Time for Another BRUSH WITH GREATNESS Thread!!!!

[CO Liberal]

Post your oblique connections to famous and semi-famous people. I'll start:

My older sister went through high school with the sister of Pete Lucia - he was the drummer for Tommy James & The Shondells back in the '60s.

[Beware the Beast Man]

1. Dan Cortese (former MTV Sports guy) went to my high school.

[blue neen]

23. Isn't he from the Pittsburgh area?

What high school, BTBMan?

[Beware the Beast Man]

26. Quaker Valley, in Leetsdale.

It's near the airport...

[blue neen]

50. Leetsdale. I know where you mean.

I used to go through there on my way to visit a guy I used to go out with. He lived in Hopewell. I also remember going across the bridge in AMBRIDGE!

Speaking of brush with greatness, the guy played football in high school with Tony Dorsett.

[HEyHEY]

2. Neve Campbell's cousins went to my school - looked just like her too

[Goathead]

3. I went to High School with Mark Ruffalo

I've partied with Justin Henry, he was the little kid in Kramer vs. Kramer(for which he was nominated for an Oscar) and the annoying brother in Sixteen Candles. I also went to a Phish show at Red Rocks with him. He went to college(Skidmore) with my best friend from childhood. I met Martha Quinn(MTv D.J.) in Yellowstone once. I also met Angie Dickinson when I was working at a lodge at Grand Teton Nat'l Park near Jackson, Wyoming. I ran into Harry Connick Jr. in the bathroom at that same lodge. And I saw Bob Woodward there as well.

[ltfranklin]

4. Well, my ex-roommate...

claimed that he saw Gary Busey get out of a limo at a gas station in Addison, Texas and throw up all over the parking lot.

But then again, who hasn't.

[CO Liberal]

5. A Few Weeks Ago, The Princess and & Stayed in the Same Hotel...

...as Darlene Cates, who starred in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape?" with Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio.

[tinfoilinfor2005]

6. I have a friend who is an elderly English gentleman...

he once told me that his mother was a student of H.G. Wells, and before she passed on she admitted to him that she and H.G. had had a short affair. My friend has some suspicion that perhaps he might have been a product of this affair because he said that he looked more like H.G. than he did his own father.

[the Princess]

7. I Went to High School With Matt Pinfield...

...the MTV VJ. His father was one of the science teachers.

[name not needed]

8. The bassist from Catch 22

My 2nd cousin dated his stepmom. He was at my house for some reason, probably a holiday.

[1monster]

9. My sister and a coworker were at a cross walk in the DC

area one morning on their way to work.

They were approached by a guy with a two day stubble, who smiled largely and said, "Good morning, ladies." He stood there seemingly expecting something. My sister and her friend eyed the man suspiciously, gave him the frosty eye and an even colder "good morning," as they held their handbags that were under their coats closer to their bodies.

The man, apparently unnerved, backed away, and left, embarrassed.

A few seconds later, another gentleman approached them. "Congratulations, ladies," he said sarcastically. "You just blew off Tom Selleck!"

(Selleck was in the DC area filming a movie --I've forgotten the title-- where he played an honest man running for President...)

I went to school and had classes with Donna "The Wiss" Wissinger, world class concert flute soloist.

My husband acted in the former state play of Florida with James Remar, several years before he played the "hissingly hideous" villain in the original 48 HOURS (Eddie Murphy, Nick Nolte movie).

[Mnemosyne]

10. Jim Capaldi, drummer of the band Traffic from the 70's

at the airport in Pensacola Fla. 1975, smoked all my cigarettes! And I could barely understand a word he said his accent was so thick. I was almost 17.

And Edward Albee in 1982?, Mercyhurst College lecture. I was able to shake his hand and chat for a few. He seemed rather pleasant.

Damn, just reread post, it says oblique. Okay, my friends ex-girlfriend is from Flynt, Michigan and her cousin went to school with Michael Moore.

Will I be punished for not following directions CO?

[MrScorpio]

11. Heavyweight Champ Joe Louis was my Great uncle

I'm sure you can see the resemblance

[MuseRider]

12. Joey Chitwood was my

cousin. He ran off and joined the service after driving my Grandfather's car into the Wakarusa river, the start of his stunt driving career. He was the inspiration for Evel Kinevel.

Here is a poster from one of his shows and an early car stunt photo.

[libnnc]

13. Jerry Reed "Smokey and the Bandit" fame...

So I was about eight years old. 1978. I was with my mom in Raleigh at an American Cancer Society workshop (my mom was the secretary of the Western North Carolina chapter of the ACS)

We were at the hotel where the conference was, in the restaurant eating lunch...minding our own biz...when "When You're Hot, You're Hot..." Jerry, comes over to our table and starts talking to my mom.

Now, back then, my mom was pretty hot--leggy, skinny blonde--and a recent widow. Mr. Reed was in town for a concert and staying at the hotel. This was at the height of his fame and I knew who he was immediately. He sat down in the booth beside me and put me on his lap. He was much shorter than I imagined.

Nice guy, but it was obvious he was trying to pick up my mom. She was very flattered but sent him on his way...

When you're hot, you're hot...
and when you're not...you're not. :evilgrin:

[CO Liberal]

14. A Kid I Went Through School With Claimed to Be Tina Louise's Cousin

Though we all doubted it.

[Guy Fawkes]

15. Russ Feingold's mother...

occasionally shows up at the synagogue I go to.

[jab105]

16. Billy Crudup of Almost Famous went to my high school:)

and I went to the gym that Niki Taylor went to...that was intimidating...

And, I know Hilary Hahn, who is a professional violinist, she's going out with one of my ex-boyfriends, a really nice guy...

thats about it:)

[Merope215]

17. I shook Christiane Amanpour's hand

last Monday. Also, I'm pretty sure I went to elementary school with one of the Columbine shooters, but that's more of a brush with sickness than greatness. :shrug:

[mitchum]

18. I took a piss beside Joseph Heller

[pdx_prog]

39. HAHA.....I took a piss beside Joe Perry

during the "joe Perry Project" era...

Didn't say a word to him though.....not proper "guy etiquitte" to speak at the urinal....lol

[all.of.me]

19. i thought it said BUSH WITH GREATNESS!

and i said what the fuck?!

[CO Liberal]

21. It Did Before I Fixed the Typo...

...just before I posted it.

"Brush With Greatness" was something two NYC deejays (Bob Fitsimmons and Al Rosenberg) used to do on their morning show on the old WNEW-AM. People would phone in with the most oblique connections to famous people, like "my cousin's neighbor is Eydie Gorme's hairdresser".

:-)

[all.of.me]

25. well, here's mine

ali mcgraw bought a medicine bag from me after years of oogling things on my table at the santa fe flea market.

i entered wal-mart right after julia roberts had left.

donald rumsfeld has a home about two miles from my house.

[WI_DEM]

20. I've met and shaken hands with Howard Dean three times

and Jimmy Carter twice. Not bad, huh?

[auntAgonist]

22. I had lunch with Peter Fonda

in 1978 *i think*. He was filming a trucking movie up in toronto ontario. i stopped to watch and 'he' started talking to me. I had NO clue who he was! He has SO much makeup on. Anyway it started to drizzle rain and he asked if i wanted to go into the truckstop and grab a bite to eat, i said sure .. and there you have it.

Found out who he was when one of the crew came by and said "Mr Fonda, we're ready for you again"


eep.

[blue neen]

24. I was in the swimming pool at the Beach Club at Disney World

with Ahmad Rashad.

Boy, that sounds lame, huh?

[deutsey]

27. Sat and talked with Frank Zappa for about a half hour-45 minutes

Back in the mid-'80s. I'm a huge fan of his, so it was a great experience.

I shook hands with Chuck Berry (although after hearing about his scatological sexual interests, I kinda wish I hadn't :evilgrin: ).

Sat and talked a long while with Larry "Bud" Melman (from the old David Letterman Show). He was a very nice man.

I saw Alan Alda on a street in Georgetown (DC); his daughter went there. I wanted to go over and say hi to him, but I didn't want to be intrusive.

Finally, I met Janeane Garofalo at a Code Pink anti-war demonstration. Much shorter than I expected, but even more attractive than I thought. :loveya:

[GOPisEvil]

28. I took a piss next to Oliver Platt.

I was on the Paramount Studios lot with a friend who worked there, and "Executive Decision" was being filmed. We went to check out the set, and Kurt Russell was there talking to someone. I needed to go, and I ducked into the closest restroom. Another guy walks in and I notice that he's REALLY tall. As I'm leaving I notice it's Oliver Platt. We exchanged a pleasanttry at the sink. He seemed nice.

That movie was on this weekend, and every time I see it, I remember that jacket he was wearing and the straw in his mouth.

[Corgigal]

29. Gave my cig lighter to Fred Gwynne

Herman monster fame, while he was standing outside of a Broadway theater he was appearing in. He was playing Big Daddy for Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. Nice man and yep, very tall.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

30. My great aunt dated Australia's longest serving Prime Minister

during the first World War.

My uncle's ex-wife served as Attorney General in a conservative state government in Australia.

My dad knew Olivia Newton John when they both were young

[bertha katzenengel]

31. My mother went to high school with Beau Bridges. and another...

I used to work with the mother of Dilby (?) Clark of Guns & Roses.

[CO Liberal]

32. My Great Aunt Was Jack Cohen's Personal Secretary

He was head of Columbia Pictures in the '30s and '40s. As his secretary, she met lots of celebrities every day.

[Midlodemocrat]

33. I taught Henry Simmons (NYPD Blue)

and John Popper of the Blues Travelers high school social studies.

Diana Ross was at my wedding shower. (Well, she was in the building, not actually AT my wedding shower)

[Mutley]

34. My family is supposedly

related through marriage to Ethan Allen, a revolutionary war hero. Thats about my only connection to someone famous.

[fudge stripe cookays]

35. "The Incomparable Hildegarde"

A torch singer during the war, is my grandmother's first cousin (have heard she's still alive- about 100 now).


Went to college with Mike Malinin, who plays drums for the Goo Goo Dolls.

Dated the comc book artist Mike Lark in college.

Have met and had my pic taken with Howard Dean, Ann Richards, and Janeane Garofalo.

Hung out backstage and schmoozed with The Pursuit of Happiness, The Smithereens, The Long Ryders, The Grapes of Wrath, The Stage Dolls, Bruce Cockburn, The Hoodoo Gurus, The Rave Ups, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and probably some other bands I'm leaving out (record store days-- reps are your friends!)

Also sat backstage with Guns and Roses because I wanted to meet the Cult. I didn't even know who these losers were since I missed the opening act.

FSC

[NoSheep]

36. My boss had his floors done by David Sedaris' brother, Paul.

:o

[Tyrone Slothrop]

49. The rooster?!?! n/t

[NoSheep]

53. The very one!

[huskerlaw]

37. Definitely a brush with sickness, but...

My great uncle was a guard at the Nuremberg trials. He escorted the likes of Hermann Goering and Franz von Papen.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

38. a few.....

hung about with Fathers Phil & Daniel Berrigan , sewed some madras patches on Eliott Gould's madras clothes (he has a fetish for the fabric) when i lived in Coconut Grove, also know well Stan Aronowitz (ran for NY Gov/in the Green Party)he is a friend and neighbor...also i worked for the late great "White Knight" William Colby/ another neighbor.

[pdx_prog]

40. let's see....

Jeff Berlin (bassist) spit on me while he was talking during a show at Tipitina's in New Orleans...

Met Clapton at Strings and Things in Memphis....

Met Pat Metheny at the same place...

Seen Dolly Parton's ass in the Nashville airport..

Sat next to numerous football players on planes...

Ran smack into Conway Twitty in the Chicago airport....damn near knocked the guy down flat...

Met the guys from Yes on three different occasions.....once, when the X was pregnant Jon Anderson blessed the baby and Steve Howe kissed her stomach...lol

Pissed next to Joe Perry at a club one night (in another reply in this thread)..

Met Andy Williams at the airport in Memphis...

Met Kurt and Goldy at the Chicago airport in the restaraunt no less...

[pdx_prog]

41. Oh yeah...

My GF ate lunch with Ansel Adams at his house twice while she was going to school...

[Lorien]

42. Michael Jackson asked for my autograph

seriously; when I was an animator at Disney, he had one of us do a large drawing of Mickey Mouse, then asked about 30 of us to sign it. Wouldn't give us HIS autograph, though. :eyes:

Same deal with George Lucas; had us draw and sign stuff for his kids, but wouldn't give any of us his autograph.

Met LOTS of famous and infamous people while working there. Otherwise, my young cousin played opposite the Gropenfuher in "the Last Action hero". He hasn't done a lot since.

[luvLLB]

43. one of my best friends is the uncle of the rock group..

Los Lonely Boys..

[Fifth of Five]

44. My brother graduated high school with

Jim Varney.

My children went to elementary school with Crystal Gayle's children.

[BrotherBuzz]

45. I sat next to Russ "Bye-bye Baby" Hodges at a little league game

I also delivered his afternoon newspaper...I got to get a life!!! LOL

[Schema Thing]

46. I live in the country run by noted despot GW Bush

[graywarrior]

47. I went to school with some of the members of Boston

I know Stephen King
I met lots of bands during my concert promo days in the 70's
My best friend is a published author.

[BurtWorm]

48. I saw Sam Kinneson through the window of a Columbus Avenue diner

just about one week before he died. He'd just done a show at the Beacon Theater and was partying there with his friends. The diner was closed a little early, probably because he was partying there, and my girlfriend of the time and I were turned away at the door. As we walked by the window on our way to find another place to eat, I looked right into Kinneson's eyes. We kind of nodded to each other. Or so I imagined.

[ChoralScholar]

51. James Lee Witt (FEMA director under Clinton)

graduated from the school at which I teach. Oh yeah, so did John Daly (the alcoholic golfer)

Go Sand Lizard Alumni!!!

[kariatari]

52. My best friend's mom taught Michael Jackson and Danny Bonaduce in CA

My dad regularly played 3-on-3 pick-up b-ball games with Lyle Alzado.

My uncle was in the Navy SEALS with Jesse Ventura and was invited to his innaugural ball.

My other best friend was baby-sat with Elijah Wood. And on her summer job, she delivers Kurt Warner's mom's mail.