I was in Amsterdam this weekend and ran into Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) in the flower market. He was sharply dressed in black, with shades, his funky cap and a with a younger lady friend. I said: "you rock man - keep it going, Billy" he turned, smiled and said "thanks.."

I said basically the same thing to Lemmy at a hotel in Brazil about 6 years ago. I'm not a Motorhead fan, but it was just me, him and his assistant (who was carrying a 1/2 drunk botttle of Jack, some vodka and beers) and thought I had to say something. Lemmy nodded and smiled.

Also met Roger McGuinn waiting for a plane to Floriday one day. I tried to start a conversation, but I could tell he was quite bored with the prospect so just kind of walked away.

I ran into Chris Robinson & Kate Hudson a couple of times in New Orleans when she was filming The Skeleton Key

I did not talk to them, just gave them a wave & said "hey."

Got any 'Ludes ?

The younger lady was Gilligan, his long time girlfriend. She's also a model.

Met skipstone.

Elmo: Hey, skip, wanna beer.
Skip: Sure.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-09-28 20:56 by Elmo Lewis.

Met Lucinda Williams once, back when she was doing small accoustic shows for the Sweet Old World tour. It was a small festival, and many of the artists went to a booth later to sign autographs, so I went armed with my Sweet Old World CD (the only one I owned at the time and first time I saw her).

Well, I asked over at the booth if she was going to come over and sign autographs, and they said no, she has another show somewhere else to get to.

Not being content with that, after the show, I kinda wondered between a few equipment trucks as her and a member of her crew were heading out, holding my CD and marker up, and the guy she was with waved me off, but she said "No, it's alright", and I told her it was the first time I'd seen her and I really enjoyed it, and she said something like "thanks, I appreciate that", signed my CD and she was off!

Met Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel once. A friend of mine had a brother that worked in the studio they do all their recording in down in Austin, and he called and said he just got off the phone with Ray and to go out to the bus. Got to sit around and talk to him a bit, have a few drinks. Talked about other country artists (Johnny Cash, BR5-49, etc.). Somehow the subject of Lucinda came up, he wasn't a fan, said she had wanted to completely redo the Austin City Limits show she recorded and made a real stink about it. Mentioned I thought Junior Brown would be a good double bill with them, and he said he actually used to be in Asleep at the Wheel for a short time! Had a real funny story about him. And of course his buddy Willie Nelson came up in conversation...which capped off the preshow festivities!

I ran into Keith at the Four Seasons their night off in Philly between the '02 Vet Stadium and First Union Center shows. As he walked past me on his way out to his car, I just said his name. He came over and shook my hand. I said "Great show last night" and he responded with "Thanks, pal." That was it, short and sweet. He couldn't have been more gracious.

On the other hand, I had too much time to think of what to say to Charlie as I saw him make his way through the crowd at Ronnie Scott's in London. Given the more lax atmosphere, you were actually able to go right up to him. I mumbled something about his influence on my drumming. He looked bored,gave me half a hand shake and walked away. Given the circumstances and how many times that probably happened that night, I can't blame him. Nonetheless, I was just thrilled to shake his hand.

i met bob weir from the grateful dead after a show
one night,just said thanks for playing in my town
and for all the years of great music.he smiled said no
problem and thanks for coming out

Love your work.

On a side note on the subject...

I know some people who make a big deal about what they say to stars "What can i say that they haven't heard before?" Well I say, who cares. Say what feels natural...what's in your heart...because it's the feel and the intention that comes across. Usually, the person on the other end will appreciate it.

I ran into Alice Cooper backstage at the Stones show in Halifax (2006) and commented on how I had first seen him in 1972. He was polite but was looking at me like I was a geek. Kind of funny.

Quote
tatters
Love your work.

that....or, Thank you for all the Music.

I enjoy your work. Keep it up/Keep up the good work.

For sports stars - "Good luck in the future."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-09-29 03:56 by Elmo Lewis.

hope you die before you get old

The answer is simple: you say, "It's an honor to meet you", and maybe you get a bored handshake, and you go about your business. Nothing earthshaking, nor do you embarrass the celebrity by treating him as "yer buddy". Same goes for second or third-rate stars. I've met a couple of those types, and everybody wants to play cool but polite. That's fine with me: "cool (or cold) but polite".

I was with a friend in S. Beach and we ran into Perry Farrell at a restaurant. Without saying hey, or anything, my friend asked Perry "what's Jane addicted to?" and he replied without skipping a beat: "hair." Kind of cool.

I also crossed paths with Tom Petty's guitar player Mike Campbell who was walking in Georgetown with wife, and I told him he played a "mean guitar" and shook his hand. I don't think he gets recognized too often, so he appreciated it.

How many such threads do we need.. ?

I've met the Swedish and the Soviet ice hockey national teams in 1970.
My ol' man will meet Tretyak soon.
I worked out with a double world champion in veteran bench press yesterday
(as every Monday): a very 'umble man.

Lend us a tenner and I'll buy you a drink. ><

Quote
Silver Dagger
Lend us a tenner and I'll buy you a drink. ><

LOL...and we will just steal the cigs off anyone that has any.

I generally have conversations with them. But I do recall the first thing I said to the rockstars, although Bud Lee is a country songwriter (Friends In Low Places) and James Woods is an actor.

I asked Earl Bud Lee how he gets his hair so curly.

I told Jason Isbell 'Everytime you come through New Orleans or Baton Rouge I'm on the fuucking road and always miss your gigs.'

I asked Billy Duffy 'Why are you guys basically performing edit versions of your songs?' We talked about a lot more but that's the first thing I said to him. He laughed.

I told Bonnie Raitt 'I think Warner Brothers @#$%& you off with Green Light'. She agreed.

I told James Woods 'I had a knife that I got for Katrina that got found in a bag I had before I got on a flight at Laguardia but they didn't find the other knife I had in the bag that I found a week later when I was looking for something in the bag.' You mean you didn't even know they were in there? 'Yeah. Really, I had no idea.'

Oh yeah - Elmo did ask me if I wanted a beer. I may have also told him I wanted to sit down for a bit. It was quite hilarious I thought.

Aaawright. What a thread.

In Sultan Ahmet quarter, Istanbul back in 1974 me and my pal were approached by a weirdly, even ridiculously dressed and hairdone (wig?) character, say a caricature of a hippie. He asked my friend, who was glowing with two foot long blond hair and perfect shiny teeth, to come along with him to take some promo photos for toothpaste. Being asked about the pay, he say there wasn't any, and pushed off. It was only later, when we were in some teenage girls' room and saw it pasted all over with that guy's posters and pictures, that we got to know it was the Turkish rock singer, songwriter and TV star and producer Baris Manco (Baboon knows who he is). So what? I don't know.

Later, in 1978, I went to a club in Osnabrück (WTF is that?) to see a concert of Ultravox. After the show, at the bar, I noticed it was the singer sitting next to me, and, politeness urged me to start some kind of conversation with him - cool gig, bla bla -. It was only recently that I looked it up in Wiki, and now can tell that the singers name is John Foxx.

Does this count, then?

yo yo yo what up rock star?

whenever rocks stars approach me, they seem to be tongue-tied and unable to think of something interesting to say. i usually just laugh it off and turn away... hey, i'm just regular people like them, not sure what the big deal is....

I've had a few reverse situations where people thought I was a celebrity.

One girl in college insisted I was John Cafferty (from J.C. and the Beaver Brown Band). Although I kept insisting I wasn't, it didn't help that the guy next to me thought it was funny and kept saying "tell her the truth man".

I used to walk by the St. Louis Cardinals stadium every day on the way out of work while players were arriving, and someone thought I was Joe Magraine (old pitcher for the Cards) and asked for an autograph.

Semi related (although I'm getting way off topic now), my first trip to Jamaica, the hotel manager said he managed a hotel in downtown St. Louis when they won the World Series in the early 80's. He had a striking resemblance to shortstop Ozzie Smith, and he frequently wore a Cardinals jacket. He said after a while, it was much easier just signing autographs than trying to convince people he wasn't Ozzie Smith (you'd think the accent would give it away!). Said there's a whole lot of fake Ozzie Smith autographs floating around St. Louis!

Kovach - Gibson, Maxville ,Javier, Shannon, Cepeda, etc.. was a great experience.


But this year's team is poised as well. They will prosper.

Comish

Early 80's, Greensboro, NC, YoungTurks tour, Rod Stewart stayed at the Holiday Inn Four Seasons and my girlfriends mom was a barber there sio she met him a few times. Greensboro was the 1st show of the tour and he was in town for a week getting things ready with rehearsels. I went down, met him, invited him to 'kick the ball around' (soccer) and he saud "Sure, how about tomorrow afternoon". So I arranged for 10 guys or so to 'kick it around' and we had a blast. Rod was fine soccer player. Oh yeah, front row for my girlfriend and I and a nod from Rod on the hospitality.

Was at a Ronnie Wood show in Atlanta (Slide On This Tour) and was in the bar at The Roxy. Told my cousin "Don't look now but the guy from the Georgia Satellites (Rick) is right behind me". He said, "Yeah, he's talking to Izzy Stradlin". Turned around and told them both, "Thanks for the music".


Also, met Mac at a club when he jumped onstage with Tinsley Ellis and played "Sugaree". Bought him a drink. Wish I would have told him that I was 1 of 10 people in the USA that bought Troublemaker when it came out.


Met Eddie Money in a music store. My girlfriend couldn't get both of us in the picture until Eddie said "Get down here, man!" (he was sitting down). That picture and the autographed album are framed and hanging in my party shack now.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2009-09-29 21:05 by Elmo Lewis.