Have you met someone famous?

[hawaiidreamin]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

I can add the Makaha Sons, Herb Ohta Jr and Daniel Ho to the list after last nights concert in NYC-which was fantastic by the way

[ErikaMarie]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

I haven't met anybody famous, (unless you count the lead singer of Nonpoint, Elias Soriano) but I do share the same bloodline as Naomi, Wynonna, & Ashley Judd.

My great-grandfather's brother is Naomi's father. I don't know what the heck that makes them to me... I WISH I could meet them!

[tutusue]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

I haven't met anybody famous, (unless you count the lead singer of Nonpoint, Elias Soriano) but I do share the same bloodline as Naomi, Wynonna, & Ashley Judd.

My great-grandfather's brother is Naomi's father. I don't know what the heck that makes them to me... I WISH I could meet them!

I think that would make the 3 Judds your cousins; Naomi 2 times removed (?) and Wynona and Ashley 3 times removed (?)...or sumthin' like that!

[damontucker]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

the question is...can you sing like them?

[Pomai]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

Took this photo this past Sunday of Ledward Kaapana performing at Kona Brewing Co. in Koko Marina Shopping Center...


Led Kaapana at Kona Brewing Co., Hawaii Kai. 10.01.06.
Photo by Pomai

He's such an amazing Kiho'alu guitarist. Smooth and flowing style.

Back in my teens I used to hang out with his nephew and had the chance a few times to hear Uncle Led jam kanikapila style in his garage in Kaneohe. They had choke Shih Tzu dogs. Never had a chance to talk to Uncle Led this time as we were only there for a short time.

[hawaiidreamin]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

Cool photo....
He is really a wonderful guy...so talented & celebrated and yet still very laid back and a pleasure to be around

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

...and a great, easy laugh - he seems genuinely amused by his own playing, sometimes.

[Buzzy]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

Martin Luther King. I shook his hand and stood with him for a while chatting. About a year before his murder; he was starting to talk about Vietnam and he looked very tired, but still warm and laughing. This was the thrill of my life.

Other political people from the 70's. I used to hang out at Bob Dylan's Minneapolis coffee house the year after he left in the 60's, missed him but sat around in Leo Kottke's kitchen a few times. Used to get stoned with a guy whose Supreme Court case established the principle that the draft cannot be used as a punishment. I've met Gloria Steinem a few times and had drinks with Kate Millet, author of Sexual Politics, a ground-breaking work, at her mom's house in St. Paul. That was funny, in a way, - Kate's a radical feminist in a long flowing caftan and wild hair, sitting on the floor. Her mom's wearing a pastel suit, old lady blue hair perfectly waved, perched on a gilt French provincial chair in a perfect sitting room. Mother-daughter love.

Peter Coyote asked me out once. Now that WAS a thousand years ago!

Walter Mondale, Gene McCarthy, Hubert Humphrey, McGovern, Jesse Jackson, 2 former gov's of Washington state and one current one; I don't know, several more politicians. They're easy.

Hey, I met the real Erin Brokovich a few years back, also the real guy that Travolta plays in the movie A Civil Action.

John Sweeney, Jimmy Hoffa Jr., bunch of folks from the labor movement. Also easy.

And here's a couple true stories from my girlfriend:

She was in a phone booth someplace in New York and this short woman comes up and waits to use the phone. Finally the woman starts banging on the door. My friend says she has to wait until she's finished; the woman is fuming and demands, "Do you know who I am??" My friend says, "Yeah, you're Barbra Streisand, and you're gonna have to wait til I'm finished."

Another story, same friend: During the Vietnam era, my friend was driving with her small daughter late at night in New England - I've forgotten where. Her car breaks down in a tiny little town and everything's closed up tight. She only has a couple bucks. It's cold and scary.

But she remembered that Euell Gibbons, the author of Stalking the Wild Asparagas, and eating wild edibles etc. lived in that town. She called him up! If I didn't know this woman never tells a lie I wouldn't believe this. She calls up Euell Gibbons in the middle of the night and tells him her story, and he gets dressed and comes down to get her and her daughter, takes her home, they put her up for the night and his wife makes them breakfast, and he helps her get her car fixed and gives her a few bucks.

Now that's aloha, eh?

Mahalo for the chance to tell that good story.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

sat around in Leo Kottke's kitchen a few times

A sweet guy, with the ability to deliver the funniest lines with an incredibly droll style - only person I ever heard comfortably use the word "gemutlichkeit" in a sentence!

Martin Luther King - wow. Just "wow."

[achow]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

Yes. I have met Jake Shimaburuko at my church, Keali'i Reichel at the grand opening of Border's at Pearlridge mall, Aaron Wilton formerly of the UH Men's Volleyball team, Rick Tune formerly of the UH Men's Volleyball team, Larissa Lam, Junko, Mark Schultz, Koa Siu, and last but not least Keali'i Blaisdell at his CD release party.

[Senora]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

A few years ago, there was an event in San Francisco Japantown.
I got to meet Jake Shimabukuro, Na Leo, and Sam Choy- all in the same day!

I also met Robin Wiliiams and got his autograph when I was doing a flower delivery. There he was in the elevator, with me and 6 other people.

Jessica Simpson sighting at the restaurant I used to work at. She switched tables cause all the other line cooks were gawking at her.

[Got2HaVKaYaNoW]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

Yea..I found it, I knew there was a thread about meeting famous people....anywho...just wanted to say..

I met Hulk Hogan..they were at Ala Moana Hotel this past weekend...This asz Hummer limo thingy pulled up & my huBby and I we're checking out the Limo..oh wow, al' lidat...den the door opened and this huge, monter of a man stepped out! Wow, got the courage to ask for a pix..huBby took a pix and dingy saved on our online album~mind you our phone doesn't have internet!

Then on Sunday, Mya was at the pool, my niece ran up to her...no pen,papah, no camera...oish..

Ok thats all...byee!

[amethyst9]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

A few people I've met include Dizzy Gillespie (my favorite example) and Ramsey Lewis and a few other jazz musicians. I had conversations with each of them. I used to see Gabe Balthazar all the time around Kaneohe. Mostly we just greeted each other.

I've met and hung out with the original members of Third World and some of Steel Pulse. Other reggae musicians as well. Maacho is a friend.

I've sort of met Jesse Jackson, there wasn't really a conversation, I was in a group.

Jerry Santos' family in Kahalu'u are friends of my daughter.
I've hung out with Wille K.
Kata Maduli, Cyril Pahinui, Makaha Sons, some other musicians. Fiji. These guys I know from being around some friends who worked at KCCN. Or by chance, like Cyril and the guys he was touring with - I met them in Seattle at the back entrance to a gig, when I was going out for some fresh air.

I've met writers at book signings, but that's not really meeting them. Not many stand out in my mind right now. Nikki Giovanni was great, I did get to exchange a few words with her. She's a poet, for those of you who don't know. And Tommy Chong most recently. Interesting, nice, real.

I've met politicians who were famous in their day, but are now retired. They are people who have sponsored bills for higher education loans and Chapter 9.

I've met a famous computer scientist, Herbert Simon, who has since passed away. He won a Nobel Prize in Economics. His field was cognitive psychology and AI in the CS realm. My son introduced me.
http://www.post-gazette.com/regionst...1016simon2.asp


There are probably other people I've met, but few I've seen more than that one time. So, I think the people who influence us the most are those we see in our daily lives and who give us positive energy and support. Or those who we give our time to be with.

Oh, and I knew a daughter of Errol Flynn for a short time when I was a teenager staying with my father in Cali one summer. She unfortunately died of a drug overdose later in life. Arnela Flynn. She was staying with her grandmother that summer and was too wild for me then.

[WindwardOahuRN]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

I saw Murray the K on the subway once. He was very loud and obnoxious.

[amethyst9]

Re: Have you met someone famous?

PS - I've met lots of sports figures. I used to go to the Rainbow Classic and Aloha Classic games and get signatures of basketball players before they were pros. You get an idea of their character just at those brief interchanges. It was years ago, so I don't think many of those guys are involved in sports now, except a few are coaches. I remember Ernie Grunfeld, a very nice person. He's now President of the NBA Washington Wizards.

In football, Jason Elam was someone who left a good impression on my family, and he's still a pro.
Denver's QB, Jake Plummer is someone my daughter knows, and doesn't like.

Most of the sports guys I've met aren't the stars. I know someone quite well who plays Arena Football, he's had Thanksgiving at my house. He was drafted but didn't play in the NFL. He did play in Europe on some good teams for a 2 or 3 years. Vince Amey.

Someone introduced me to Sid Fernandez at a club in Waikiki, after he'd recently retired. I wouldn't have known who he was.

In the NBA, I've met Nate Robinson, the second year player from Seattle, who won the Slam Dunk contest. I've met him more than once, along with all his Husky teammates, since I now live in Seattle.

I've also met some of the football players and women's volleyball and soccer players on photo day at UW. I always make an effort to chat with the ones from Hawaii. None are famous yet.

I've met some family of a few boxers, too. But I don't remember much about them. Ken Norton, Jr. is the one I remember. (that's before he became a Trojan)

I've met Tim Brown, 1987 Heisman Trophy winner, by chance. We were both in Arizona, and had a conversation before I knew who he was. We didn't talk about sports much, either. I'm a huge Notre Dame fan, so that was a happy day.

Oh, and when I was small, I met Jesse Owens.