times. Eventually a guy came in (probably their road manager) and told the band it was time to go. We were getting autographs from the guys, and I said, "Good luck on the rest of the tour" or something like that. Andy Summers replied, "Thanks. We'll need it." As we were leaving the club we saw all of them climbing into an extremely used station wagon and exchanged waves. In a few years they were, of course, hugely popular; but I'll always remember the dingy dressing room and that beat-up station wagon.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

I met Henry Rollins in 1992 in London. He's surprisingly short-- something like 5'5" or 5'6". At 6'4", I towered over him. This was when he was launching his first major label record and selling books, right after the first Lollapalooza. He seemed nice enough; just talked for a minute or two.

I've also bumped into most of Aerosmith at one time or another, but that's no great feat in Boston.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

I was a freelance production assistant for MTV for a while. I was REM's personal PA a couple years ago when they played the Bowery Bar in NYC and then again when they did Storytellers for VH1. Basically, it meant i hung out in the dressing room and got Michael Stipe all the weird shit he needed, like vitamins and stuff. He wanted fresh carrot juice so I went home and got my juicer and sat in the dressing room cranking out carrot juice for REM. Those guys are a little wacky, particularly the blonde one.. the bass player. He had this total groupie LA bimbo for a girlfriend and I had to talk to her backstage for hours about her ridiculous tarot readings and herbal massages and all that bs. I think she was one of the secretaries in the band's front office. Totally hilarious.. it was like something out of Spinal Tap. Anyway, that's my brush with rock stardom.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

Last July I was at the Oshkosh Airshow, where Jimmy Buffet had his way kewl seaplane. I was out on the flight line one morning, and there he was, standing by his plane, talking to one other guy!

I wish I could say I went over and hung with him, but I was so surprised that I just gawked at him and then went to look at another airplane. I wished latter I'd gone over and thanked him for all the enjoyment he's given me over the years. I still feel that way, even though he play at a Gore ralley.

Jim

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

I met Cat Stevens a while back. Of course it was after he had dropped out of the music business and had changed his name to Yusuf Islam. He was giving some kind of speech and I ended up being the one to introduce him. Of course I was shy out of my mind, didn't know what to do, and felt really bad because I gave him such a crappy introduction.

Also shook hands with Muhamet Ali under similar circumstances.

My sister almost ran Lenny Kravitz down on her bicycle... hehe She was riding down the street and turned a corner right where he and some others were turning the other corner (walking). She apologized but didn't realize who it was until after she left.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

In New York you see celebrities a lot, and I think the really nice thing is that no one bothers them, at least downtown. Some memorable ones: Jerry Seinfeld by Lincoln Center, Susan Sarandon and kids waiting for the NJ Transit train at Penn Station, David Byrne and kid in stroller by NoHo Star, Gina Davis in John's Pizza uptown, Sandra Bullock on Prince Street, Chloe Sevigny topless in the dressing room at Kirna Zabete, Matthew Broderick smoking on the street the day after we saw him tell Conan he'd quit, Paul Newman at a movie screening (in keeping with what seems to be the theme on this page, he is maybe even shorter than me). Oh, and years ago I sat next to Peter Jennings at the play "Dancing at Lugnasa."

As for rock stars, Lenny Kravitz lives on our little block (it's a half block, on a tiny one-lane cobblestone street in SoHo), so we see him a lot. He is also teeny tiny, but to make up for it, he has a massive dog with weird green eyes.

Also, last month we were invited to a Perry Farrell party at Roseland. I gave my place on the guest list (an indication, I think, more of how old I am than of how nice I am) to our intern, Ben, because his first (unrequited) love adored Perry Farrell. After the party, Perry Farrell (also short) was hanging around outside, waiting for his car, and Jarrett, my boyfriend, went over and introduced Ben to Perry and Ben got an autograph for his former high school flame. He was pretty happy. ............................

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

Forty some years ago, when I was a Columbia University grad student,one of the young librarians and I used to meet for breaks. She once invited me to a Sunday afternoon tea party at her Lower Manhattan flat. Among the half dozen guests was Norman Mailer who struck me as a rude mysoginist (sp?) who had come under the impression that the tea would be pot, not poured from it. An aspiring actress had just published a paperback soft-core potboiler. She fawned on him inspiring some crudely witty rejoinders. I ended my trip through his oeuvre at The Naked and the Dead.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

Oh, I can't believe I forgot this, my cousin (a big WWF fan) would kill me if I didn't tell you that I spent an entire day last year undressing and dressing and redressing Duane "THE ROCK" Johnson for his photo shoot for the People Magazine Sexiest Man of the Year issue (I'm a photo stylist)... I didn't even know who he was at the time, as WWF doesn't really register on my radar. But since then I've noticed that he's actually pretty famous (he's the guy who does that weird eyebrow thing).............................

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

I guess I could do this all day, but I just thought of one I HAVE to tell you: In August my friend Martin and I saw ROBERT HUGHES...at Staples!! He was right in line ahead of us, buying folders and paper. He looked old, and used crutches. Nevertheless, it was amazing. A god amongst us! Because of work we see celebrities quite often, especially as we're always working with models and stuff on set or have them over at the studio, but we were immensely awed and gratified by seeing Robert Hughes... Oh, and we often see Maya Lin eating rice and beans at Brisas del Caribe on Broadway & Broome.................

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

about 8 years ago I played mumblety-pegglety with Matt Dillon outside the old Cafe Sine, where P.J. O'Harvey was singing. It was summer, around 1AM, and I was in my cream cotton pajamas because I'd been in bed and my boyfriend at the time found out she was singing and told me to come as was and they looked kind of like clothes anyway. We were standing outside and Matt Dillon was really friendly and we started pitching pennies. Actually, that was maybe the weirdest celebrity encounters, because as a young teenager in the midwest I had always idolized him, and of course thought of him as not quite a real person living someplace real people didn't live, and then to actually hang out with him was a radical conflation of fantasy life/hollywood/real life. Oh, around the same time, I used to go to Theater 80 Saint Marks weekly, sitting in the lower right corner, and Ethan Hawke often sat next to or around me. I remember once we sat through a double bill side by side, The Last Metro and something else I don't remember. But he wasn't really famous then. Actually, even before then, Uma Thurman used to eat lunch at Elephant & Castle by St. Vincent's, reading by herself, and I would be reading by myself.

That's it, I swear, it's just that I never thought about them before and now they keep occuring to me...........

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

Barry Manilow came into the bookstore where I was working in Casper, Wyoming. He was surrounded by four body guards. He looked terrible, like he was totally drained of all life force. He was pale, sickly and never said a word. The body guards even had to help him get back into his car (I watched from the window). It was very strange.

That night he performed and I saw some of it on TV. And he was totally the opposite on stage: a fireball of energy and vitality.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

I've met a few rock stars...

Lenny Kravitz (very short). This was a few years ago, before he became ultra famous and still had the dreads. He was very very nice and gracious to the people who came up to him. He gave me a hug. And he sort of smelled in not a nice way. Maybe it was the dreads.

Flea (short, but i think you can figure that out) twice. He's very funny. Let me wear the purple velvet mad hatters hat he was sporting the second time we met.

Gavin from Bush. (average height). Very good looking. Even better than what he appears in videos. I was there with some members of a not real well known band (cyclefly-all are short) was opening for them. He was really nice to all of them which wasn't the case for...

Those guys from Live (is that the name of them?). They were standoffish. Which was a bummer since I actually liked that one song with the video about a baby being born, and death (or something like that) and would like to have told them that.

Eddie Vedder (short). Actually I didn't meet him. I just stood next to him and didn't know it was him until later when someone pointed out that I had been standing "next to Eddie Vedder all night long!"

Perry Farrell gave me a kiss on the cheek once and invited me to a party. I didn't go. Not that I didn't want to...but my ride was leaving.

Dave Navarro. He's short and very skinny. But ungodly beautiful. Was a bit shy.

Tricky. short and very skinny. It was funny cuz he thought he was a bad ass. I dunno. Maybe he is. But...he's really short and skinny so he isn't that intimidating.

Some of the guys from POD hung with my brother years ago and got in contact me when he died. I met up with them this past summer. They are really great guys. Though passed on going to see them at the Krock Dysfunctional Family Picnic because I wasn't into the other bands they played with. Or rather, I was too afraid to be backstage with their white-boy rap fans.

Richard Patrick of Filter. (short)Was nice. Though have heard he's since turned into an ass.

Trent Reznor (short). Pre- downward spiral fame. actually, it was out...its just that he hadn't done woodstock yet so I think he wasn't that famous. This is one rock star that looks so much better in his pictures than in person. He was really very shy. But once he became comfortable, he was actually very funny. He also was quite kind in that he remembered to have "his people" give me backstages to a number of concerts in the area without me having to ask during the short period we kinda knew each other. But I only went to one where at the after pary he was pretty drunk and sort of mean that I really didn't bother to say more than hi to him.

Rick Rubin. Not a rock star but has made a number of them...He was spent the night giving out evil eyes. And in his silver down jacket and wild hair and beard...it just seemed like he was some homeless kook.

Theres more. but I've been told that "I'm a braggart" as I wrote this...so, Imma gonna stop.

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

Well, i'm thinking that these don't quite count as "famous," but they all made me happy:

Mike Watt: FIREhose played a bizarre little concert at my university and were driving around campus looking for the union while my boyfriend and I were walking back from the grocery store. Mike Watt offerred us a ride back to our dorm. Very nice.

Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy: My friend's band opened for Uncle Tupelo (their last tour) and I drank beer with Jay Farrar.

Ian MacKaye: Again, friends band opened. I really didn't "meet" Ian MacKaye. I simply stood there in awe. He was an absolute hero of mine in high school.

Bands: Material Issue (hung out with them on their bus, with Too Much Joy. Sort of creepy, that); Toad the Wet Sprocket; James; Soup Dragons; Screeching Weasel (are they "famous"?); Guided by Voices.

No movie stars or authors, though I was in a Borders once while David Sedaris was arriving to read, but I totally missed him 'cause I'm an idiot. Oh, and I danced with that guy from Combustible Edison at an after party.

So no real celebrities, I g

-- Anonymous, November 03, 2000

Years and years ago in NYC I had a roommate who did some photography on the side. Her specialty was what was then called "speed metal" bands. We lived in an unbelievably industrial looking basement on the Lower East Side, so she did a lot of her photoshoots there. Through her, I got to meet members of White Zombie and Raging Slab when they came for the shoots.

In my current life in Los Angeles, I no longer see rock stars, but being active in the motorcycle community I see a lot of two- wheeling celebrities. Like Jay Leno, Ahh-nuld, and my favorite, Fabio.

I've never met the Gus, but that's probably because he rides a wimpy little bicycle, not a big bad motorcycle like me..

(Hope all that HTML makes it through... I don't post here much.)

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2000

Yes-- the girl (Terri Nunn) who sang for Berlin, back in the early 80s... She sat on my lap at a party and said I had a really cool first name. I was charming in 1983-- but the drugs helped.

-- Anonymous, November 06, 2000

I live in the midst of the Theater District in New York City, so it's very easy to run into entertainers during their Broadway runs. However, I've had a couple notable close encounters with a few:

Lisa Loeb used have an apartment in the same building where I live, so I'd see her from time to time in the elevator. I'd also met her once during college when she'd played a lunchtime gig at Columbia's Ferris Booth Hall cafe.

I also used to run into Robert Cuccioli at the McDonald's on 51st Street and Broadway at least once a week while he was in Jekyll & Hyde.



-- Anonymous, November 06, 2000

When I was working as a writer for an entertainment publication, I met quite a few semi-famous musicians (e.g. Jonny Lang, Rufus Wainwright, B.B. King), but if I didn't have to interview them, I'd try to avoid talking to them. I'd probably only be able to come up with "I like your music," which is synonymous with "I have nothing meaningful to say to you."

-- Anonymous, November 10, 2000

I love this forum. I love that jen wade's readers and are impressed by robert hughes and not lenny kravitz. In that case, I will brag and say I have served coffee and rang up books to quite a few well known academics and even a few nobel prize winners. some are nicer than others.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2000

I use to be a security director in a large hotel in Dallas. Met a lot of celebs, Prince (very, very short, even with rather high heels (for a guy)) Michael Jackson, J Bon Jovi, Randy Newman, Charlene Tilton and most of "Dallas" cast. Sami Davis Jr (very nice guy) ZZ Gabor, G. Knight and the Pips, Willy and Waylon. Mary of Peter, Paul and Mary.

-- Anonymous, November 13, 2000

I have met loads of stars but most of them are dead now. You have an old timer on line who wishes to get rid of many J.Bon Jovi weird shape records when he and Sambora- D Child opened up a group BRIAR on PRT Records. 1987. some of the records have sweatbands, all never played. I have tried to post this offer on sites but to be truthful I have no idea what I am doing, so any volanteers out there. Visit my site to know what a genuine nut I am, but an honest one. I await someone who is looking for these missing link records for there collection. All the best and thanks.Chris

-- Anonymous, September 07, 2001

I met Jello Biafra at a Wesley Willis show at my college dining hall. I also met Willis that night, who head-butted me and said "say RAH!" over and over again. He was really sweaty and had a bruise in the middle of his forehead from head-butting people all the time.

-- Anonymous, April 17, 2002

Met any rock stars?

Yeah. I met Rob Zombie at a meet and greet! My best friend Amy helped me meet him! She talked to hm about letting me (the young age of 14) meet him. He said I could and I did! It was March 8th at the Demon Speeding Tour, the 2nd show of the tour, at the Bronco Biwl, Dallas, Texas!

He was sweet, and oh, so kind to me, I hugged him(kinda alarmed him, he wasn't expecting it), looked into his brown eyes, and breathed him in when I hugged him. I got a pic with him! I was stopped up though! : ( I didn't say what I wanted to. Me & Rob had a TINY TINY convo. but I can't remember, it's maddening.

The rest of the band was great. Everyone signed my TSU cover but Sheri. But Blasko and Tempesta were kinda quiet (I heard later on, that Blasko was sick with the flu a day before). Riggs was AWESOME! We talked alot, and he smeared blood on my hand when we shook hands, (which stained it for almost a week!

I met Sheri (Moon, Rob's girlfriend(possibly fiancee')in case you didn't know), standing away from the table and with a crowd (of guys, guys I knew online). After the guys cleared, We talked a bit, she kinda invited the bashful(I was shy because she was sssssssssoooooooooooooo pretty, and I'm so jealous of her for having Rob) me over to her, I got a pic with her too. Nice as Hell!!!!She was!

yep. yup, I had to summarize that and take out LOTS of detail (I tend to detail things)

----------------------- And yes, I would have the 'guts' to talk to Rob Z. or even Sheri (or any of the band members)on the street! HEEEEL YEAH!

-- Anonymous, May 25, 2002

In March this year (2002) I met Brandon Boyd from INCUBUS. They happen to be my favorite band, ive been a fan since 1996. It would of been good to meet the whole band. I wasn't even trying to meet him, I was walking home from the concert with my friend who lives in the city (Adelaide, Australia) and we just happened to walk past the hotel they where staying in, just as Brandon pulled up in his ride. I not one to get starstruck. so I just casuallly talked to him for a few minutes. Just said stuff like "great set. Your band rocks, I'm a big fan etc etc.I gave him a bunch of white roses that I had picked for myself. But they smelled really rad, so I thought he'd like them. I got a few things signed(not any body parts, I'm not a tennybopper) Had a chat to his manager. said goodbye!. He was really quite shy, god knows why. he seemed really nervous and I could hardly hear what he was saying. But he was a lovely guy.

I also met the guys from everclear after a concert. They where cool. all really really short, but cool.It was 5 years ago so thats all I can r

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2002