Brush With Greatness

ericgtr · 08-16-2003, 06:32 AM

FH mentioned that we should start a topic on this. Here is the story of when I met Ed, I have posted this before on this site but it's been a while and I haven't had many brushes with greatness so I will start us off.

I went LA (from Oregon) 2 times in the late 80's, early 90's for various reasons but the main reason was to find Eddie and have him autograph my guitar. My ax was a flying V knockoff that I painted up red with white and yellow stripes, pretty cheesey now that I look back but I was young.

One of the first places I went to was Gil's Liquor store in Hollywood, when I walked in I was star struck with all the photos on the wall of everyone from Bruce Willis to Charlie Sheen on the wall with their arms around Gil (I am assuming).

Just above the door was a picture of him with Ed and when I went up to the counter I pointed at the picture and asked the guy if I could have a map of the stars so I could get his address. He said "sure, but it doesn't have his address in it" so I proceeded to ask if he knew where he lived. He gave me explicit directions to his house while assuring me that there wasn't a chance that I would get past the gates, I was just thrilled to get the info.

The next day me and my buddy went there and sure as shit, there was a big ass gate (this was the first house before he moved) and my buddy said "dude lets just get the hell out of here" as I walked up to the gate and commenced to pressing the button, my buddy was sure there were armed guards and bolted for the van.

The gate started to open and I couldn't see anyone, I almost shit my pants. After it opened up a guy that I had never seen before walked out and asked if he could help me. "uh.. is Eddie here"? The guy could tell what I was up to and told me that it was his personal place and politely asked me to leave. What could I say to that? at least I didn't get my ass kicked.

Two years later around Christmas time I go back to LA and back to Ed's house (still the original) I didn't bother to ring the gate this time (I partially learned my lesson) I just thought it would be cool to catch a glimpse of him. In true stalker syle we are parked right across from his gate just below Stevie Nicks driveway, we didn't care if we blocked her off and we figured we could take anyone from fleetwood mac on.

We had been parked there for about an hour and it was getting dark so we decided to pack it in and take off down the hill (or private drive) as we are driving down we saw someone waving us over to them, it was dark so we couldn't tell, I told my buddy "that's Eddie dude!" he said no way so we pulled over and it was indeed Ed.

He signaled for us to roll down the window and he stuck his head in the window and said "are you guys delivering something for Christmas or something"? (you could smell beer on his breath) Obviously he had seen us in stalker postion for the last hour from his newly built house. My friend said "no my buddy here was wondering if you autograph his guitar for him" Ed stood there for a second then said "sure pull it out" as he slapped the trunk so I did and he was cool enough to even ask who he was making it out to. He introduced himself to us both and shook our hands then said "well guys, I gotta run, dinner's waiting for me, Merry Christmas".

It was the coolest experience of my life and I will never forget my buddy's dad laughing at me for putting a sharpie pen in my guitar case thinking I would be let down. The guitar is long gone (long story) but its pretty trivial compared to actually meeting him and shaking his hand in that setting. Sorry this is so long winded but I hadn't shared that for many years, so there ya go.

**EddieMan2003** · 08-16-2003, 07:51 AM

ahhh why'd you get rid of the guitar!!!

FH · 08-16-2003, 08:44 AM

Famous people I've either met or seen in person (no really cool stories to go with them) I used to get backstage all of the time because of friends who were either in radio or record-stores. Here are musicians I either shook hands with, spoke to, or just got backstage to see up close:

Eddie, Alex, and Mikey all backstage during the 1984 tour. Only got to speak directly to Mike and Alex-Eddie was being interviewed and seemed stand-offish afterwards. (Dave wasn't in sight.)

All of Iron Maiden the same year I believe. Cool bunch of cats!
Various members of:
Quiet Riot
Loverboy
Dio
Asia
Bryan Adams
Survivor
Ozzy
Scorpions
Bon Jovi
.38 Special
ZZ Top
Def Leppard
Tesla
Queensryche
Kip Winger at a Border's Music store when he was promoting his first solo record. He played acoustically, talked, and gave autographs. Really nice guy but pretty short.

Celebrities and others:
Best brush with greatness was watching the filming of "Shallow Hal" and meeting Jason Alexander and Jack Black. Two really nice guys-I predict big things for Jack Black. Helluva funny guy!
Seen in person:
Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, who I lived in the same neighborhood as a kid before their scandal. I used to think their son was retarded but he's just weird. Their daughter was a stuck-up bitch. I used to trick or treat and Tammy would come to the door. She was always super-friendly. One year, they had an indoor pool built and the very next year they had it filled in to make an indoor garden. They also had an air-conditioned dog-house.

Rick Flair the wrestler on many an occasion(and many others when wrestling was big before the WWF took it over.). We used to fuck with him all of the time by yelling out his trademark "Woo!" and sometimes he'd return it.

Bruce Willis and Demi Moore
Gwenyth Paltrow
The drummer for Poison skateboarding downtown.
Steve Vai and Billy Sheehan in a magazine store
I missed Bruce Springsteen by 5 minutes shopping in a record store (my friend who worked there called me and I didn't get there in time!)
Dave Chappelle
I feel like there's a couple missing but can't remember.

**EddieMan2003** · 08-16-2003, 10:58 AM

the only famous person i know and talk to is wcw's glacier aka ray lloyd.

08-18-2003, 05:04 PM

used to work at a sound board manufacturer in memphis called Auditronics...I was the CFO and went to lunch with Al Green on a few occasions...that's about it for me..

wip5150 · 08-19-2003, 09:27 AM

I've had several brushes with mediocrity and two brushes with greatness. First, the mediocrity:

I moved from Dallas to New York with my bride in 1998. The company I was working for at the time had acquired a company (professional grade video and audio tape) based in New York and Hollywood. Given the choice, I moved to the Big Crapple. Anyhoo, this company serviced production houses, recording studios, etc. but also had a store front. Well, one day who shows up to buy some videotape but Fred "Rerun" Berry from What's Happening fame. I chatted Rerun up a bit and even got a signed headshot from him - dick charged me $3.00.

Other brushes with mediocrity:

<ul type="square">[*]Comedian Larry Miller (the suck up salesman in Pretty Woman ) at Grand Central Terminal [*]Newsman Stone Phillips on a commuter train[*]Former Oklahoma/Dallas Cowboys football coach Barry Switzer at a grocery store in Dallas[*]Comedian Jackie "the Jokeman" Martling formerly of the Howard Stern Show at the Friar's Club in New York City[/list]
And now, for the greatness

Again, when I was living in New York I had the pleasure of going up to the Sony Music building several times as Sony Music was a rather large client. I would go up to my contacts office and he would always give me free CD's - usually crap like Will Smith. But this time, he gave me a John Mellencamp CD and I mentioned I was a big fan. He quickly made a phone call and escorted me to the elevator bank where we waited about three minutes. Still having really no clue what the hell we were doing, the doors opened and out comes a diminutive Johnny M. I mentioned to him that I was a big fan and he thanked me, asking me what I was did at Sony. I told him that I didn't work for Sony but was a vendor. He graciously signed my CD and told me to "stay away from the suits". All in all, a very cool dude.

As a young lad in Texas, I had the opportunity to meet Eric Johnson on several occasions and he is truly a down to earth, soft spoken gentleman.

ericgtr · 08-19-2003, 09:35 AM

LMAO rerun charged you for a photograph, I am rolling here! If you were willing to pay out for his pic maybe you are also willing to have him Call You with a personalized greeting for only $19.95!

The Mellencamp story is cool and not surprising that he said said stay away from the suits, he's a good guy.

wip5150 · 08-19-2003, 09:40 AM

[ QUOTE ]
LMAO rerun charged you for a photograph, I am rolling here! If you were willing to pay out for his pic maybe you are also willing to Call You with a personalized greeting for only $19.95!

The Mellencamp story is cool and not surprising that he said said stay away from the suits, he's a good guy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Given the same opportunity with that talentless tub of shit, you would have done the same thing. I loved What's Happening when I was a kid so Rerun is sort of an icon with me. Truth be told, I bought three of them - one for myself and two for buddies of mine (Troyboy being one of them). I was glad to do it.

Tell me Eric, how much would you pay for a signed autograph of your beloved "Star Wars Kid"?

FH · 08-19-2003, 09:43 AM

Jackie the Jokeman, mediocre? Well, I can see now since he made such a HUGE mistake leaving the Stern show. I heard his wife divorced him recently...

ericgtr · 08-19-2003, 09:44 AM

Capitalism is one thing but $3.00? I am not sure but I am willing to bet that people aren't necessarily beating his door down to pay for that. Something tells me re (made a) run for the crack house.

Wolfman · 08-19-2003, 09:44 AM

Like wip, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Eric Johnson. He played a show here a couple years ago at a smaller venue with the Derk Trucks Band. After the show, we waited outside his bus and were first in line to shake his hand and chit-chat for a few. Absolutely amazing, warm individual. You felt very peaceful talking to him and got a real sense of total "cool" around him. He's very quiet, soft-spoken and reserved, and there is no bullshit air about him at all - pretty much what I imagined meeting him would be like.

Other meetings with rock stars:

Ozzy Osbourne at a record signing around or so. People talk about how airheaded Ozzy is these days, but lemme tell you- he was just as dense then. [img]images/smilies/wutblau.gif[/img] LOL He was very nice and polite, but it was funny as a 14-year old kid to say "Kick Ass, Ozzy!", and have him shake your hand and go "uhhh.... yeah, rock and roll, man" at half-speed. [img]images/smilies/icon16.gif[/img]

Not soon after that I went to another signing for Quiet Riot because they were in town for the Metal Health tour opening for ZZ Top. Strange double bill, but it was a great show regardless. Anyway, I was in a graphic arts class in H.S. at the time, and our first photography assignment was just a "general miscellany" theme. So I took my camera to the signing, and shot the guys mingling with fans. They totally hammed it up in front the camera for me. Unfortunately, my first attempt at developing the film by hand totally backfired on me, and all the shots had blotches and blurs on them. [img]images/smilies/icon_rant.gif[/img] I can still remember the faces Kevin Dubrow and carlos Cavazo were making in my head though. [img]images/smilies/rock.gif[/img]

Wolfman · 08-19-2003, 09:46 AM

[ QUOTE ]

Tell me Eric, how much would you pay for a signed autograph of your beloved "Star Wars Kid"?

[/ QUOTE ]

LMFAO!! Touche! [img]images/smilies/icon_lol.gif[/img]

wip5150 · 08-19-2003, 09:49 AM

[ QUOTE ]
Jackie the Jokeman, mediocre? Well, I can see now since he made such a HUGE mistake leaving the Stern show. I heard his wife divorced him recently...

[/ QUOTE ]

This was post Stern, which puts him squarely in the mediocre category. I hadn't heard that about his wife, but it doesn't surprise me.