I didn't really meet him but in Pete Rose's rookie year I got his autograph in parking lot of River Downs racetrack on the daily race program. I was about 12.

To Dave, Best Wishes, Pete Rose. He was friendly and not a big shot.

Somewhere over the years it disappeared probably ruthless housekeeping by my mom or a sticky fingered pal.

Probably Stormin' Norman Cash, first baseman for the Detroit Tigers in the '60's and AL batting champ in '61. He rented a house in my neighborhood back in the mid '60's. A group of us kids, all about 10 years old, mustered up the courage to knock on his front door. He took the time to sign autographs and chat with us about baseball. Very gracious man and bigger than life, to a 10 year old, anyway.

I can't recall

Richard Feynman (physicist, author) was the first I met and talked to when I was 7 yo; I knew his son. Met Stan Smith (tennis player) when I was also a kid. Later as an adult, saw many actors, sports personalities and musicians, but never approached them. The only exception was Andy Partridge from the band XTC, talked to him for a few minutes at a record signing event. Real nice guy.

Brooks Robinson, Hall of Fame 3rd baseman. He spoke at my Boys' Club when I was in 2nd grade.

I forgot one. Between the time I saw Cadet Don and Charlton Heston(not counting the sports celebrities), I met Gene Simmons at the Houston Downtown Hyatt Regency back when they were never seen without makeup back in the '70s. My buddy, who somehow knew he was going to be there, skipped school that day with me. We were with him for a good 5 minutes with no one else but some man he was with, and we got a ton of autographs on album covers and T-shirts.

We were talking with a girl at a counter after the encounter who asked who he was. She told us she wouldn't bat an eye at him even though he was so famous since he was so ugly. Yep, he surely looked different without his makeup.

quote:

Originally posted by armored:
I completely forgot that Hillary Rodham Clinton grew up and lived a block away from me In Park Ridge IL.
Her girl friend used to babysit for me and my Sister when I was in grade school.

If she had won the presidency I would have found a psychiatrist that could have put me under to help me "re-discover" that she had molested me as a child.
Talk about talking one for the team!

You really dodged a bullet there. You could have been suicided.

Hopalong Cassidy, during a parade in Tucson when I was about three.

He was riding Topper and I was sitting on the curb, so he seemed to be about 15' above me.

He'd been my hero up to that point and seeing them in that parade only reinforced that.

I met our local second-term congressman, Al Gore, Jr., in 1980. He was still best known for being a former senator's son at this point since he probably hadn't quite finished inventing the internet and hadn't dreamed up his carbon credit scheme yet.

Country music singer Steve Wariner switched to MCA Records in 1984; someone at the label knew someone in my college athletic department so they got my college cheer squad to attend the signing party to perform and add excitement. They really didn't need us for that since none of us knew who he was at the time, but we put on a good show for them. Mr. Wariner himself was very excited to be there, too. He was quite nice and it was a fun party.

I finally met a "real" celebrity at DragonCon some years ago. I attended a couple of panels with famous actors and actresses, and then got to personally meet and talk with Richard Hatch, Captain Apollo from Battlestar Galactica, a little later in the day. I was friends with his webmaster so I was invited to dinner with his group, but I had other responsibilities that night and had to decline. I still regret that, especially after his passing early this year.

quote:

Originally posted by Some Shot:
Hopalong Cassidy...

The original Hop-Along Cassidy pulp-fiction books portrayed him as a boozer and a brawler, but when Bill Boyd was offered the role, he insisted that the movie character be the straight-arrow. He was concerned about the influence his character would have on the children who would be his audience, and determined to be a good role model. He did well, I'd say.

Fred Haise Jr Apollo 13 Astronaut

Was able to sit down to dinner with him and heard the story of the Apollo 13th incident

quote:

Originally posted by deepocean:
What was Feynman like?

I vaguely remember him as a hippyish kind of guy, who spoke weirder than other parents. He played bongo drums at our school assembly a couple of times.

I forgot to mention Tom Sneva in my first post and the OP said "the first celebrity" so that would be Tom. We grew up together in the same neighborhood in Spokane and went to the same schools till college. Of course I knew him long before he became a celebrity. He obviously got into circle track racing and I got into drag racing. He became well known and I, well, didn't and still reside in the world of anonymity.

Jim

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jimbo54,

The real Santa Claus, but not at the North Pole. He came to my house as a kid. You would think other Forum members might have met him as well.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
The real Santa Claus, but not at the North Pole. He came to my house as a kid. You would think other Forum members might have met him as well.

Nope, never saw him but I've met the devil a time or two.

Jim

My cousin, Richard Chaves. After getting back from Vietnam, he started acting and while not famous, he was pretty good. He was Poncho in Predator, but my favorite was his role in the play he co-wrote called Tracers.

Kurt Harland of Information Society (Pure Pure Pure Energy...).

The group was doing a tour for Peace and Love Incorporated in the deep south, I LOVED techno, but not many other people in that area did at the time.

The group's limo didn't make it in time, so myself and a friend had to pick them up from the airport and drive them to the hotel. I had a huge 70's car that felt like a limo, so I figured it would be ok.

He was pretty cool. Concert was ok, but he seemed put off due to the low attendance.

All the members of the band signed an extended single CD of "What's on your mind (Pure Energy)" but my friend kept it...

James

John Wayne. My dad knew him and I met him when I was five? six? years old.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
The real Santa Claus, but not at the North Pole. He came to my house as a kid. You would think other Forum members might have met him as well.

Me too. But when we peeked out the front window that Christmas Eve, just as he left, he didn't get into a sleigh, but into a car that looked just like my uncle's car. My mom said never mind, but we figured it out.

First was Jackie Stewart at Watkins Glen in 1971. Going to the races up there was my HS graduation present from my older brother. He wrote for some regional SCCA publication and had press as well as pit passes. He asked the Mod Scot a few questions and introduced me.