Encounters with Famous people

[lisa-green]

When I lived in NY, I would occasionally see famous people, and even had a date with a well-known pianist who will remain nameless. I interviewed YoYo Ma for a freelance project once (what a nice guy) and was introduced to Itzhak Perlman at a master class when a friend was playing in it.

But the funniest experience was about 20 years ago, when I was visiting my sister at her summer house in the Hamptons. I was sitting poolside, and my sister–who talkes to everyone–got into a conversation with the next-door neighbor, a rather chubby lady swathed in a big bath towel. She told my sister that she sang, and my sister said, “Oh, my sister used to take voice lessons!”

[darth-mom]

I’ve had two – Years ago, I went to the airport to pick up my husband.

[Devon Carpenter]

I got a call from a lady to come play for a breakfast at a school in Chicago.

[Lisa McCann]

Hmmm…..a “brushes with greatness” thread! I like it.

Two favorites come to mind, one about me and the other about my son:

1) When I was 13, I thought that I wanted to learn to play the banjo and was having a terrible time of it. The summer (1971–do the math if you’d like) my mother took me to a bluegrass festival coming through town, and Ralph Stanley talked to me about my difficulty. What a gracious man! Invited my mother and I into his trailer after his performance, hung out with us for probably an hour and helped me immenesely.

2) My husband and son were in Breckenridge, Colorado, at a blues festival. Our main reason for going was our son’s interest in a particular blues guiar player, Joe Louis Walker. Just before JLW was to go on, it started pouring rain, and everyone ran for cover. We ducked under an overhang, and there stood Joe Louis Walker and his entire band, waiting out the rain. Joe and all of his band were delighted to meet our son (who was shaking like a leaf with nervousness) and had a wonderful conversation about my son’s playing, who else he liked, etc. He signed my son’s program, and I will never forget the way that the entire band made my son feel so at home–it felt like they had a sincere interest in mentoring a younger player. Amazing!

[unknown-user]

I have had several encounters with famous people, but the one that sticks out in my mind is this:

[unknown-user]

OOPS:

[carl-swanson]

I just thought of another one that was not really an encounter but a meeting none the less. Years ago I played in the SpringfieldMassachusetts) Symphony, which is a good professional regional orchestra( many Boston Symphony players started out there). This particular season they had decided to have a major soloist for each concert, and as a result I got to accompany Eileen Farrell in Pace Pace. The conductor was a real jerk and had treated her very badly. He had asked her to be at the rehearsal at 7PM, then made her wait until after the break to do her music(Pace Pace AND the Immolation scene). She was furious. So I did not introduce myself, but it was a thrill to play for her. I have never, before or since, heard such a huge voice. That’s what she was so famous for, but to hear it live was incredible. When she sang a forte in the Immolation scene, she just about blew out the back wall of the auditorium. This stupid conductor had me placed about 10 feet behind her and when the harp solo started and she began to sing, his conducting was slightly out of sync with her. I quickly decided to play to what I was hearing from her, not what I was seeing from him. Neither she nor he gave me any dirty looks, so I’m assuming that what I did worked. If I were to do something like that now I’d handle it very differently and talk to him about the placement of the harp, and also talk to her. But I was much younger then and felt it wasn’t my place to say anything.

[Denise Krasicki]

Anthropologist Margaret Meade, complete with her favorite walking stick.

[Denise Krasicki]

Cheryl

Laura Bush, she always seems like such a genuine and warm person, not aloof like some of the First Lady’s before her.

[Cheryl Z.]

Hi Denise,

Mrs. Bush

[unknown-user]

Years ago, I was having dinner at Bookbinder’s in Philadelphia, and seated at the next table was Merv Griffin and Joel Grey. They were both very gracious, and included our table in their conversations. What a lively bunch we were. Joel Grey got up from the table and was brought his coat…he was head to toe in a dark raccoon fur. I remembered this with the passing of Merv Griffin recently. His talk show was based in Philadelphia at the time.

I met Isabella Rossalini, (she was making a film), Ralph Lauren, his wife and daughter, (they were buying horses), Doc Severinsen,(he was at a horse show where his son was riding), and very briefly met Pavarotti in a restaurant, (my friend was in the orchestra at La Scalla). Fun memories!! Thank you for the thread

[Anonymous]

I went to work for Lyon & Healy in the New York showroom in 1957.

[jennifer-buehler]

I went to church once with Donny Osmond.

[John McK]

When I first got back into Irish music a few years ago (after a long hiatus into guitars and rock music) I would drive hundreds of miles to check out local “sessiuns”

[carl-swanson]

I grew up in Kent and went to the Housatonic Valley Regional High School. By the way, two weeks ago I went to my 8th grade class reunion(class of ’61! Do the math) and the teacher who taught us in both 6th and 8th grade was there! It wasn’t just incredible that she was still around to share the evening with us, but she was really our favorite teacher in grade school, so it was an incredible thrill to have her there.

[Author]

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