Brush with Greatness

[Duffman]

This forum is a little slow so I'd thought I'd throw this out there. Anybody ever have a brush with greatness with somebody in the entertainment industry? Doesn't matter how small or trivial.

My old man was in the business, so I have a couple little brushes myself. They both occured about 30 yrs ago. I had dinner with William O'Connel in Sedona, AZ. He was a friend of my dads from college. I know, I know, who the heck is William O'Connel??? Well, I saw him again last night on the tube, he plays the part of the barber in High Plains Drifter. He also plays the part of the ferry boat captian that goes for a "Missouri River Boat Ride" in The Outlaw Josey Wales. I figure 1 degree of seperation is about as close as I'll get to Clint Eastwood.

Williams bit parts in TV history is pretty impressive - Rawhide, Charlies Angels, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Night Stalker, The Odd Couple, Gunsmoke, Green Acres, Mission Impossible, Petticoat Junction, Star Trek, Batman, The Munsters, The Twilight Zone, Daniel Boone, and even Love, American Style. So it's sorta cool to look back and say that I've had dinner with someone involved in so much TV history, not to mention two of the greatest westerns ever.

My second brush is a little morbid, my dad was directing a play at the Windmill Dinner Theatre in AZ. The star of the show was Bob Crane aka Hogan from Hogan's Heroes. I was just old enough that my dad thought I could watch the play that had some adult content(I was almost 12). After the show, Bob Crane comes out and does the meet and great thing, signs some autographs and then heads back to the dressing room. My dad brought me into the dressing room to meet Bob, he autographs my program with "Your Dads the greatest! Bob Crane."

I still vividly remember the phone call we got the next day saying that Bob was found murdered. I may have the last autogragh he ever signed. Sort of creepy, even creepier if you've ever seen the movie Auto Focus, which is about his career and some funky shenanigans.

[Bigbartguy]

Prince driving next to me on Hwy 100 - he was in a BMW, with a limo following his car.

Heidi Fleiss, the hollywood madam came rushing out of an office building Bev Hills and almost knocked me down. Didnt say a thing, gave me a snotty look like it was my fault. Not sure how she ever made a living, because SHE wouldve had to pay ME to spend an evening with her. She had been hit pretty hard with the Ugly Stick (and NOT the fishing rod!! )

Mike Tice at Ruth Chris in Mpls, big guy with his family having dinner. Nice guy, gave the 'hows it going' nod.

Kobe Bryant right after he was charged with sex assault. There were 20 cameras outside the Westin San Antonio, being held back by police. They kept following the limos/vans pulling up. I'm at the hotel doors talking on cell and he climbs out of a Suzuki Samarai, bumps into me and goes into hotel. The press never even knew.

Shaq attack! Sitting next to him in a hotel lounge. Nobody really bothered him. HE IS HUGE. We did the 'hey how you doing' chit chat talk for 10 min or so. Wish I wouldve had a camera, nice guy.

Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman in Vegas a few years ago -everyone was looking towards me in the bar. I asked bartender what was the problem. He said 'turn around' and those 2 were standing right behind me. Spoke with them for a minute, nice enough guys.

the Best is Tootie from Facts of Life. In Vegas about 2am? She walked by me, I introd myself and she ended up hugging me and chatting for few min. I think she was as inebriated as I was. She was trying to ditch some guy that was following her around, trying to get her with her. She kept grabbing my arm every time I'd try to walk away. I think she gave me a peck on the cheek? Cant remember. Very nice though, probably just happy to be recognized.

more but drawing a blank right now

[irvingdog]

Played Fooseball until 6 a.m. with Mick Jones of the Clash one time.....

[Meat-Run]

I have a few and you might see a pattern of what industry I work in.

-The Claw from the WWF days. He lived in Lake George north of Park Rapids. Seen him a couple times as I'm purchasing some Mt. Dews in the store before hitting the lake and says asks "hows the fish'n" His hands and legs looked like he was backed over by a cement truck about a million times. I was hurting just looking at him, what a rough life/career.

-Kent herbek(more regional) on 2001 walleye opener on Round lake. Lets just say we shared a few ugly words with each other and leave it at that!!!

-Allen Warren, Roland Martin, Bill Dance, and Babe Winkelm and myself all shared a lunch table at ICAST last year for a major cable network lunch'n. I regreted it for not taking a picture of some of the longest running outdoor personalities in the fishing history!!!

-Paul Ellison, shared a boat with him back in the Don Shelby Inventational bass tournement in 1990, nice guy.

-Ron Linder, same tournament and shared boat right during his "recovery" days. Cig, coffee, Cig, coffee, Cig, coffee... you get the picture but I learned some of the best techneques(sp) that are still in my arsenal today, priceless day on the water!!!!

-Larry Dahlber, at ICAST 2006 chat with him regarding his destinations that he travels to. To sum up a quick discription of him is he looks just like Popeye, huge for-arms and about 48 inches tall but a very serious individual. Would love to share a boat with him some day.

That's all I can think of for now.

MR

[Dan Thiem]

Fished with Hanson a few times.

[nate larson]

I was with Rick James when he grinded his feet on Eddie's couch.

[jbell1981]

Kirby Pucket - I was at a b-day party about 16 years ago (I was around 10) at circus-circus in Brooklyn Park. He was eating some Pizza with his family there. A bunch of us kids asked him for his autograph which he almost started doing until his wife told him not to and she told us to leave.

[Meat-Run]

those two must be a carbon copy, to bad.

mr

[CrappieAttitude]

I played basketball with Toby Keith and stepped inside his tricked out bus.

CA

[Andrew Erickson]

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I was with Rick James when he grinded his feet on Eddie's couch.

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HAHAHAH that was a great episode

[Ebiz]

Caddied for Brett Favre & Bob Uecker(sp?) in a charity tournament in Milwaukee back in 93 or 94 - both were real nice guys.

[Harmonica Bear]

1981 (or was it 1980) I sang "10th Ave Freeze Out" with Bruce Springsteen at the St. Paul Civic Center. He came off the stage into the crowd, stood on the back of my chair singing to the crowd. Then he stepped on my seat, hauled me up next to him, and cheek to cheek we sang the rest of the song. For a 16 year old east side kid, that was darn near a life changing event.

Also at a Big Brothers/Big Sisters dinner I sat and had dinner with Ward Burton after he had won the Daytona 500. Everybody was talking to him about racing and when I asked him about hunting he moved over next to me and we talk'd for about a 1/2 an hour. That was pretty cool. You could tell he loves hunting as much as he does racing.

[zamboni]

Way way way too many- Worked the front counter for Avis Rent a Car. Rented Tim Herron a car, day after 9-11 he had a tourney in Pennsylvania and of course couldn't fly, Tony Dungy in KC- was in town for an African American Athletes Banquet, Dante Hall in KC, Christian Ojkoye in KC- was in town for Derrick Thomas' funeral, ALL the old WCW wrestlers-Goldberg, Kevin Nash, Bam Bam Bigelow (dead) Lex Luger and Ms Elizabeth (shes dead) my fave though was Stacy Kiebler- WOW-YUMMY. A few more, ex Vikes WR Leo Lewis rented from me in KC said hes the Vikings educational coordinator, which meant if a college kid left school early to pursue a NFL career, he would work with them to help get their degree. So many more, what a great job I used to have

[fishyguy]

I was at the doctor getting a second opinion on a broken hand from a hockey game the previous night. The ER doctor had told me I was out for the season which was not an acceptable answer. My mom being a nurse said she new a good doc to go see. In the waiting room I am talking with my mom about how I really didn't want to miss the rest of the season when the guy next to me asks me where I play, etc... I look over to my left and there is Neal Broten.

This was my soph year in 1984. Neal was a pretty big deal back then. I remember thinking this doc must know what he is doing. That doc had me fitted with a special cast and had me at practice that afternoon.

[Shack]

1987

Meet almost every team member on the twins During World Series! My mom got us right in the lower entry way of dome and I got autographs from Kent, Kirby, Gary, Tommy K, Danny G and even Reggie Jackson (he was announcing for series).

1989

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. My father had got front row tickets center! With in spitting distance!

1991

U.S. open! Met the likes of Jack N., Payne S., and my childhood idle Greg “the shark” Norman.

I still have his Auto out on display. The others are sealed up down stairs. Same goes with the Twinkies!

Note the date! I was with in feet of the lighting strike that killed at the 91 open!

[Bobby Bass]

Back in the late 70's I was moonlighting as a night security guard at a hotel in Superior WI. I would see Arnold Swarchenegger on a regular basis as he would come in town from time to time while getting his degree from UWS. He would call me by my first name with this big booming voice and ask how I was. Met Tom Hanks while he was visiting his mother on the same hospital floor that my wife worked on. Both really nice down to earth guys.

[The Grebe]

I did some road work with Scott LeDeux, our present boxing commissioner, and sometime T.V. boxing analyst, back in the day when he was a heavyweight contender.

[The Grebe]

Oh, wait, here's another one...my daughter and I ran a parent child race over in south Mpls., one time, guess who we came in just ahead of? Frank Viola and his son!

[The Grebe]

And the hits just keep on commin! Are you ready for this one???? I almost bought a car from Denny Hecker once!

[89Bronco]

Emmitt Smith was two places ahead of my wife and me in the security line at the Orlando Airport this spring.

Kevin McHale sat at the table next to us at Bimbo's Octagon on Side Lake.

Richard Dean Anderson (the MacGyver guy) bought my great-aunts cabin on a small lake somewhere "up on da range."

My wife spotted the lead singer from Saywer Brown walking through the Mall of America up near the food court on the third floor. He was very nice considering how my wife was acting...

My wife opened for Martina McBride a few years ago for a corporate show, so we got to meet her back stage and share the buffet.

My wife also sang a couple of patriotic songs back when the Vice President came to the Convention Center in Minneapolis, so we got to talk breifly with all the big-wigs back stage...Coleman, Kennedy, Hannity from Fox News. The V.P. didn't visit. We just shook hands. He gets rushed in and then right back out. We were part of the group on stage behind him as he was speaking. It was a neat experience.

Harvey MacKay gave two of my friends and I his seats for a MN Gopher football game back when I was in college. We were waiting in line to buy tickets and he offered his for free. 50 yard line, lower bowl!!! One of the nicest people I've ever met.

Tony Danza was in the crowd for my college graduation.

My wife got to share the floor with the Timberwolves and the Lakers when she sang the National Anthem for the game 5 playoffs back whenever that was. She also sang for the Twins, and the Wild. All very cool experiences.

Bobby Z.--the drummer from Prince's 1980's days. Got to be in the studio with him while he worked on my wife's album. That was cool.

Sat next to and ate dinner with Randall McDaniel at a St. Jude's fundraiser. Another very nice guy.

[The Grebe]

89B....Rancid Crabtree....a finer gentleman there never was....McManuses bud....I just happen to be reading one of his books right now...McManus that is..."Never Sniff A Gift Fish."

[DTro]

I worked the door at Chammps for awhile and met a bunch of the sports guys. One night I even told Warren Moon "I'm going to need to see your ID". He chuckled and actually showed it to me, and stood there and talked to me for about 15 minutes.

Ran into him again at a club downtown, he was sitting by himself, so I went over and talked to him again.

Had to escort Scott Erickson and Chuck Knobloch out one night as they refused to leave.

When I was in High School I was down here for my sisters volleyball tourney and staying at the Thunderbird Hotel.

I was sitting in the Hot Tub and there was another guy with me and we started talking and he said he was in town working on a soundtrack for a movie he was filming. He said his name was Lillo and we was working with Bob Deniro.

I didn't believe him, but it turned out to be true. Lillo Broncato in "A Bronx Tale" and more recently of "The Sopranos"

Probably the best is that I fished with Kurt Warner one summer when he was still a college guy. His dad was (and probably still is) a good friend of my boss at the time. I got to know his family real well those few years I worked there.

[smg04]

the guys from orange county choppers where at the kwik trip in stewartville today on there way back from sturges, had a big trailer with a bunch of there bikes in there, they said they just stoped to get some snacks and use the restroom but they opened up the trailer and let everybody check out there bikes and take some pics with the guys, very nice guys in person

[LwnmwnMan2]

I was at the MOA one time when the All American Sports Bar was there.

Went to use the bathroom and there's 7-10 guys just standing around, another guy on a stool using the urinal.

Yep.

Mini-Me.

[chunkytrout]

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Played Fooseball until 6 a.m. with Mick Jones of the Clash one time.....

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DUDE! That is way too cool!