# Close Encounters With A Rock Star



## GuitarsCanada

So, there must be a few stories to tell? I mean in the mega star category here. I spent some time jawing with Steve Vai a few years back, but I wont even put him into that category. 

As far as I can recall mine would be with Roger Daltrey and John Entwistle in Chicago. I was on my way back from a business trip and was flying out of Chicago. I was standing outside the entrance having a smoke when a white van pulled up and out gets Daltrey, Entwistle and Starkey (Ringo's kid) I think Townshend's brother was also there but I did not recognize him. I think that was the Daltrey sings Townshend tour he did.

So they go inside and split up, Entwistle headed for the first bar he could find and Daltrey just wandered in and started walking around. So I grabbed a quick postcard out of the book shop and just walked up to him and said hi. We chatted for about 10 minutes, my buddy had just seen the show in Toronto about a week earlier and told me all about it. So I just told him I was there and we shot the breeze about the tour. He was actually really nice and signed my postcard etc.

Then I went over and had a chat with Entwistle, who is a real card (or was). He had on what could only be described as some kind of western outfit, all black with the vest and all. Daltrey had on the faded jeans and blue t-shirt. John was a nice guy.


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## aloysius

That is a cool story, 
I wish I had a rock star story.. I once thought I saw Clapton downtown, and it was like three days before his show in Toronto so I thought it could ACTUALLY be him. I yelled, "hey Clapton buddy!" and he stared me down. I then realized it was not Clapton at all, it was a plumber. He was on a call downtown. lol. Close though, 

michael


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## mrmatt1972

I ate at the same restaurant in Stratford as Jim Cuddy at the same time, does that count?

I also had breakfast 2 tables away from Curtis Joseph, his wife and kids in Newmarket.


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## GuitarsCanada

mrmatt1972 said:


> I ate at the same restaurant in Stratford as Jim Cuddy at the same time, does that count?
> 
> I also had breakfast 2 tables away from Curtis Joseph, his wife and kids in Newmarket.


We will take it into consideration, might be tough getting it approved though


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## fretboard

A buddy's older brother arranged for me and my friend to play a round of golf with Roger Waters outside Saratoga, NY a few years ago. Best part of the round was the lady that came up to him in the clubhouse all flustered and said she couldn't believe she was talking to Richard Gere... He said it happens more than he'd care to admit.

Spent an afternoon on Bob Weir's tour bus before a gig he played at Massey Hall. Got a call at 10:30AM the day of the show from a friend saying "meet me in 30 minutes and tell your boss you won't be back for the rest of the day - we're hangin' with Bob Weir and taking him to lunch." My boss was keenly aware of my Deadhead status and agreed to let me go - as long as I promised not to come back to the office that day... Lunch at a deli, bike ride around downtown and a couple hours shootin' the breeze back on the bus. Bob let us hang out at the side of the stage during the encore and hit the full-on party backstage for an hour or so after the gig.

One time in LA I was at a Borders bookstore just looking around and Julien Lennon was there getting ready for a book signing the next day. Spent 10 minutes talking to him about the weather, the traffic, etc - just typical "elevator" conversation. Saw Vince Neil and Tom Hanks on the same trip but didn't speak to either of them. 

Met and talked to John Paul Jones and Dave Grohl after the Them Crooked Vultures show a couple months ago. JPJ was shockingly soft-spoken and humble. 

Met all the guys in The Tragically Hip a few times. Ran into Gord Downie at the zoo once and he remembered my name and the name of one of buddies. He's hooked up my wife and I and our friends up a few times for backstage passes to shows, gotten us into some of their private gigs and stuff. 

Had some chicken wings with Ted Nugent and my guitar teacher when I was in high school just starting to play guitar.

At 14 found myself on Bon Jovi's tour bus and had my first electric guitar 3 days later.

Spoke briefly to Warren Haynes and his guitar tech Farmer before and chatted up Rik Emmett in line for coffee once when I worked in First Canadian Place. Rik was the only one who came off as too good to talk to the common folks - so out of spite, I sold my Yamaha RGX (that'll teach him). I still have a Rexx amp like the kind he used back in the mid-80's though.


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## puckhead

mrmatt1972 said:


> I ate at the same restaurant in Stratford as Jim Cuddy at the same time, does that count?
> .


I showered with him once. kqoct





settle down, we had just been playing hockey.


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## GuitarsCanada

Interesting comment on Rik Emmett. Never thought he would have been like that, but I have never met him either. His old bandmates would probably say the same thing.


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## ajcoholic

When I lived in Toronto in the early 90's, I passed Moe Berg (from TPOH) on the subway once :smile:

I got to talk to Rob Baker at the after party when the Hip played Massey Hall this past May - he was very nice, and talked guitars for a bit. Saw the other guys (not Downie though) but didnt want to just walk up to them like an idiot (I was with a guy who was friends with Rob)

AJC


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## shoretyus

Fretboard.. I worship YOU... 

My wife sat next to Cyndi Lauper on a plane once.. yup she's ah... lacking.. upstairs.


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## JMC Amps

Adrian Smith, Janick Gers and Rod Smallwood last year at our hotel in Toronto :bow:


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## Diablo

Many years ago, at Rock 'n Roll Heaven in Toronto, had a drink with Rob Halford at a Stryper show.
Then he raped me.



j/k!


A couple years ago, I was at Sony/BMG Music on business. And also waiting in the lobby was Harry Hess from Harem Scarem. Didnt recognize him until I saw his name on the sign in book just above mine. We had both changed a lot since the 80's 
Also met Gil Moore from Triumph a few times when I had business meetings at Metalworks Studios. He's a sharp business man, and generally a good guy who likes to understand how things work. His daughter works for him and is both intelligent and gorgeous.
So theres some Canadian content for you.

There a few others, like Sebastian Bach, but they escape me and the stories arent so great. To be honest, the 80's are kinda hazy for me.

Oh, one comes to mind....in the 80's was in the Eaton Center going up an escalator and saw Kim Mitchell and an attractive blond who was with him going down the other escalator. I turned to my friend and said "Did you see who that was?" and he replied "Yah! Darryl Hannah!". I said "No you idiot, the other one...that was Kim Mitchell". It was probably just his wife/gf who was with him, but she was quite attractive.


When my dad first came to this country, one of many jobs he had was as a waiter on a train. He said he once served breakfast to boxer Joe Louis. He remembered him as grumpy and really fussy about his eggs...kept sending them back.

A distant relative played in the NBA. Good clean kid, about the same age as me. As soon as he was drafted, he pretty much became a jerk. Ego, drugs, weird friends like author Stephen King, the whole nine yards.


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## Spikezone

Years ago, I spent some time floundering around in the ocean on a windsurfer in Maui. When I returned to shore, a guy with a Bronx kind of New York accent asked me if I had been windsurfing for long. Being disappointed with my lack of skill on the board, I mumbled some grumpy comment then went up the beach to the surf shack, at about which time I realized it was Eddie Money and at about the same time he and his girlfriend headed out to sea on a rented Hobiecat. I asked the guys in the shop if that was who it was, and they said yes. After I went back to our hotel and told my wife and friends, I went back to the beach to try to say an actual HI but it was too late...that was the end of my brush with a famous rock star. LOL!
-Mikey


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## zontar

Hmm, I got Ted Nugent's autograph in high school, it was a store promotion, not a random meeting.

Tom Jackson was at the same store on the day I bought my 12 string.
he bought a 6 string-acoustic flat top.

I met Seymour Duncan at a store appearance, and one of the group I went with got picked to jam with Seymour--he was pretty good.

I had prior commitments one day, or I could have met Rick Derringer.

The highlight for me isn't a big name, but I met & spoke with Glenn Kaiser at a guitar clinic last fall. Later he played a solo acoustic blues concert (although he played a few songs on electric). After the concert he came and thanked all the people who were at the clinic, and then went and greeted many of those who came for the concert, but not the clinic.

For me it was a highlight, as he is one of my favorite guitarists.

So maybe not the same fame level as others here, but that's my story.


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## Mooh

When I was a teenager I chatted with John Till in a music store, but I didn't know who he was until afterwards when the store clerk mentioned who he was. I doubt I made any kind of impression on him, but he was quite gracious.

Met Bruce Cockburn in a crush of folks at a labour rally at Queen's Park just before he played. Cool guy and very personable.

Had a nice conversation with Sue Foley, very charming and personable.

Since I've not traveled much, spent much time in aeroports, or worked in the rock world much, I haven't had many rock star close encounters. 

My world has been the folk world, and as such I've met folks like John Renbourn, Pierre Bensusan, Don Ross, Dan Crary, Tony McManus, Simon Mayor & Hilary James, Brian MacNeill, various Rankins, Kieran Goss, Terry Tufts, Peter Finger, Sue Foley, the guys in Leslie Feist's band, David Bradstreet, Garnet Rogers, members of The Perth County Conspiracy...

Peace, Mooh.


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## Starbuck

I think most of you have read my Iron Maiden story, GREAT bunch of nice guys. I think around the same year Cheap Trick played my hometown. I was pumped my first BIG show! I had been a cheap Trick fan since I was a little girl, At this time I was 21. So anyway great show we had a blast and then went to the only local cabaret (Open till 3am) and lo and behold there were Robin Zander and Tom Peterson who got up on stage and played a set! It was amazing! In a tiny place with few people. Anyway I was up by the bar and Anderson approached me and grabbed me by the face and gave me a big kiss, to this day I have NO idea why, but anyway I met Zander and sat with him and chatted for a while, he was a really nice guy. By closing time we were leaving at the same time and I was in the foyer and he was waiting for me at his limo motioning me to join them. I declined and was _very_ dissapointed in his behaviour. Guess I was very niave!


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## Guest

Diablo said:


> Oh, one comes to mind....in the 80's was in the Eaton Center going up an escalator and saw Kim Mitchell and an attractive blond who was with him going down the other escalator. I turned to my friend and said "Did you see who that was?" and he replied "Yah! Darryl Hannah!". I said "No you idiot, the other one...that was Kim Mitchell". It was probably just his wife/gf who was with him, but she was quite attractive.


It may have been the same night me and a buddy met him too. We were walking 
up Yonge st. and happened to look into a take-out restaurant and there he
was, with (probably) the same Darryl Hannah-ish blonde. Went in and sure
enough.

Rolling Stones Blind Benefit Concert in Oshawa; We're sitting at the edge of
the entrance going towards the change rooms (hockey arena) and my buddy
looks back towards the ramp and there's Mick and John Belushi (MC of the show).
We hopped over and talked to them for a bit. Met Jim Belushi a few years
later at a Chicago comedy club.

My buddy's band (at the time) was playing at a farm party and the unannounced
special guest was Goddo. Talked with Greg about how as a kid, I remembered
walking past the 'purple Fludd bus' on my way to school every day.


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## zontar

Not a huge name, but I have met Greg Godovitz since he moved to town, I'm sure lots of people have.


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## jimihendrix

Oh, one comes to mind....in the 80's was in the Eaton Center going up an escalator and saw Kim Mitchell and an attractive blond who was with him going down the other escalator. I turned to my friend and said "Did you see who that was?" and he replied "Yah! Darryl Hannah!". I said "No you idiot, the other one...that was Kim Mitchell". It was probably just his wife/gf who was with him, but she was quite attractive.

is this the woman in question...???...she's a friend of mine...tiffany thompson...she dated him while he was going through his divorce...

http://www.tiffanythompson.net/main5.html










***years ago i was trying to find queen street in toronto to check out all the guitar stores i'd heard about...i pulled over to ask this chick where queen street was...the chick turned out to be moe berg...complete with purple eye shadow and red lipstick...

***there was also the time the band cinderella came to town...out of the blue i decided to bring a couple of guitars down to their hotel to see if tom keifer wanted to buy them...i approached a roadie and told him my intentions...he told me to wait until he returned to the lobby...he told me that i had an appointment in one hour to meet the band...true to their word they showed up...we talked for about a half hour but couldn't reach a mutual selling price...they asked if i was going to the show...but i had no cash...they told me that tickets and backstage passes were waiting for me at the box office...they put me and a friend on the guest list...what an awesome show...and an awesome band...


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## zontar

I met Tom Keifer, well, actually not the Tome Keifer, but he was in a band--different guy.

This was before Cinderella--but I think he probably would have liked them.


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## 1PUTTS

Hmmm...I wouldn't call Stompin' Tom a Rock Star but I guess he is somewhat of a Canadian icon. I got to play one gig with him many years ago in this small place in Mississauga. My Mom worked at his record label and she was talking to him one day...he says he has this gig and the drummer can't make it. Of course my Mom pipes up that her son plays drums. Without even asking any further questions, he tells her OK and to bring me out. I was like 16 at the time and didn't even know enough to be nervous. So I got up there and pork chopped it along with the band and did OK I suppose. The only thing he told me beforehand was to not play over him and he keeps the time. No problem, Tom!

Other than that...I've opened for Blue Rodeo once - all really nice fellas. And Doug and the Slugs...um, no comment.

And oh...after a round of golf, we were sitting out on the patio afterward enjoying a beverage and I look over and Alex Lifeson is sitting right beside me at the next table. I thought about doing my "Spirit of Radio" air guitar for him but then thought the better of it. Instead, as we were leaving, I just told him I was a big Rush fan and Neil was my favourite drummer and the reason I started playing drums myself. He seemed very humble, thanked me and that was that.


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## Rugburn

Had one too many with Dutch Mason at The Blue Cat Club in Calgary back in '96. He was a very nice guy and he kept offering me cigarettes and drinks all night. B.B.King called him the "Prime Minister of the Blues". I wished I'd seen him before arthritis ended his guitar playing days, but he was a fantastic singer with a top-notch band.

Shawn


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## mario

I have met a few famous guitarists...for the most part not rock stars but here goes:

THE GOOD GUYS

Danny Gatton. I saw him years ago in a bar. He was mingling with the bar patrons during intermission talking with whoever. Got the chance to talk with him for awhile about guitars and hotrods. Really nice guy! He ended up giving me a couple of guitar picks....still have them. I was shocked to find out a couple of years later that he took his own life. 

John Hammond Jr. Again in a bar. Very nice approachable person with no ego whatsoever. One of my alltime fav players!

THE BAD GUY

Ritchie Blackmore. Years ago he played here in London when he was in Rainbow. A friend of mine's brother was working security and got us tickets and backstage passes. My buddy was a HUGE fan of Ritchie and brought an album along to hopefully get a autograph. Even way back then before the internet, Ritchie already had a reputation as being a dick. So after the show we wait around backstage waiting for Blackmore to walk by us so he can sign my friend's album. We get a glimpse of him walking with his valet (...he looked like one), so my friend get's the nerve to go up to him and ask him if he could sign the album. Ritchie tell's him to f*** off and walks into his limo. LOL....he was wearing a cape!


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## cheezyridr

fretboard said:


> Rik was the only one who came off as too good to talk to the common folks .


that's a shame, he's really talented. i wish that wasn't the case :-(



shoretyus said:


> My wife sat next to Cyndi Lauper on a plane once.. yup she's ah... lacking.. upstairs.


yeah, but she's really hot though


i met vinnie moore once, in a music store back home. he's from my hometown. he was cool enough to teach me how to play something properly that i was badly butchering.

i met j.p. and neil from clutch a couple of times, 
partied with the dudes from abraham's meatplow once,
kid rock bought me a beer. he was actually a pretty cool guy to chat with at the bar. he wasn't big yet at that time. 
i met dave wydorf from monster mag briefly. not much of a meeting and he was distracted by other stuff. 
axl rose was "on the nod" at a guys house from the old neighborhood, not really a meeting actually.

i know there's 1 or 2 that i'm forgetting. i've met other famous people, not in the music biz. one thing every encounter has in common though....i'm pretty sure not a single one of them will ever be on a message board telling about how they met some nobody from delaware... hahahaha


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## Robert1950

About 20 years ago my ex and I were visiting a artist friend around Dundas and Dovercourt in Toronto. There was a knock at the door and who walks in,... David Wilcox. Very easy going and easy to talk to.


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## AGP1

One Christmas in the early 80's in Newcastle (UK) I met Lemmy Kilminster ( Motorhead) and the guitarist from Twisted Sister who were in town for a music show that was made there called the Tube, hosted by Jules Holland (Squeeze). They had just been turned away from a nightclub for not meeting the dress code. My buddy explained to the doorman who they were and we spent the evening drinking with them. Both turned out to be pretty cool guys. We got invited to the taping of the show the next day met Iggy Pop , Pat Benetar, Jules Holland and a few others. It was quite an experience. Went back to another recording a few months later and met Phil Lynott.

Other than meeting Janick Gers who grew up in same town as I did I cant think of any other brushes with he famous.


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## tbaillie

i was having a beer in a cheesy rock and roll bar below a venue... and i seen J mascis walk out and just stare at me and my friend jake... also i got a skateboard signed by Roger from less than jake after a concert


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## mhammer

At various points in my life, I fancied myself a "rock journalist", and a bunch of meetings have stemmed from that and other assorted coincidences.

1) Played Frisbee with the Beach Boys in 1967 or so. No real talking, just tossing the disc back and forth during a soundcheck.
2) Interviewed blues great Junior Wells for my high school paper. Really nice guy.
3) Interviewed the Incredible String Band.
4) Interviewed Van Morrison (one of the worst experiences of my life), and met Jethro Tull and Johnny Winter in the hallway during the process.
5) Interviewed Frank Zappa (one of the most intimidating, but greatest, experiences of my life; made up for not being allowed to attend Woodstock).
6) Interviewed Ted Nugent, and spent the day with him at the Holiday Inn, where he gave me my very first set of light gauge strings (Ernie Ball) and let me play his blond Byrdland.
7) Was in the same room with The Byrds and Clarence White. If only I had known then what I know now, I would have gone over and talked to Clarence.
8) Interviewed Bruce Cockburn while he was touring his first album. Met him again in a store a few years ago,and chatted for a bit while he was considering a blonde tolex Bandmaster.
9) Interviewed David Wilcox (very fun guy).
10) Interviewed synth-player extraordinaire Larry Fast, while he was backing Peter Gabriel's tour.
11) Interviewed James Brown for about an hour shortly before he was jailed for that PCP-beating-his-wife thing.
12) Interviewed Marshall Crenshaw, and gave him the P90 off my Epi Coronet.
13) Met Mark Knopfler, and gave him the New Yorker pickup off my Epi Windsor.
14) Interviewed legendary jazz writer/critic/player Leonard Feather (one of my all time favourites)
15) Interviewed goofy singer/songwriter Joe Hall.
16) Recently had lunch with guitar historian and vintage vendor George Gruhn.
17) Got a tour of the Bigsby factory (and business card) from none other than the late Ted McCarty himself - oh, you may know him as the guy who came up with the SG, 335, Flying V, and Explorer, when he ran Gibson.

I think that's it. It's a long-ish list, but I still have to say I'm jealous of a lot of you folks on this thread.


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## Big_Daddy

Some great stories here!

I've mentioned knowing Kim Mitchell when we were teens, blah, blah, blah.

In 1976, our bluegrass band played a few concerts around Toronto. We opened for Flatt and Scruggs and met them backstage at an outdoor event in Mississauga. They were pretty snobby and not very friendly.

At Mariposa, we were behind the stage, standing in a circle, warming up and enjoying a doob. I went to pass it to my left to the banjo player and noticed Gordon Lighfoot was standing beside me. He smiled and said, "Do you mind if I join you?" I thought he meant "can I have a toke?" so I passed him the joint. He really just wanted to play along with us. DOH! Anyway, he did a quick look around to see if anyone was watching, took a couple of tokes, and passed it along. He hung around for a few tunes and very politely thanked us and moved on. Nice guy.

In the early 70's, I lived in a farmhouse/slash commune north of London with a bunch of hippies and musicians. We had a string of well-known people pass through there on a regular basis...Perth County Conspiracy, Stan Rogers, Murray McLaughlin and pretty much anyone else who was playing the local coffee house circuit. My memory is a little hazy if you know what I mean.:smile:

In 1980, I was living and gigging around Austin, Texas. I went to an open mic at a club out in the hill country and wound up jamming on stage for a few tunes with Jimmy Vaughn and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Another very quiet, polite guy.


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## shoretyus

Big_Daddy said:


> S
> In 1976, our bluegrass band played a few concerts around Toronto. We opened for Flatt and Scruggs and met them backstage at an outdoor event in Mississauga. They were pretty snobby and not very friendly.


I had dinner next to Randy and Earl when they were the Scruggs review and they were friendly. 

I have played with Joe Hall a few times. A good friend is doing a bunch of recording at Joe's studio.


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## Leif H

Back in '82 I think, I was and taking music lessons at the Music Shoppe, I would drool over the guitars before and after lessons.

After a lesson one day, I was playing a Les Paul or something I couldn't afford, some skinny long haired guy sat down beside me and plugged in, and demanded we have a jam.

I realized it was Kim Mitchell, and he was up to having some fun, I was kind of shocked, and blurted out you're Kim Mitchell" He had a laugh and said "and you're not"
I think we did some 12 bar blues for a minute or so, I was really really bad, nervous and basically sucked. 

He then jumped up all full of beans and took off to speak with Paul about renting / buying / borrowing a bass or some gear. 

It was a laugh, he made my day.

This was when he was recording the mini LP.

I've bumped into him a couple of times when we were working at a crosswalk's in his neighbourhood back in '91 he was generally a pretty nice guy.


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## Big_Daddy

shoretyus said:


> I had dinner next to Randy and Earl when they were the Scruggs review and they were friendly.
> 
> I have played with Joe Hall a few times. A good friend is doing a bunch of recording at Joe's studio.


This was *Lester* and Earl. Who knows, maybe they were having a bad day? 

Peace, BD :smile:


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## shoretyus

Big_Daddy said:


> This was *Lester* and Earl. Who knows, maybe they were having a bad day?
> 
> Peace, BD :smile:


I think Lester was crusty.


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## jimihendrix

i was jamming with jimi hendrix...eddie van halen...and randy rhoads...when jimmy page joined in and pointed out that it was impolite to namedrop...so...um...i won't...kkjuw


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## Bevo

Ran into Kim Mitchel at the old guitar shop in Thornhill back in the 80's, I was with my buddie and he was picking up something..they had a good chat..didn't know it was him till after.

Met Bif Naked a few times, she remembered me!
Got a hug from her too. I am glad she is doing well after her cancer problem.

Met Evanescence...those eyes.. I was speachless.

At the bike show we were taking a break and was talking music with my buds dad. They are from the UK somewhere.
He went to school and is still good friends with the drummer of the Rolling Stones, sorry can't think of his name but he is the old fellow.
He also knows Ringo Star, they were maybe from the same town.


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## Robert1950

Bevo said:


> He went to school and is still good friends with the drummer of the Rolling Stones, sorry can't think of his name but he is the old fellow.


 Charlie Watts.


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## zontar

Bevo said:


> He went to school and is still good friends with the drummer of the Rolling Stones, sorry can't think of his name but he is the old fellow.


As above--that's Charlie Watts--and he must be old to be called the "old fellow" in the Stones...:smile:


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## mario

mhammer said:


> At various points in my life, I fancied myself a "rock journalist", and a bunch of meetings have stemmed from that and other assorted coincidences.
> 
> 1) Played Frisbee with the Beach Boys in 1967 or so. No real talking, just tossing the disc back and forth during a soundcheck.
> 2) Interviewed blues great Junior Wells for my high school paper. Really nice guy.
> 3) Interviewed the Incredible String Band.
> 4) Interviewed Van Morrison (one of the worst experiences of my life), and met Jethro Tull and Johnny Winter in the hallway during the process.
> 5) Interviewed Frank Zappa (one of the most intimidating, but greatest, experiences of my life; made up for not being allowed to attend Woodstock).
> 6) Interviewed Ted Nugent, and spent the day with him at the Holiday Inn, where he gave me my very first set of light gauge strings (Ernie Ball) and let me play his blond Byrdland.
> 7) Was in the same room with The Byrds and Clarence White. If only I had known then what I know now, I would have gone over and talked to Clarence.
> 8) Interviewed Bruce Cockburn while he was touring his first album. Met him again in a store a few years ago,and chatted for a bit while he was considering a blonde tolex Bandmaster.
> 9) Interviewed David Wilcox (very fun guy).
> 10) Interviewed synth-player extraordinaire Larry Fast, while he was backing Peter Gabriel's tour.
> 11) Interviewed James Brown for about an hour shortly before he was jailed for that PCP-beating-his-wife thing.
> 12) Interviewed Marshall Crenshaw, and gave him the P90 off my Epi Coronet.
> 13) Met Mark Knopfler, and gave him the New Yorker pickup off my Epi Windsor.
> 14) Interviewed legendary jazz writer/critic/player Leonard Feather (one of my all time favourites)
> 15) Interviewed goofy singer/songwriter Joe Hall.
> 16) Recently had lunch with guitar historian and vintage vendor George Gruhn.
> 17) Got a tour of the Bigsby factory (and business card) from none other than the late Ted McCarty himself - oh, you may know him as the guy who came up with the SG, 335, Flying V, and Explorer, when he ran Gibson.
> 
> I think that's it. It's a long-ish list, but I still have to say I'm jealous of a lot of you folks on this thread.


WOW....I think you win. That is a very impressive list of people. If I might ask, what made the Van Morrison interview one of the most worst experiences of your life? I am a huge fan of his music but I have read he can be a bit of a dick.


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## mhammer

mario said:


> If I might ask, what made the Van Morrison interview one of the most worst experiences of your life? I am a huge fan of his music but I have read he can be a bit of a dick.


He IS a bit impatient with the showbiz side of things, but to tell you the truth, I was 18 and a lousy interviewer. That the Moondance album was on heavy rotation and a personal favourite at the time did not help matters. I also find it very difficult to tell when people with a thick Irish accent are being sarcastic or sincere. That made it all the more difficult.

Jian Gomeshi interviewed him recently, and while it wasn't the debacle that interviewing Billy Bob Thornton was, you could tell he was hanging onto the railing pretty much all the way through.

A buddy on another forum keeps telling me stuff about Kenny Jones, the drummer for the Who and original drummer for the Small Faces. I asked how he knows the guy, and apparently Jones owns the polo club where the guy plays. Oooooo.....kay.

One of the other guys on that same forum is a member of the west coast version of the Turtles (there is an east and west coast version to save on transportation costs). He has a ton of stories about showbiz/rockbiz folks, and regularly plays a rock nostalgia gig at some rich guy's vinery in the Napa Valley that has a regular coterie of many 60's and 70's greats. This guy trumps me *quite* easily.


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## Mooh

Ghomeshi and Stroumboulopoulos are saving CBC for me these days. I just wish the interviews weren't so short, which makes some of them kind of shallow.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jian_Ghomeshi

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stroumboulopoulos

Peace, Mooh.


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## shoretyus

Mooh said:


> Ghomeshi and Stroumboulopoulos are saving CBC for me these days. I just wish the interviews weren't so short, which makes some of them kind of shallow.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jian_Ghomeshi
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Stroumboulopoulos
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


 Some of the interviews are posted at full length on the CBC site. 

I hear ya about CBC though.


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## xuthal

Ten minutes ago,I was playing geewa pool tournament on facebook and who was i matched up with?Tony Iommi!I chatted a little and Told hi i was a left handed guitar player but he was more interested in schooling my sorry ass.At least now i can say i got my ass handed to me by the devil in a game of pool:rockon2::rockon2::rockon2:


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## lbrown1

I've had none myself - but my ex wife went to highschool in the same class with Sebastian Bach up in Peterborough....she noted his last name then was Burke - and he was laughed at a lot...I guess he showed them eh!


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## Starbuck

lbrown1 said:


> I've had none myself - but my ex wife went to highschool in the same class with Sebastian Bach up in Peterborough....she noted his last name then was Burke - and he was laughed at a lot...I guess he showed them eh!


Nah, I think he's got pipes, but people still laugh at him. Now he's a reality tv whore.


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## ed2000

In '96 I bought a 52 RI Tele from Mike McKenna. Only knew him as Mike. While testing the Tele in his room, I complemented Mike on his choice of albums... a Crowbar album was visible. Later I found a repair tag, with the name McKenna, in the case and a note with Lukes' (and the Apostles?) number.

Last year I sold an amp to the guitar player of the 60's Toronto band, The Paupers.

The lead guitarist of The Ugly Ducklings went to my High School..Cedarbrae CI although a year or so earlier than I did.

In 1966 or 67, while testing a guitar at Richmonds Trading Post I met the bass player of the Passing Fancy. ( Their only hit was I'm Losing Tonight)

In 1968 I brushed shoulders with Jimmy Page as he was rushing into the entrance at the Hidden Valley resort in Huntsville. He was playing guitar for the Yardbirds.


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## allthumbs56

Sold car parts to Neil Peart in the 70's. He used to drum on the countertop while he was waiting ........... guess you could say he used to drum for me.


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## 4345567

__________


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## david henman

...as a journalist in the 90s i got to interview a lot of folks - in fact, my very first interview was a phoner with leonard cohen.

it just does not get better than that, although spending two weeks on the road and in the studio with barry gibb comes awfully close.

but, believe it or not, my most memorable encounter was meeting rita mcneil. there is a beautiful aura about her that just transcends the ordinary.

just sitting here writing about it, i can still "see" and feel her aura.

-dh


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## david henman

...top-notch band? no kidding!'
his bass player and drummer sat in with my band back in the late 70s.
these guys were scary good!
huge fun, though, and really great cats to drink with.
-dh 



Rugburn said:


> Had one too many with Dutch Mason at The Blue Cat Club in Calgary back in '96. He was a very nice guy and he kept offering me cigarettes and drinks all night. B.B.King called him the "Prime Minister of the Blues". I wished I'd seen him before arthritis ended his guitar playing days, but he was a fantastic singer with a top-notch band.
> 
> Shawn


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## TubeStack

Aretha Franklin stayed in our hotel while my wife and I were in Cleveland to check out the RocknRoll Hall Of Fame museum.

We had just arrived and were standing out front of the hotel, when a huge limo pulled up to the curb and several African Americans all got out, one of whom was Aretha. I didn't recognize her, as she's lost so much weight and I hadn't any pictures or video of her in a long while. She had huge sunglasses on and was wearing black Converse chucks.

There was a buzz of excitement around the doors and one of the doormen leaned over and said to us, "Hey, that's Aretha Franklin."

She then walked in the door, about five feet away from us, and said "Hey, how you doin'" to my wife and me. 

When we got home later, after going out, she was in the lobby restaurant with her entourage, signing records, etc, and then hanging out eating chicken wings.


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## hardasmum

Boatloads of actors but sadly no Rock Stars. 

Come to think if it I did meet Billy Ray Cyrus once when he did that show "Doc". I wanted to hate him, he always annoyed me during the "Achy Breaky Heart" days, or maybe it was just the song I hated.

Either way he ended up being a genuinely sweet guy who was incredibly polite in that "southern way". 

This story just reminded me another.

I couldn't stand Jeff Martin from the Tea Party based on his "public persona". I read some article in a guitar magazine where he was name dropping Jimmy Page and Jeff's affiliation with Gibson guitars and his bragging left me annoyed. 

A short time later I find myself sitting next to Jeff at a party. We talked about guitars for an hour, including his friendship with Jimmy Page and the "self-tuning Les Pauls" that Gibson had given them both. 

(This was around 2002 so I'm guessing these were Robot Tuner prototypes?) 

He didn't come across at all like a Braggart, just a guy who absolutely loves talking about guitars.


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## Guest

I set up John Popper's Fractal rig for him late in 2013. Got hang out with the band for the day, watch the show side-stage at The Filmore. Was...amazing. Super nice guy and holy shit...the things he can do with a harmonica are seriously amazing.

Replaced all of this:










With a single Axe-Fx II and an MFC-101.


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## bluzfish

Too many to remember. But my favourite memory was backstage at the Commodore in Vancouver in the early 80s at a Paul Butterfield concert. His band included Elvin Bishop, Rick Danko, Levon Helm and a keyboard player I don't remember.

I wasn't working that night but I really wanted to see the concert anyway. After their sound check, I was standing beside the monitor mix consol listening to the opening act sound check. I looked to my right and Rick Danko was standing beside me. We smile and nod and then go back to listening to the band.

Being one of my greatest youthful influences as a former bass player, I couldn't resist asking him if he still had his Ampeg bass from Big Pink. He looked at me kind of surprised to be asked about it and told me he sticks with the Gibson Ripper on the road because it was too delicate and valuable to take on tours. Then I told him about the 6 Rippers I used to have when I was playing in bands (another story) and we just started talking about all sorts of stuff.

Anyway, at some point he asked me if I had anything to smoke and of course I did. At that point the sound checks were over and only a few other people were around and I knew them well enough to know they wouldn't care about a little pot odour. Although smoking dope backstage was normally verboten, there were some stacks of rolled up carpet against the back wall stage left, sitting there from a fashion show the previous night. I had a little pipe that I used with a peso coin to toke and cover with so very little smoke escaped, so we sat down in the shadows behind the carpets to continue our conversation.

We ended up sitting back there toking and talking for quite awhile before he had some place to be and left. But it was quite a thrill for me to have Rick Danko take the time to hang out and shoot the shit with me.


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## Guitar101

bluzfish said:


> Too many to remember. But my favourite memory was backstage at the Commodore in Vancouver in the early 80s at a Paul Butterfield concert. His band included Elvin Bishop, Rick Danko, Levon Helm and a *keyboard player I don't remember*.


Great story but as a keyboard player, I can't help noticing that you forgot the keyboard players name. It makes me wonder why were so forgettable.:confusion:


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## mhammer

Digging around, I can't seem to find any info on the keyboard player from that era, either.


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## bluzfish

Guitar101 said:


> Great story but as a keyboard player, I can't help noticing that you forgot the keyboard players name. It makes me wonder why were so forgettable.:confusion:


LOL trying to remember things has become a regular pass time for me these days.


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## cheezyridr

i left one from my last post. actually, i left out a bunch because they weren't relevant. (actors, politicians, drag racers, pro bass fishermen, relatives)
but a couple i wanted to tell you because i thought of them just now while reading this thread again. i forgot i already posted in here. i was about to make a near identical post to the one i already made, when i came across it. hahahha 

but yeah the first one is at the same music store where i met vinnie moore, i went in with my little brother just as a drum seminar had wrapped up. i was checking out some pointy guitar when i looked up, and saw my little brother sitting at a kit with niko mcbrain behind him, telling him something or other. he hung out with my brother for a really long time, like 35 minutes or something, while everyone else just went about their business. when we walked outta there, i don't think he touched the ground all the way home.


i was working the brake alongside this apprentice back in the late 90's. we were shootin the breeze how you do, as you bend metal mindlessly at this machine. well, we're talking about music, and i mention how i LOVE jame's brown's stuff. he says, that's my uncle or somethin". so i'm like get the fuck outta here! no way are you related to james fucking brown. so he says whatever and we continue our conversation. F.F. about a year or so later. it's a hot summer day. after lunch a few of us are sittin around bullshittin. tom is over by himself lookin at some pics. well after a few minutes he comes up to me, and hands me these pics. he says "last week when i was on vacation i went to either n.c. (or virginia, i forget which) and went to our family reunion. i took some pretty cool pics, wanna see 'em?" ok i said, having forgot all about the day we worked the brake together. hey, you gotta big family, tom? "yeah, you know how it is...) blah-bla-blah as i look through these pics of what was essentially a big-ass picnic. somewhere along the way i come to this pic of some kids playin horseshoes. in the back of the scene are a few old folks sitting in those aluminum lawn chairs. one of them was james fucking brown. a little further on, there he is sittin at a table with a bunch of other people. none of the pics he was in, were of him. the only other time i ever saw that was when i met a friend of john wayne's.


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