Did you ever meet famous people when you were a kid?

[TPC]

Oscar Meyer used to be well known when I was a kid. Advertised on all the kids TV shows.
They made a sandwich spread ya don't see any more, baloney and hot dogs.
They had a mascot Little Oscar and he'd go around to grocery stores and give out free hot dogs and weiner whistles.
We walked into the store one day and there he was. I was probably 8, wish I got a pix with him.
I'll get back to little Oscar.

We were in West Los Angeles visiting family at the Sheraton Hotel when I was about 8.
The Milwaukee Braves bus rolled up and the whole team got off to be greeted by reporters.
Hotel lobbies were really big and comfortable and meeting places back then.

Pretty cool, but what was cooler was meeting the mascot of one of the teams TV sponsors,, Philip Morris' Cigarettes Johnnie Roventini who was promoting Phillip Morris with hand outs mingling amongst the players, reporters and fans.
He was dressed in the red triple button bib bellboys short shirt and blue pipe pants, felt hat, gloves and after only seeing him on Black and White TV,, looked sharp. Though only 4 feet tall, still was bigger than life with his million dollar smile and voice. He had a thick Brooklyn accent that seemed he was trying to avoid.
He was handing out the airline 4 pack of Philip Morris Cigarettes, really cool brass cigarette cases and calling out the famous page. A BFD to us kids:

[video=youtube;BAqFGop9gs8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAqFGop9gs8[/video]

So some years ago the then wife and I were at the opening week of a Hotel in Vegas.
I went downstairs to get her a coke and a hot dog and stood in line at a food kiosk they had.
What was to eventually become Little People of America were/was having a regional or national convention in 'Vegas and a line of (dwarfs) midgets were standing in line for a Hot Dog at the kiosk and I cue'd up with them.

Who should be the two guys in line in front of me? Little Oscar and Johnny Roventini,, in civilian cloths. Long since retired from enjoying their long careers.
They were cool, they had been famous in my kid frame of mind at the time, they talked to me about Vegas and I wish I'da had a camera.
Johnnie was a huge boating enthusiast and collected boats BTW. Don't hear of too many boat collectors.

Ya ever meet the famous when you were a kid?

 

[Boschma]

Met John Daly when I was a kid. He was my grandpa's next door neighbor at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage.
I still have the golf ball he gave me....Has an Arkansas Razorback on it and Says "Grip it and Rip It"

 

[RitcheyRch]

Lived down the street from Jason Lively who played Rusty in European Vacation and Debi Lester (stage name Debi Diamond) the porn actress.

 

[linus3]

Family had a vacation cabin in Kalispel Montana. We would always make it appoint to go to this pizza place/ saloon called Moose's (or something like that). Late 70's. I was more interested in playing with all the saw dust on the floor. My dad grabbed me by the hand and walked me over to this man sitting at the end of the bar. The man turned to me and asked if I liked motorcycles. Hell ya Mr. He reached out his hand and shook mine. Introduced himself as Evel Knievel. Patted me on the head and told me to always wear a helmet. My dad landed up having a drink with him. Few weeks later I received at ton of cool Evel Knievel crap in the mail that I wish I still had. Signed photo made out to me, couple of toys and a shirt, posters. My dad and I always would sit together and watch his jumps on TV. He was hero from then on out. :thumbup:

 

[JB in so cal]

Met Alan Hale, the Skipper, at the LA Boat show in the late 70's. Met John Wayne at his Jet Commander at John Wayne Airport-and saw his cool station wagon that had a raised roof so he could wear cowboy hats. think I was about 9 or 10.

 

[Mandelon]

I met RiverDave a couple times!

 

[dread Pirate]

Been in the music industry for 20 years, so I've met a lot of cool people. As a kid, Shirley Muldowney and Don Garlits are at the top. John Lithgow on Sunset strip when I was about 16.

Who remembers Fred Rated from the Federated Group?

 

[Riverbound]

Tank Abbott is one of my uncles close friends. So I literally grew up with him. Probably not the best role model. Lol.
Mr Ed was stabled next door to my aunts house.

 

[YoPengo]

I grew up in Thousand Oaks. The Dallas Cowboys use to have their Spring training at Cal Lutheran College (Now CLU). I would ride my bike down to watch them train every day after school and on the weekends. Roger Staubach came over to me at the fence one day. He said that he noticed me coming down on my bike to watch them train... He took he over to meet some of the players...Too Tall Jones, Hollywood Henderson and a bunch of others. He introduced me as their biggest fan. I got a bunch of swag and autographs. Besides my Dad, He was my hero for a long time.

The day Jerry Jones bought the team was the last day I was a Cowboy Fan.

 

[PVHCA]

Met John Daly when I was a kid. He was my grandpa's next door neighbor at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage.

I use to have a place on the 4th fairway on the resort course there. If your gramps frequented the 19th hole I'd bet I've met him before, Daly, Chipper Cecil and a few of us would slam a few back after playing, saw Dandy Don slam his golf cart into a row of parked carts in front of the bar/restaurant there, funny shit!!

 

[PVHCA]

I grew up in Thousand Oaks. The Dallas Cowboys use to have their Spring training at Cal Lutheran College (Now CLU). I would ride my bike down to watch them train every day after school and on the weekends. Roger Staubach came over to me at the fence one day. He said that he noticed me coming down on my bike to watch them train... He took he over to meet some of the players...Too Tall Jones, Hollywood Henderson and a bunch of others. He introduced me as their biggest fan. I got a bunch of swag and autographs. Besides my Dad, He was my hero for a long time.

The day Jerry Jones bought the team was the last day I was a Cowboy Fan.

You were never a real fan then!!

 

[River Lynchmob]

Grew up across the street from Michael Anthony. One of the nicest most down to earth guys you will ever meet.

 

[Boschma]

I use to have a place on the 4th fairway on the resort course there. If your gramps frequented the 19th hole I'd bet I've met him before, Daly, Chipper Cecil and a few of us would slam a few back after playing, saw Dandy Don slam his golf cart into a row of parked carts in front of the bar/restaurant there, funny shit!!

He wasn't a big drinker but did hang out with Chipper. His name was John Spyksma. I got quite a few lessons from Chipper when I was younger.

 

[koenig]

A few mostly in the 1980's with filming going on in Vancouver. Filmed an episode of MacGyver on my street, met Richard Dean Anderson, gave me a picture autograph card. Several cast of 21 Jump Street also while filming in my town, Johnny Depp, Richard Grieco (sp?), Holly Robinson. Dennis Millers in laws lived in my town and saw him at a local restaurant. Tom Selleck met him twice, once in Lake Tahoe and at a restaurant in Vancouver. Robin Williams in Whistler, he has a house there. Now retired NFL football Doug Flutie lived in my neighbor in Toronto, when I lived there. We had the same car and he started talking to me at a gas station about them (928). Current neighborhood about 3 country blocks from my house lives Chad Kroeger from Nickelback. See him at gas stations and a Japanese restaurants near here a lot. Best for last, my Mom grew up next door to Michael J Fox, when he was a baby. My Mom was friends with his sister. They lost touch in the 70's, family moved, etc. In the 80's the sister ended up working at my dentists office as a hygienist. Long story shorter, got to meet Fox via his sister, more relaxed and he was really nice.

 

[scouter]

How about kids of famous people?

In the mid 70's, I went to summer camp up in Susanville in Northern California. Some of the other kids that were there were Adam Klugman (son of Jack Klugman of the Odd Couple), and also Michael Landon Jr and Leslie Landon (son and daughter of Michael Landon). Leslie Landon was a hottie..... Adam Klugman was the epitomy of Oscar on the Odd Couple......

 

[koenig]

I forgot about John Travolta, filming Look Who's Talking in my neighborhood. His celebrity was on the decline and he was actually pretty down to earth.

 

[JRS1939]

I was lucky enough to meet and get an autograph from The Intimidate Dale Earnhardt was I was about 5

 

[AEA]

I met Roy Rodgers and Trigger when I was 5 or 6.

 

[H20-ski]

I met Mickey Mouse when my parents took me Disneyland. I think I was about 6 years old.

 

[dread Pirate]

I was lucky enough to meet and get an autograph from The Intimidate Dale Earnhardt was I was about 5

When I was 20 working at California Street Rods I got to meet Dale. Better than that we had one of his cars at the shop getting ready for the L.A. show and my boss let me drive it into the shop. :champagne: He asked I said "Really" he said "I won't ask again". I jumped in that thing before he could change his mind. It took me almost 5 minutes to figure out how to start it though.

Also met Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top during that time. Super cool dude that would slip in the back door and ask all of us what we did to his car as he really wanted to know. He would listen intently and crawl under stuff or whatever it took. He would hand everyone $100 even if you only washed the car or helped push it. Very humble man.:thumbup:

 

[Vmjtc3]

Family had a vacation cabin in Kalispel Montana. We would always make it appoint to go to this pizza place/ saloon called Moose's (or something like that). Late 70's. I was more interested in playing with all the saw dust on the floor. My dad grabbed me by the hand and walked me over to this man sitting at the end of the bar. The man turned to me and asked if I liked motorcycles. Hell ya Mr. He reached out his hand and shook mine. Introduced himself as Evel Knievel. Patted me on the head and told me to always wear a helmet. My dad landed up having a drink with him. Few weeks later I received at ton of cool Evel Knievel crap in the mail that I wish I still had. Signed photo made out to me, couple of toys and a shirt, posters. My dad and I always would sit together and watch his jumps on TV. He was hero from then on out. :thumbup:

When I was a kid I used to sit in Moose's and eat peanuts and drink coke with my uncle. Moose, the owner, was a good friend of our family. My grandfather ran the mill in Columbia falls, and both my mom and dads family are from Kalispell. Great place to visit, shitty place to live! But yeah Evel used to hang out there a lot. I personally never met him, but my uncle who was a bartender used to talk with him all the time.....

 

[Chili Palmer]

When I was in junior high they used to film Fantasy Island at the Arboretum in Arcadia around 1978. My friend and I rode our bikes up there when we heard they were filming. We were in our 2nd year of photography and were serious photo nerds. We got to meet Ricardo Montalban, shook his hand and talked to him - He called over to Herve Villachez (sp) and introduced us to him. He was a little shit, we asked if we could take his picture and he said that he was too busy and walked away. Ricardo Montalban apologized for Herve's behavior, he was a class act all the way. I never knew he suffered from serious back pain until he died, I had read that he had been wheelchair bound for quite awhile prior to his death due to that.

I wasn't a kid, but I felt like one: I also met Bruce Springsteen at a Steve Earle concert at the Palace Theater in Hollywood in 1989. We were looking for seats in the upper level and in the row above us was Bruce, that's when he was "secretly" dating Patty Scialfa (now his wife). As I walked down the row I looked up at him and told him I was a fan of his work and had all his albums, he said thanks, reached over and shook my hand, and said thanks for your support. We sat down and my wife asked who that was. I said The Boss.
Who's boss? Your boss?
No, The Boss, Bruce Springsteen. She looked up behind us and they were walking down the aisle. A few minutes later we saw them in one of the balcony seats with another couple.

 

[nowski]

I took my daughter to a Mark & Brian Celebrity Golf Tournament back in 2004. She wanted to see George Lopez because we would always watch his sitcom on TV. I thought if we were lucky we might get see him on the golf course. We saw George getting out of his golf cart walking towards the tee box. He walked right up to me and my daughter, then proceeded to sign his golf glove and give it to my daughter. People in the crowd instantly yelled out I'll give you $100 bucks, I'll give you $200 bucks, my daughter yelled out it's mine. Both me and my daughter thought that was so cool. When we got home my son and wife asked if we got to see George Lopez and we both had the biggest smiles on our faces. My daughter still has that golf glove after ten years now...

 

[h2o225]

When I was 9 or so we lived down the street from Angels stadium. There was a park across the street from the apartments that had two lakes. One day while me and my buddies were fishing this guy walks up and asks how we were doing. We had a couple of frogs and blue gill. He asked if we liked baseball. We said yes he introduced himself as Bobby Griech. His hand was bandaged up and we said sure you are. He left. Later that day he comes around again and gives us tickets to the Angels game. Of course we run home and bug our parents to take us to the game. My friend Johns mom said NO so did mine. So we got the neighbor to take us. He played in the traveling band that played around the stadium. The seat we had were down near the field and out walks this guy with his hand bandaged up on to the field. Guess we should have believed him.

Met alot of the Angels players and Gene Autry when I was young.

 

[moe_havi]

Met Ali hanging out at LAX. He wasn't traveling and just landing, he was just hanging there. He was handing out some Islamic stuff. Signed it and gave it to me. Over 25 years ago and the Parkinson's was already setting in.
Shared a puff with Buddy Guy and Junior Wells in their dressing room at the Strand in Redondo Beach. I was friends with their road manager. Junior's gone now.
Shooting craps with my wife in Vegas and Billy Crystal and Rob Reiner stroll up to the table, put a bunch of dough down in the middle of my wife's roll and say "come on, lucky lady". Her very next roll, she 7's out! Sorry Billy and Rob.
When I first moved to Cal from back east, I worked at La Jolla Country Club as a caddie. I caddied for Gene Littler, Gary Player, Desi Arnez, Christopher Lee (in a ton of old horror movies). Gene and Desi a number of times because they were members.
One more for the old timers. My dad was in the Navy with the father of the family band called The Cowsells. They were big in the early 60's. There was like 5 kids and all spoke to their parents like, mother, could you please pass the salt and, father could you... I said to my mom, Ma, how come these kids talk so funny? Still remember.

 

[MOUZER]

met charlies angels not farrah but ladd all at the rancho las amigos hospital in downey where they were filming back in the 70.s

lived down the street from john stamos in cerritos as a kid well i was 16

and i met and ate at the buffe with steven segal during 1 of his movies in 1987 or so they will filming at my work

 

[poncho]

One for the old timers, on a ferry in Washington state from Seattle to Port Townsend....went to the front(outside) for a TBI smoke break when I hear this voice "it's ok, I smell it on the lot all the time".

Never saw the guy when I stepped out, thought I was alone.

Turned and looked at him, could not place the guy....I say to him , why do you look familiar?

His answer was a classic, "I'm the loneliest guy in town"

The Fucking Maytag repairman, I grew up with that guy on TV. He had a very good run in Hollywood going back to the early days, mostly as a character actor.

I remember when they replaced him, there was some sort of backlash.

We sat together for the rest of the trip, 1-1.5 hours, one of the neatest people I have ever met.

My Sis has a pic of us, reminds me to ask her for a copy.

 

[was thatguy]

Col Kittinger.

 

[Rdubz]

I actually met Andre The Giant when I was at a resort in Northern Japan with my folks of all places. This was the early 80's. This is when he was at his height of popularity and he came into this restaurant we were at and I was sooooo excited I got to shake his hand and told him he needed to kick Rowdy Rowdy Pipers ass (I really said butt, I was 7 at the time). :yikes

 

[EarpRider]

I lived next door to Joe Namath when he was an LA Ram and I was in 3rd grade, we lived in Long Beach on The Peninsula. What an jerk! I was a fan before he even became a Ram and I was probably one of the only kids on the West Coast who already owned a #12 Jets Jersey, he always went out of his way to never talk to us. The Peninsula is a very small beach community with only a handfull of kids, he lived there for over a year but basically refused to talk to any of his neighbors.

 

[rush1]

When I grew up Richard Petty, Ronnie Sox, Dick Landy were my hero's so when I got older and started drag racing and building cars when I worked at ABC mobile brake I used to work on Dick Landys shop truck and his personal cars , I always thought that was cool.

 

[2Driver]

This is going to sound weird but i met Colonel Sanders on a camel ride between the pyramids and the Sphinx in Egypt .

I have a picture of me shaking hands with him on a camel with the Sphinx in the background

 

[Jet Boat Maloney]

I met Mickey Thompson my boss welded his radiator he busted it at saddleback park racing an off road car. I worked at a shop on chapman ave and we were the only shop open on that Saturday. I was 16

 

[Jet Boat Maloney]

Watched Reggie Jackson drop his Harley on the service drive at Newport beach Porsche/Chevrolet he was a dick!!!

 

[Jet Boat Maloney]

Billy Gray racing speedway in Costa Mesa. From fathers know best. Met John Force sitting in a parking lot that overlooked his shop the day after Tony Pedtragon beat him out of the title. Pulled up next to him and said hello then told him hey John your back tires flat. He got out looked at it and said I guess I better go have one of them boys change it and drove off. Bruce Pennhall in a bar in Huntington harbor he was buying the whole place round after round.

 

[wedge45]

Family had a vacation cabin in Kalispel Montana. We would always make it appoint to go to this pizza place/ saloon called Moose's (or something like that). Late 70's. I was more interested in playing with all the saw dust on the floor. My dad grabbed me by the hand and walked me over to this man sitting at the end of the bar. The man turned to me and asked if I liked motorcycles. Hell ya Mr. He reached out his hand and shook mine. Introduced himself as Evel Knievel. Patted me on the head and told me to always wear a helmet. My dad landed up having a drink with him. Few weeks later I received at ton of cool Evel Knievel crap in the mail that I wish I still had. Signed photo made out to me, couple of toys and a shirt, posters. My dad and I always would sit together and watch his jumps on TV. He was hero from then on out. :thumbup:

Yep..... Moose's is Correct, we were there 2summers ago... probably had the same sawdust as when you were there ... Great Cold Beer on tap and the Pizza was pretty damn good too... Wedge

 

[TITTIES AND BEER]

I met RiverDave a couple times!

on time at the lake a guy jumped into our boat and had salsa and chips , his name was " Mandelon "

 

[linus3]

When I was a kid I used to sit in Moose's and eat peanuts and drink coke with my uncle. Moose, the owner, was a good friend of our family. My grandfather ran the mill in Columbia falls, and both my mom and dads family are from Kalispell. Great place to visit, shitty place to live! But yeah Evel used to hang out there a lot. I personally never met him, but my uncle who was a bartender used to talk with him all the time.....

Thats cool :thumbup:. I was in front of my place in Echo Lodge last year and got to talking to a snowbird. Really nice lady. She was from Kalispell. I could not believe Moose's is still there after all this time. We spent a lot of time on Flathead Lake fishing/ swimming. Beautiful country up there. We would always go to that big Rodeo every year. Cant remember the name of it. But remember the whole town was there.

 

[sirbob]

Growing up in the 70s 80's Greg Nettles played for the angles and the girls (twins) who played Tabatha on Bewitched both live on my street ...

 

[koenig]

I forgot Kirsten Kreuk, but met her as an adult. She was on the show Smallville. They filmed the show at a sound stage near my house. They also filmed the Twilight movies and Battlestar Galactica there but didn't see anyone from those.