Who has had the opportunity to meet and mingle with famous musicians? (Page 1 of 2)

Years ago when I was 16 we rented a small house at the beach. At that time I was just starting to play classical guitar and doing a basic thumb and two fingers was the best I could do but it still sounded good. I was sitting in the screen in porch and watching the beach. Around 6:00 PM I could hear some wonderful music from the larger house next door. It turned out when I went over closer to listen and it was  Peter Yarrow, Noel (Paul) Stookey and Mary Travers. They invited me in and we stayed up until sunrise and they let me play some with them. Peter and Paul at that time where playing with classical guitars too. I already knew who they were. And as good as the Peter and Paul were, Mary Travers was the one who had the best voice by far. When I got back to our house and told them the  story no one else believed me. By the next day they were gone.

The only reasonably well-known musician I've ever met was Canada's "Prime Minister of the Blues", Dutchie Mason. It was back in the mid-70s (before he got famous) and he was performing at the Wyse Owl Beverage Room in Dartmouth, NS ... a pretty scuzzy joint in those days. Dutchie was blind drunk, and fell off the stage at our feet. My two buddies and I helped him to a chair, but he was incoherent and we just left him there. I found this pic online (that's him in the middle, beige suit) and this looks like it was taken at the Wyse Owl, around that time period.

Good thread ... I had some chuckles remembering this incident.

We're in the midst of our local Canada 150 Celebration and week long "Heatwave" music festival.  Lucy is running the green room (I'm her swamper) and we're having a blast helping out the artists and spending some time before and after their shows.  The biggest names are Bruce Cockburn, Stephen Fearing, and the Paper Boys, but keep your eyes on Shred Kelly, Red Moon Road, Cecile Doo-Kingue, and Don Amero.  All really great people and amazing musicians.  Some just chill and chat, some do a full on half hour warm up/show.  Great fun!

I've been on the same bill as Hugh Corwell from the Stranglers ,had a beer with Steve Hilllage ,Kev Ayres and Mike Oldfield.And jammed with some of Greece's finest over the years.I'm lucky to live in an area inhabited by many famous folk musicians ,nearest is Mike Harding who lives about a mile up the road.

I was a bellman and met a few stars , some have heard this before, but I chatted with and gave a ride to a laundromat  to Jeff Keith from Tesla. he gave me 2 tickets and stage passes, they were opening for Poison.  that same year was also all the girls in VIxen.  didnt talk to him but Warren hanes got up on stage eith my friends bad and jammed. and met a guy from an almost famus band called Rock City Angels the same night. (they were dropped by David Geffin in lu of GnR)

i also got to meet and hang a bit with Dom  Deluise  when he stayed at the hotel.

Quite a few over my lifetime Otis Redding,Fats Domino,Sonny Terry, Brownie McGee,Chambers bros, Liza Minnelli Liberace, Deep Purple and the list go's on oh heck one more Sammy Davis jr. thats all I can recall at the moment.

Yes. I met and played for Sammy Davis at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas for his Birthday party, I played in Vegas for 7 years up and down the strip most of the movie stars I mentioned I met in local clubs I sang with the Chambers Bros.at the Troubador night club in Los Angeles before they cut their big hit "Time."  When I lived in Portland Oregon I played with a hard rock group called "High Voltage" we opened for some top acts including Deep Purple so I got to meet some great musicians. I was getting ready to order pizza at the Leaning Tower of Pizza(that was the name of the restaurant) in Las Vegas when I met Liberace he stepped out of a white Rolls Royce in a full-length white mink coat and came in for a pizza with some friends so I introduced myself and mentioned I was raised in Milwaukee  (he is from the area) and he invited me to join his party so we reminisced about all the good places to go. I met Liza at a night club I was playing at just off the strip we had a drink and talked a bit then I had to get back to playing. When I lived in Milwaukee I played a club called "Papa Joe's" where Roger Smith and Ann-Margret stopped in several times to catch our act he was playing down the road (guitar and singing) back in the mid 1960's there are quite a few more just cannot recall them at the moment.

Badeye ... I grew up just a few miles from Paradise, in Bridgetown ... small world, eh?

Worked on the Rolling Stones gig at Newcastle in 1990. Met all guys in the support acts. The Dan Reed Network and The Quireboys. Helped build stage and drove the Main Roadies about. I drove the support acts from dressing rooms to stage stayed on stage then took them back to dressing rooms. I was then on the side of the stage for the whole of the Stones Gig. Got paid for a whole weeks work and had the most fantastic time. Wish I still had the t shirt with Local Crew Urban Jungle Tour. But down the years it has been lost in 6 house moves.
So I've been on stage with The Rolling Stones, The Dan Reed Network and The Quireboys all in one night.

I did get to meet Livingston Taylor one time, but that is hardly difficult.  He is gracious and is willing - eager even - to meet anyone who comes to one of his shows. My brother is a big fan of his (probably likes him better than his big brother James) and so I purchased his latest CD and asked for an autograph.  Now, some musicians, they come back to the stage after some time in the green room or backstage or whatnot and sign autographs quickly, but Livingston literally walked down off the stage at the end of the show and straight to the attached pub where he sat at a table, sipped some iced tea or water (not a beer), and gladly shook the hand of anyone willing to talk to him and chatted for a bit.  Not just the "thanks for coming" chat, but actually asking questions about the fans as if he was the one lucky enough to meet them. Never heard of an artist to willing to do that.

I met Vernon Reid (Living Color) at a casino in Vegas. I jammed with Phil Guy and Ronnie Baker Brooks (two different occasions). I got backstage to meet Bruce Hornsby after a show in Vegas. He was one of the nicest people you'd ever like to meet. Finally I met and spoke with BB backstage after a show; that was a fun one. He asked me how long I've been playing, I said since the age of 5. He looks at me with a straight face and says "wow. I started when I was 11. By the time you're my age you'll be a lot better than me."