You never know....whom you're talking to

[Steve Perry]

About 8-10 years ago my son and I were at a big guitar show in Nashville. #My son is sitting at one of the booths trying out a guitar. #From across the aisle, I see this guy coming towards us. #He's carrying some oddball guitar, wearing jeans, denim shirt, and has a red bandana tied on his neck. #He asks my son if he can plug the guitar into the amp he's using for just a minute to see if the guitar works and what it sounds like. #My son says sure and the guy fools around on the guitar for a few seconds. #When he's done he says to my son, "I heard you playing Pipeline. #I just recorded that last night", and proceeds to spend the next five minutes talking to my son and showing him some licks. #The whole time I'm thinking, this guy looks familiar, but I can't think of any way of asking him who he is other than "Are you somebody?" or "Do you know who you are?" so I just leave it alone. #So it bugs me the rest of the day not knowing who it was. #That night at home I'm flipping channels and stop on VH1 where they're showing a live concert and the guy at the front of the stage is wearing jeans, denim shirt, and a red bandana around his neck. #Yep, same guy. #John Fogarty during his Blue Moon Swamp tour. <insert smilie smacking it's forehead here>

[BlueMountain]

Let's see. About twenty years ago I proposed Garrison Keiller for an honorary doctorate at my school. He was chosen, and he gave a great graduation speech, too. For free! (To pay back his teachers of years past.) I was assigned to take him to the airport after his talk, as he was receiving another honorary doctorate at another university a few hours later (private jet borrowed from a wealthy alumnus). We figured he'd be hungry, so my wife brought along some food she'd made: homemade rhubarb pie, potato salad with lots of spices and purple onions. He liked it all, of course. Next week he did a show at Radio City Music Hall that was also nationwide on PBS. In his "News from Lake Woebegone" segment, he said that he doesn't usually like potato salad, but they are making it better these days, and he likes the new way. He went on to describe my wife's recipe. That was fun.

[Jack Roberts]

...: homemade rhubarb pie, potato salad with lots of spices and purple onions. ...

Bebop-aroobop rhubarb pie?

[Tim Bowen]

One of my fave stories that didn't happen to me personally:

Years ago, an old friend of mine and fellow music teacher had some down time between appointments, when a gentleman wearing dark sunglasses and a big floppy hat wandered into his studio. The guy said that he was only in town for one day, and asked if he could get a one-off lesson. He said that he wanted to learn how to properly use a guitar capo, and get a handle on transposing to different keys. My friend said, "Sure, we can do that."

After the lesson, the student paid and said thanks, removed his shades, and tipped his hat to his teacher. It was Merle Haggard.

[kestrel]

Sort of the opposite of not knowing who you're talking to, but about twenty-years ago my wife was dragging me around the gift shops in Bar Harbor, Maine, and I was doing my usual, under the circumstances - standing staring out a window while she satisfied herself browsing all the trinkets. I heard somebody talking behind me, and thought "Man, I know that voice.", and turned suddenly, and walked straight into Jimmy Dean. After apologizing for the collision, we stood there talking for a long time, while his lady was also wandering around the shop. I told him how I had learned the song "Big Bad John" when it had first come out, and had driven everyone crazy singing it all the time. He said "Yep, it could get pretty annoying after awhile, but it bought me that boat over there.", as he pointed across the water, outside the window, to his monster motor yacht, clearly labeled across the transom "BIG BAD JOHN". That is truly the most memorable gift-shop adventure I've ever had.

[mandopete]

These are great!

Back in the 70's there was a instrument repair shop in Sountern California called Valley Sound, which at the time was located on the outskirts of Hollywood.#They did all of the warranty repair work for amplifier manufacturers such as Fender, Marshall and Acoustic. #I had a failed Acoustic top and took it in for repair. #While standing at counter I noticed they had some photo's on the wall of their employees. #One of the "employees" was Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (of Steely Dan) and I commented to guy behind the counter.."Jeff Baxter doesn't work here." #

Well about 2 seconds later Skunk pops his head out from the back of the shop and and says "Yes I do!"

Addendum to the above (look what I found on Wikipedia)...

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (born December 13, 1948 in Washington, D.C.) is an American guitarist best known for his stints in the rock bands Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers during the 1970s. More recently, he has been working as a defense consultant, and he chairs a Congressional Advisory Board on missile defense.

[TeleMark]

Well about 2 seconds later Skunk pops his head out from the back of the shop and and says "Yes I do!"

Addendum to the above (look what I found on Wikipedia)...

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter (born December 13, 1948 in Washington, D.C.) is an American guitarist best known for his stints in the rock bands Steely Dan and The Doobie Brothers during the 1970s. More recently, he has been working as a defense consultant, and he chairs a Congressional Advisory Board on missile defense.

Yeah, he's quite the autodidact...

I used to connect through LAX all the time and the Red Carpet Club was a great place for celeb sightings. I had a fairly involved conversation with Story Musgrave (shuttle astronaut and nice guy). I've seen Tony Hawk in there.

One day I walked in and Smokey Robinson was hanging out, and there was a guy who I couldn't place, but KNEW that I recognized. He was traveling with his wife, 2 kids, and what looked like a nanny.

Later that day I realized that it was Lindsey Buckingham.

Here's a 2nd degree one... I worked with a guy who lived in the UK, and his first flat after college was in a building in central London. His neighbor used to be a nanny, and during the 70s she worked for Nick Mason (Pink Floyd). She had no clue who he or his friends were, but she did mention to Rob this "tall unpleasant man with a large nose" who came by often...

[mandopete]

She had no clue who he or his friends were, but she did mention to Rob this "tall unpleasant man with a large nose" who came by often...

"Which one's Pink?"

...Roger Waters?

[TeleMark]

She had no clue who he or his friends were, but she did mention to Rob this "tall unpleasant man with a large nose" who came by often...

"Which one's Pink?"

...Roger Waters?

That would be the large proboscoid misanthrope...

[woodwizard]

I went to one of Willie Nelson's birthday concerts many years ago at Barnhill Area at the University Of Arkansas. Leon Russell was playing with him. Was having a good time until this really drunk guy fell into me. I had to catch him and keep him from falling and hurting other people. Got him straightened out and balanced and then gave him a nudge to send him on his way. Later during the concert I noticed this guy was climbing up the side of the stage. Willie was in the middle of a song. I thought boy! is that guy going to get in trouble. Willie noticed the guy over there and all of a sudden stopped the music and anounced... And here is a good friend of mine JERRY JEFF WALKER!

[danielpatrick]

I have two.

The first took place at Elderly in Lansing. I was playing mandolin when I noticed Jeff Daniels (the actor) was there playing different resonator guitars. He bought one and used it in a video for the Detroit Tigers playoffs. I didn't bother him but a few people politely said hello and he seemed pretty put off, kind of rude.

My favorite was at the NAMM convention in California. My buddy stopped by the peavey booth waiting for his friend. He and a guy started talking about bass amps and how they sounded. My friend mentioned to the guy that if he had the extra cash, he might want to check out the boutique company a few booths a way because their amps were stellar but very costly. As he was mentioning the expense of the amps he suddenly recognized he was talking to Keanu Reeves and that money was probably not an issue. Keanu was appartenly a very nice guy.

P.s. I did meet Anna Kournikova in a Miami airport once.

[mandolirius]

I have spend a lot of my life working in special events production and have met a lot of big names in music, some of them living legends. But the one time I got star-struck was busking at a local market. I noticed a little guy in a pale blue windbreaker and fisherman's hat had been listening for several tunes, not just stopping for a bit and moving on, as most people were doing.
We took a break and I got talking to this fellow. Eventually we introduced ourselves. When he said his name was Neil Rosenburg and I realized I was talking to the guy who had given me such a good bluegrass education through his liner notes on the back of Rounder and other albums, I got kind of tongue-tied and then stammered my way through the rest of the conversation. I never did get my groove back. It totally threw me for a loop.

[Tom Mullen]

In 1976, I had the opportunity to fill in with the Bluegrass Boys outside of Denver CO. Wayne Lewis took me into the bus where it was stageside. I was talking to "Bill's woman" in the seat across from me, and the band ontstage was playing "Body and Soul". I said "I love that song....it is great." She said "That is my song."
I commented that I thot Virginia Stouffer wrote that song. She said" Yes, I know.....I'm Virginia Stouffer."

I crawled into my mandolin case and closed the top.

[mandopete]

I commented that I thot Virginia Stouffer wrote that song. She said" Yes, I know.....I'm Virginia Stouffer."

Ouch!

[mandolirius]

<I commented that I thot Virginia Stouffer wrote that song. She said" Yes, I know.....I'm Virginia Stouffer.">

That reminds me of something that happened to a friend of mine. She was working the gate at a bluegrass festival. The pass for that year featured a picture of John Hartford, who was performing at the festival. A lanky, long-haired guy showed up at the gate. My friend, who wasn't familiar with Hartford, asked him for his badge. He replied "I am the badge". She looked right at him, then down at her pass, then back at him. For a few seconds she was truly speechless. A fair-skinned redhead, the blush was off the scale.

[Rroyd]

One of my favorites stories comes from a different perspective, but fits nicely in the topic. A friend of mine was sitting under a tree at a festival playing his guitar, when he was approached by a fellow who stopped and started visiting when he had finished the tune. After a brief conversation, the fellow inquired, "did you ever hear of ****
*****?" My friend knew the name mentioned, and responded with the comment that "yeah, he's the guy who bombed out with Monroe after two or three gigs." There was silence for several moments, and then the fellow replied, "well, that's me."

[fstylemb1]

great stories. It's was always interesting to be at the shop or at a festival to see "famous" artists just walking through and nobody really recognizing them. When they would get recognized, they were always friendly and cordial.
It amazed me that John Paul Jones could walk through the crowd at Merlefest and not be stopped every 5 seconds. I guess people just remember what he looked like from the records. I recognized him and had to get my pic with him!
In the late 70s Rick Nielsen from Cheap trick was on the same flight as my family. I was a huge CT fan but my folks didn't know what the big deal was.

[woodwizard]

Here's another one for you. Several years ago I went to a great bluegrass show I think in Eureaka Springs AR. Several really great bands scheduled to perform. One of them was the Nashville Bluegrass Band. I really liked that band and was very familar with Stuart Duncan & Mike Compton. As usual before the show I went to all the CD tables that were set up checking them out before the shows started. There was this guy sitting behind the Nashville Bluegrass Band's table selling CD's. #I struck up a very friendly converstion with him. I told him I sure wish I could follow a band around like that and sell CD's for them and asked if he had been doing that for long. He said that he's been doing it for a real longtime to which I said "You have a great! job. Thanked him and said see you later. The show was about to start. Later when the Nashville Bluegrass Band came out... wouldn't you know it. I had been talking to non other than Alan O'Bryant the banjo player. I felt so (you know)... I was on the first row so I hollard up at him and said "Hey Alan! you do have a great job. He just smiled real big.

[mandopete]

A little off the topic, but funny none the less.

I ws at the venerable Darrington Bluegrass festival years ago and I went up to the concession stand to get a hamburger. #The girl behind the counter took my order and asked for my name. #"Bill Monroe" I replied and she dutifully wrote Bill Monroe on the ticket without even a nod.

I guess I would have been in trouble if Big Mon was still alive.

[Eliot Greenspan]

just remembered one... I was 16 or 17 years old and Grisman was playing on a bill at Lincoln Center, along w/ Joe Val and a bunch of others. A friend of mine and I were needing tickets. We asked a very striking woman in tall white leather cowboy boots and leather fringed jacket, if she had any to spare, she politely said "no". Later on during the concert I saw and heard Emmylou Harris play for the first time... (bet she coulda scored us some tix if she really wanted to). A very, very young Jerry Douglas was in her band, and I think Skaggs on mando and fiddle.

[Mike Snyder]

Here's a doozy. The year must have been '92 or 3, and we're camped in the pecan grove at Winfield. I,m sitting on a stool, playing in a very raw/primitave and uncouth style on some sonically dead pacrim clunker. I,m watching a strange-looking fella set up his tent twenty yards down toward the river, very colorful pajama style pants and lots of curly hair. Soon lots of tents sprouted in between, and no more funny looking european guy. I didn't pay much attn to the mando contest in those days, or I would have realized that I serenaded Radim Zenkel as he set his camp. What he must have thought. I did speak to him, but I don't remember the conversation. Anything can happen in the grove.

[EdSherry]

At tne New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 1986 (or so), I was listening to Beausoleil (the Cajun band) playing at one of the stages (they were friends of mine). #I got to talking about music with a short thin red-headed fellow wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap. #I mentioned that I played bluegrass. #He asked me if I'd heard of Hot Rize. #I told him that I liked them fine, but that I liked "Red Knuckles and the Trailblazers" (their tongue-in-cheek "old electric music" alter ego band) better.

He then introduced himself: #Tim O'Brien. #(I hadn't recognized him.) #

He expressed interest in meeting Beausoleil, and I had the pleasure of introducing him to them.