Nicest / most personable musician you've met?

My dad

 

Seriously? Isn't he notoriously aggressive? Especially nowadays?

You met Paul? What was he like?

 

Joe Strummer.

 

I so agree.

 

Derek Trucks- After a show outside the Chicago Theater was with his guitar going to jam somewhere, was nice enough to stop for an autograph
Warren Haynes- Ran into him curbside at LAX walking out of the limo super approachable
Charlie Hunter- Super cool and down to earth dude talked to him after a show at the Green Mill
Tom Morello- Another cool dude met him backstage after an Audioslave show
John Scofield- Great guy, talked to my brother and I for awhile after a show

 

I had a friend who claimed to have met Blackmore backstage somewhere back in the seventies (he used to work in security), and he said Ritchie was as nice as could be. I don't remember the details, and I've lost contact with the friend so I can't say anymore than that.

 

Dave Meniketti a master of light conversation, and I am sometimes not. Very polite and professional.
The Y&T member I sensed was a kindred soul was Phil. RIP....I managed an autograph, but didn't get to talk. He was sick, this wasn't long before he died. Made eye contact several times during the show.

Uli Jon Roth, only had very few words, was polite but I think he wanted to be left alone. Seemed like a really quiet unassuming guy. I don't think he speaks much english. A deity to me, I got out of his way.

I rubbed a few other shoulders, but never bothered trying to say hello, this is my normal MO.

 

I can think of many, but I gotta say that Adrian Belew, Steve Vai and Mike Keneally all stand out. All three of them are super nice guys.

 

...and then you woke up.

 

Yup. He's as straight up as can be...

You know he's from Ortonville, where my baby momma is from, right?

He's always doing cool stuff for the community; i.e. donating money to the local boys and girls club etc.

Plus, his restaurant in Clarkston is HEAT.

 

And here I thought I was special.

 

Yup.

 

Friggin' drummers, man.

 

Agree!! His wife, the amazing lani hall, as well, both real menches.

 

I met Moby once and he was really nice. He said 'Hi, I'm Moby'. I though that was cool. That he didn't just assume you should know.

 

I met John McLaughlin once in high school during the Mahavishnu days. I went to see Ali Ahkbar Khan at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, and during an intermission I saw him. I went over to him, and he was like a deity to me(I was about 16), and I babbled something, and he was quite gracious to a starstruck teenager.

 

Brian May
John Cale
Pat Fish (The Jazz Butcher)
Cliff Richard
Kylie Minogue

 

I haven't met too many, but a few nights ago I met Steven Wilson after his show and he very nice to come out and sign stuff and take photos with the fans who waited!

 

It always amazes me hearing these stories of the friendly famous people. I personally find the endless positive social energy impossible, even with all my best wishes for each individual and humanity. I am nobody, and maybe that is in part why. That said, I favor musicians over personalities, and I don't blame anybody for wanting to be left alone when the show is over.

 

Bruce Springsteen (and his Mom)

 

Very cool....did you meet him (them) when you were very young?

 

Yes. In 1982. I was 18.

 

I was asked to write a piece for a Music blog years ago. Just dug it out...



December 21, 1982. I'm 18 years old. I was in my fifth year of heavy-duty Springsteen obsession, so much that my little sister (16 at the time) started getting into him. She'd hear me blaring Rosalita, Jungleland and various bootlegs from my bedroom across the hall, and she eventually got hooked.

For Christmas, she asked me for the Dave Marsh "Born To Run" book. A friend told me that Marsh recently did a book signing at B. Daltons Bookstore at Monmouth Mall in Eatontown NJ, and books signed and numbered by Marsh were on sale at the store. Thought it might make a nice gift.

Off to the mall we go. Its about 6PM. The mall is crowded with holiday shoppers. We head into the bookstore. Sure enough, they got stacks of the book displayed, all signed and numbered by Marsh. Cool, I think, my sister's gonna love this.

I pay for the book. As I walk away from the cash register, with my new Bruce Springsteen book in hand, a person walks right past me in the aisle. I don't look at the person directly, but a sixth sense tells me to turn around and take a second look.

Holy sh**, its Bruce Springsteen.

I freeze, probably for about 30 seconds. He is wandering around the bookstore. He is with his Mom. They are Christmas shopping. I overhear him say that he's looking for a book on Buddy Holly.

My friend has the presence of mind to go to the cashier and get a pen. My friend says to me, "he's right here, might as well see if he'll sign the book."

I really can't fathom the weird coincidence of what is happening. I mean, I'm in the bookstore to specifically buy a book for my #1 hero--Bruce Springsteen--and Bruce Springsteen is in the store.

I walk up to him slowly in the Music aisle. He sees me coming. He looks up at me, half-smiles and says "hey". I say "hey, um, Bruce, sorry to bother ya, but would ya mind doing a favor for me??"

"Sure, whatcha got there?" He looks down and sees that I have his book in my hand. He looks at his mom, and says, "see, ma, people are buyin my book!" and chuckles. His mom smiles at me. She looked like a sweet lady, and she was beaming proudly at the attention her son was getting.

As I stood next to him, I was immediately struck by three things. First, he was short-very short. It was hard to believe that this mythical figure in my life was essentially the same size, if not shorter, than me.

Second, he looked rough. His skin was bad, very pockmarked and scarred. He looked dirty. He wore a black leather jacket, gloves with the fingers cut off, black jeans, heavy black work boots. He looked poor.

Finally, he smelled like motor oil. I'm pretty sure he was working on a car sometime earlier that day.

I ask him if he'll sign the book. He says, "sure, who's it for?"

"My sister"

"What's her name?"

"Monica"

He says "Monica, Monica, Monica" , repeating it in a monotone. I hold the book open for him to sign it. I open it to the inside cover, where Marsh had already signed the book. I'm trying to hold the book steady, but Bruce f****** Springsteen is standing right in front of me, and I'm very nervous. My hands are shaking, and by extension, the book is shaking.

He tries to put the pen to the paper, but the book is shaking too violently for him to sign it. He looks right at me, smiles, and says, in that trademark hoarse voice, "now, see, ya gotta hold the book steady so I can sign it. Otherwise, we're gonna be here till next Christmas" and lets out the trademark cackle/laugh. His Mom is still smiling. I'm mortified.

I finally compose myself and steady the book. I notice as he's writing, he's got dirt-lots of it-under his fingernails. He writes, "To Monica. Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas, Bruce Springsteen."

"There ya go" he says, handing the book back to me.

"Thanks Bruce. Hey, when's the new album comin out?"

He says, slightly exasperated, "it's comin, it's comin, probably next summer."

"Great, thanks again"

"Merry Christmas" he says, and goes back to shopping.

I admit, I stayed in the store another five minutes or so, and stared (really, stalked) him over the top of the book racks, just watching him. In the end, he didn't find the Buddy Holly book he was looking for. He walked out of the store with his Mom, unnoticed. We did not follow him, although I was tempted.

My sister really liked her present.

 

OK. What did Miles spike the cocoa with?

 

This was back in 1988 or 89 when he was with Masters Of Reality.
He shook my hand and we talked for a few minutes mostly about drums.
GB was pissed off that Resurrection Drums (who sponsored the clinic) gave him 2 DW kick pedals instead of the Ludwig Speed Kings he asked for, he told me "when you take your foot off of it, the beater goes back and forth". Then I told him "I have 2 in the trunk of my car, a WFL and another one I got from Joe Galdo as a back up". Then GB barked at one of the RD guys "you could have gotten me those Speed Kings that I asked for but were too lazy ask this man". Then GB asked me "what kind of kit I use?"
I was stunned. Here's Ginger Baker asking me what I use, "I have a set of Pearls that I can't stand, a set of Slingerlands that the insides are so lacquered up it sounds like you're hitting a basketball, and a 1963 set of Ludwigs I'm having restored which the previous owner turned into a hillbilly bar band drumset." GB told me to "****can the Pearls, sell the Slingerlands and keep the Ludwigs (which I did). Then he told me that the 22'' rivet ride is the only piece of gear he has from the Cream days, the gold sparkle kit he gave to his son, and the silver sparkle set was lost in transit somewhere. Then he signed my ticket stub, shook my hand again and split. It pays to be the last in line.

Ginger Baker is a awesome guy compared to Tony Williams.