What famous or semi-famous musicians have you met?

I'm curious who some of the famous or semi-famous musicians you have met and how was the experience?

I have met quite a few over the years. Here are a couple.

Peter Frampton - I have worked with Peter on a couple of occasions and have been around him many times at shows. He is a very nice person and a true professional. I have been to a couple of his sound checks and I really respect how much time he spends making sure the sound is at its best. He has a real passion for high quality sound.

Based on my observations of his sound checks, I can see why Frampton Comes Alive sounds so great. He is very accommodating to his fans.

Jack Bruce - I met Jack twice back stage and he was a pleasure to meet. He loved to talk music and he was sincerely engaged in conversation with me. Plus it was so awesome to see him play live. What a unique player.

 

I've hung out with the B52s, Fiona Apple, partied with Ween, and a whole bunch of other people. Being a photographer helps.. You get backstage an awful lot.

 

Glenn Frey (he was nice to me and with his wife and kids)
Andy Partridge
Elvis Costello
Derek Shulman (as part of an interview I did)
Gary Green (ditto)
Huey Lewis (not much of a fan but he's a nice guy as well)
and a couple of others I can't think of off the top of my head.

 

I did some graphic design work for The Kings and had the pleasure of lots of phone calls with the guitarist Mr. Zero over the phone during that time, he's a very cool laid back guy and has a lot of class as well. Although I didn't actually meet him, it was almost better as we had several long conversations over a couple months' time. Got to hear some interesting stories about their band's life and their music.

 

Alice Cooper
Keith Richards
Little Richard
Ian Hunter
All of The Monkees
Julian Lennon
Sean Lennon
Yoko Ono
Ringo Starr
Todd Rundgren
Geddy Lee
Michael Jackson
Billy Gibbons
lots of others.

All were extremely friendly except Cyndi Lauper. What a beeyoch!

 

I interviewed Derek Shulman of Gentle Giant in his office when he was president of Atco, as well as Daevid Allen of Gong. I also met Brian Wilson at a book signing; in fact, if you count autograph seeking, I've met many, including Al Kooper, Bill Bruford and Charles Lloyd. I spoke to J. Geils Band drummer Stephen Jo Bladd at my college graduation (his son was in my class). Speaking of college, I met Chick Corea after an on-campus show. I spent some time with Todd Rundgren at two computer shows, and have also broken bread with Al Kooper; in fact, I introduced Kooper to the realtor who sold him his house in Somerville, MA. I rapped with Harold Mabern after a Pharoah Sanders show. I also went to high school and summer camp with Neal Sugarman, who plays sax in Sharon Jones and Dap Kings.

 

I met Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek at the members only opening of the Doors exhibit at the Rock Hall in Cleveland a couple of years ago.

Can't really say I got to talk to them, just 30 seconds of chit chat while they graciously signed autographs.

Rick G

 

The Fat Boys.

 

The wife and I got to meet Gregg Allman in 2003 at Red Rocks. He had recently moved to our home town of Richmond Hill, Ga. and a friend of my mother in-law who works for Gregg got us full access passes. We watched the show on stage right next to the sound crew looking up at the crowd. Gregg was extremely polite and down home. We also said hello to Warren Haynes in passing. That has been a high light for us to meet a living legend in music.

 

John Paul Jones
Jorma Kaukonen
Micky Dolenz
Billy Bragg
Phil Collins
Peter Gabriel
Beth Nielsen Chapman
Mark O'Connor
Pat Metheny
Ornette Coleman
Hank Jones
Monty Alexander
The Indigo Girls
Dave Hope (bass player of Kansas)
G. E. Smith
Paulo Braga (drummer for A. C. Jobim)
Ben Folds
Brian Wilson

and more, plus the artists I've performed with in concerts (see my profile)

 

Mick Fleetwood. I had dinner with him and his agent at The Kings Head... a pub in Santa Monica, ca. If you go there, look for the picture on the wall of Mick. I'm sitting there next to him. Young guy, dark hair, glasses. I'm not looking at the camera.

We were there to talk about a piece of software he wanted me to write.

Joe Strummer. I ran into him at an airport bar in New York.

Clint Black. An autograph signing.

John Berry. An autograph signing.

 

Ian Anderson
Bobby Blotzer
Queensryche (original band)
Michelle Shocked
King's X
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
Steve Morse
Eric Johnson
Elliot Brood
Pat and Dan (aka The Black Keys)
Heartless Bastards

Everyone was really nice. I remember that Eric Johnson never took off his guitar the whole time everyone was talking to him after the show.

 

i haven't met that many, i tend to get a little awkward when near, except once. i recently talked to peter tork at the comic con in new orleans. of course i wore my monkees 1997 tour shirt. he was joking a bit about how he looked on it. we had a brief but delightful conversation. it was back when the tour was just rumor. he pretty much disspelled the rumor. the only other celebrities i met was three member of the waboritas (sammy hagar's backing band). i talked to mona, vic, and jesse harms after a 2001 dallas show. like i said earlier, i usually get a bit awkward, but i was kinda loaded from a couple of hours of drinking some cabo wabo before the show. i think i even made an inappropiate joke, but mona laughed a good bit at my little joke. i got their autographs on my cabo wabo hat, which i still have. they were very personable, and also delightful.

chad

 

Alan Parsons
Martin Atkins
Chris Connelly
Daniel Ash
David J
Wayne Coyne

 

Roger McGuinn--several times but when he was touring with Thunderbyrd in 77I got to sit and chat for a few minutes and I pulled out the Mr Tambourine Man US promo red vinyl single with promo pic sleeve--think I surprised him with that one---he signed it for me and asked " You want it from Jim or Roger"?

John Sebastian--on tour with Steve Martin--had him sig all of my Lovin Spoonful 45 Pic sleeves

Aimee Mann--signed a poster for me as she finished her sound check

Pat DiNizio--at my house for an "in house" concert

Neil Young/Steve Stills--Stills Young Band tour--as they got off their indivdual bus--signed my Buffalo Springfield LP slick for Stampede

Poco--Rusty, Paul and George--after show signing

Steve Earle--RSD 3 years ago--in store meet and greet with his wife.

Roger Daltrey--meet and greet pre show in 2009---asked him if he had ever met his idol--Johnny Cash--answer no but not sure I would.

Son Volt--met entire band during Okemah tour on my 50th birthday--photos and signatures

Alejandro Escovedo--met pre soundcheck outside venue and had him sign my vinyl LP "Always My Friend"

John Entwistle--solo--"Rat Race Choir" tour---signed my Decca "Magic Bus" LP

Bill Lloyd---conversations on the internet and then in person at Zanies in Nashville for a McGuinn show

Foghat--reunion tour 99? with Lonesome Dave post show--asked him about Dave Edmunds--not very talkative that night

Bob Welch--French Kiss tour--backstage post show--20 mins or so--very friendly


All I can remember at the moment

Mike

 

Harold Land
knew John Cipollina (QMS)
Sonny Sharrock
Steven Tyler (Aerosmith)
Joey Santiago (Pixies)
Blag Dahlia (The Dwarves)
Peter Thorkelstein (The Monkees)
Toots Hibbert (Toots and the Maytals)
Freddie McGregor
knew Barry "The Fish" Melton (Country Joe & the Fish)
The Mighty Diamonds
Elliot Sharp
Neil Young
Lemmy and Fast Eddie Clarke (Motorhead)
knew Chuck Prophet (Green on Red)
knew David Dictor and Franco Mares (Millions of Dead Cops)
East Bay Ray of the Dead Kennedys (played with)
Peter Albin (Big Brother and the Holding Company)
Spencer Dryden (The Airplane, NRPS)
Merl Saunders
David Byrne
Sky Sunlight Saxon of the Seeds (a friend who I played with)
Bobby Peterson, keyboardist of the McCoys (a friend who I played with)
Anton Newcombe (a friend, played in his band Brian Jonestown Massacre)

 

oops i forgot, i met micky dolenz after a christmas show in baton rouge. it was very quick, where he signed a pic of the monkees. by the way, peter signed the same photo when i met him a few months ago. hopefully, when i see the band in june, i can get davy to sign it as well. i may have someone with some pull at the venue they are playing at, so fingers crossed.

chad

 

Bruce in 1979. A genuinely nice guy.

 

As a journalist, when I was very young:
Robert Plant
Sinead O'Connor
Joni Mitchell
Chris Isaak
The Mission
The Church
Kingdom Come
Rick Astley
Sam Brown
Black
Ofra Haza (RIP)
Rita Mitsouko (RIP Fred)
and many others...

 

I wish I had my list as it would be a mile long. I worked as a DJ on radio and clubs, mobile gigs which had many famous people, in the distribution business since 1982, nightclub promotions in NYC in early 90's, etc. But I will just throw a few out...

Madonna
Billy Joel
Amy Winehouse
Robert Smith (Cure)
Siouxsie Sioux
Cyndi Lauper
The Ramones (Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Richie)
Grace Jones
RuPaul
B-52's
Bjork
Crystal Waters
Carol Douglas
Linda Eder
Spyro Gyra (had dinner with Dave Samuels)
Richard Hell
Lydia Lunch
Stiv Bators
Erasure
Deee-Lite
Nile Rodgers (Chic)
Violent Femmes
Natalie Merchant/10,000 Maniacs
John Lydon
Patti Labelle
Al Jarreau
Sebastian Bach
Kurtis Blow
The Trammps
Martha Wash
Cheryl Lynn
France Joli
Shannon
Randy jones (Village People)
Jayne County
Diana Krall
.... MANY MANY more

 

I saw John Zorn hanging about in the corridor at a Cobra gig at the Knitting Factory in '93 and I got him to sign a Naked City CD I had in my pocket. I came across as a bit of a gushing fanboy, but he was very nice about it.

 

Very early in his career, I helped Bruce Springsteen change a tire when his car broke down on the way to a show.

I made scrambled eggs with Loggins and Messina.

 

All of Y&T
All of Night Ranger
Johns Flansburgh and Linnell (They Might Be Giants)
Lane McCray (LaBouche)
Ice-T
Ray Charles
All of X (Exene Cervenka's band)
Greg Kihn
Dick Dale
Seth Justman (J. Geils Band)

 

I'm friends with Arcade Fire, Godspeed! You Black Emperor and Our Lady Peace. I've partied with Barenaked Ladies, Moxy Fruvous, Alice Cooper (thanks Dad!), Interpol, the Strokes, the Vines, the Hives and Dredg.

I've met Bono, the Edge, Neil Young, an insane amount of classical musicians (name a Jewish prominent violinist over the age of 50 and I've either met them or played with them at a private ceremony).

There are many others I am not listing the moment, but I've been lucky in whom I have met.

Certainly not as extravagant as some on this board, but I figure I've done okay!

 

Sorry, this thread gave me an excuse to post this picture. Greatest f'ing day of my life.




Oh, and this guy (forgive me, I was...21 at the time?)