Celebrity encounters

Please see the notice at the bottom of this writeup

What is it about celebrity? About famous people? Why do these people, who differ from the rest of us only in the fact that they are well-known, that make most people quiver and stutter and generally act like total dingbats? Is the Cult of Personality so pervasive and so intense that we find ourselves in awe? How do you handle meeting someone like this?

Have you ever stood on the shoulders of giants? Or, perhaps, merely bumped elbows with greatness?

Node your brush with stardom, that time that Barbara Mandrell sat next to your family at Shoney's, or when Wayne Newton came over to your table after the show.

metacognizant, for instance, has told me of meeting Dan Bern, aka Bernstein in a restroom at the Botton Line in NYC. What's your story?

Here are a few celebrity encounter writeups, ranging from normal to psycopathic and back again.

1. Sheepzalu nearly ran into the almost famous Jimmy Ray - and missed the chance to ask the best question ever.
2. owlman shares the story of Donald Sutherland, lunch, and a witty reply -- as well as a story about meeting a pre-Vegas Sheryl Crow (also choice).
3. kinglink found out just how truly hardcore and over the top the CDC are. Ok, not really. They're normal, apparently.
4. ReiToei works on Tom Cruise's computer, in the ridiculously named, You sad cookie, you *care* more about filthy rich pretty people you'll never meet.
5. kthejoker must've had something else on his mind.
6. Scupper relays this short bit about Sigourney Weaver.
7. iocane handles himself well in an encounter with rock legend Lemmy Kilmister. He has also passed John Hannah on the street, and has been personally menaced by Stephen Fry.
8. Oolong manages not to talk to Tom Baker at a book signing event and lives to tell the tale.
9. spiregrain takes the high road in this tale of meeting RMS.
10. User 667 tells us about Trent Reznor. And, despite the fact he mentions Front242 in it, it's a good story. Front 242? Jeez...
11. Some of you know who Vince Furnier really is. Or, vice versa, or something. Well, our own siouxsie knows. And sat with him one evening. Read and believe. School's out, baby.
12. Mellamaphone gives us a "close enough" story. Her friend encounters a bewildered Beck who can't open doors.
13. This one I have never quite figured out.
14. Rancid_Pickle was not on board the Enterprise, but did meet the helmsman. Well, at least, George Takei.
15. Halspal is a busy little booger. For instance, this one, and this one and, yea, this one too.
16. sarcasmo tell us about the oddest member of an odd panel.
17. fatboyrafe has met the Godfather - really.
18. regeneration sticks out his hand, twice, for a former world leader.
19. noether asks a silly question of Andrew Wiles.
20. impishlaugh and Reverend Screwdriver have run into the one and only Violent J of Insane Clown Posse.
21. riverrun has an ongoing relationship with Orson Welles.
22. lawnjart had the pleasure of asking Steve Lawrence about an unusual cover song he did. dem bones has also had the distinct honor and pleasure of working for Steve and Eydie.
23. moodster tells us about meeting Robert Anton Wilson.
24. Ahab met Michael Feldman recently, and got some good advice as well as a job offer (of sorts).
25. Ahab also pointed me to Andukar's encounter with Sean Connery.
26. Mad_Dog_Fargo tells of how he helped Joe Walsh remember the details of the big game.
27. mat catastrophe and I share the (strangely similar) bond of meeting the one and only Mojo Nixon.
28. burnboy has a bad experience with Pete Sampras.
29. Celebrity Encounters: Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon - ideath and yossarian have this in the daylog.
30. chinoodle's dad meets Pamela Anderson head on, and doesn't know it.
31. How NOT to Meet a Nobel Laureate - fizzer almost lets the cow out of the barn.
32. Celebrity Encounters in a blues club, tips included - stylee works in a hub of celebrity activity. And, apparently, so do the gazelle, Quizro, andrewsky, and ReiToei.
33. Your fellow noder Ahab had the pleasure of meeting a very humble David Sedaris....and also held Mr. Rogers hostage.
34. From the "How to Win Friends and Influence People" files: discofever marks himself as a psychopath for Mr. Barry Sanders.
35. Tony Blackburn almost met his fate under the tyres of amnesiac.
36. Transitional Man knew Chrissie Hynde before she was famous.
37. qousqous' mom almost ran over Mr. Unsafe at Any Speed.
38. cole_p met a less-than-prominent politician in Singapore and has the goods on why he's important here.
39. Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich made harveysad quit his job at a movie theater. Seriously.
40. LeoDV was once granted an audience with the Pope.
41. rara avis got a kick out of Christina Ricci.
42. Fushi once saw Ringo Starr. (But he was stoned, so who knows for sure)
43. Syd Barrett used to live at Pignut's house.
44. originalzin has met a number of Washington, D.C. power-players.
45. Actress Christa Miller has seen passport naked.
46. avalyn has met both Douglas Coupland and Nicole Blackman.
47. moeyz met Bill Cosby many years ago and was not impressed with his attitude.

This is the NOTICE

Firstly, this node wouldn't be the same without the people who send me these writeups. And especially mat catastrophe, who took care of this node for years and years.

This node has been locked up by folks at the top, so from here on out, you must /msg me with the node title. I'll stick it in the list as soon as I can.

At this time I also have another odd request. Before you submit to me, please make sure that you have not namespaced your node title. Put your writeup in either a daylog (if recent) or the node for the famous person or group that you met (if it was ages ago).

That's All. Show's Over. Go Home.