Have you ever met/seen any living legends?

[Billb2]

Carroll Shelby - Road America, SCCA Run Offs, false grid.
He was just sitting under a canopy, all alone, minding his own business.
Was warned not to shake his hand as that would cost $50!

Robby Steinhardt, violinist and singer with Kansas.
Met him at a party at a friends house before a Kansas concert.
Cool part was that my 16 yr old son, who had never heard live rock and roll, went to the sound check with him and backstage with the band before the concert. It was a great first concert for him.

Jeg Coughlin, NHRA Pro Stock Driver.
Met him at a Lemons race. It was him with one helper racing a cobalt. He was very approachable. He did badly.

Rich old man at Chicanes, the racer bar at Sebring International Raceway.
Went out for a smoke and started a conversation with an older gentleman. I asked if he was here for the races (World Sportscar Series) and he said he was. I asked if he was a spectator or here with a team. He said he was with the Jaguar (XJR Sportscars, Camel GTP team). I asked what he did and he said he owned one of the cars. He said that for $1,000,000, up front, he would get the car after the season was over. Talked to him a few times over the weekend (We were racing IMSA Lites). After the race (Jaguar was second or third, I don't remember) he was nice enough to come down off the podium and accepted congratulations form everyone on our team. Nice way to get a personal, $5,000,000, track day car!

 

[feralkid]

nm

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

My ex father in law maybe. He was given some awards for being a medic in the Vietnam war. Spent his later years helping other veterans get their benefits from the govt.
Other probably my pastor at church. Church runs a food bank, has orphanages in Africa, have dug water wells for African communities that don't have accessible water. And much more.
I hold people like that in higher regard than comedians or actors.

 

[Sonikku]

I remember once eating at a Japanese restaurant in SF when Robin Williams walked past my table and sat nearby with his family. I remember thinking that he was one hairy dude. Hair covered most of his face and he would probably look like Bigfoot if he didn't shave.

I talked to Pete Rose for a while. Not the brightest bulb, but he did sign a baseball for my son and took pics.

I met Gary Coleman. You could sense the bitterness and anger from that guy. He was not a happy man.

George Takei was pretty cool and obliged me with a pic.

I hope I could meet George Takei someday. He seems like a cool guy. As for coleman, I guess I can appreciate his bitterness. It's not as though he blew his money on frivolous living. He had a medical condition that cost him a fortune. His condition would probably be reason enough to make any of us bitter even if it had not bankrupted him.

 

[shortylickens]

Jesse Ventura was my mayor.

He's more of a legend now that he has fled the country for tax evasion.

 

[NoCreativity]

R. Lee Ermey. At a trade show and he was being escorted around. He stopped at our display and chatted for a bit. Seemed like a really nice guy.

 

[Chapbass]

Ran into Scottie Pippen on the street in Chicago back in the late 90's. Dude was huge, but super nice guy, seemed very chill, especially for that time (at the height of his fame).

 

[nerp]

I work for a prominent elected official. Before that, I was a journalist. Over time I've met and dined/interviewed with some of the most famous people in the world. The takeaway is that they're just human beings. When you see a supermodel naked in bed with no makeup or photoshopping, it's just another woman in your bed.

 

[Craig234]

I'll just stick to the people already mentioned.

I saw John Cleese give a talk and asked him a question. Oh, heck, British humorist, that's close enough I'll add the Douglas Adams story - I asked him who he said wrote the worst poetry in the Universe, in Hitchhiker's Guide when he said the Vogons were the fifth worst in the universe. He said it was a former student of his.

I saw Colin Powell give a talk as former Secretary of State and was not very impressed. He seems to get too much credit for sometimes not being the most extreme wrongdoer in his crowd.

 

[IronWing]

If he doesn't how about Queen Elizabeth? She stayed in said hotel too. She said hello and shook my manager's hand - I just kind of stayed out of the way. Such a weird overnight visit - they emptied out the entire hotel for she and Prince Phillip.

What kind of bed did she get?

 

[SearchMaster]

I rode in a limo with Arthur Ashe and Terry Bradshaw as a kid (~10yo I think). Ashe was a living legend, Bradshaw probably not so much. I've met several other fairly famous people but "living legend" is a tough standard (and a lot of famous people in this thread don't cross over into that realm IMHO).

 

[Humpy]

I drank with Greg Allman at a hotel bar for a couple hours. We were the only two people in there and I was pretty happy that I was able refrain from peppering him with questions about his band.

 

[madoka]

I hope I could meet George Takei someday. He seems like a cool guy.

He was very cool. We were leaving a benefit auction together when I recognized him. I asked for a picture and he was more than happy to oblige even though he was leaving with his husband. He was all smiles, shook my hand, and gave me one of his famous laughs.

As for coleman, I guess I can appreciate his bitterness. It's not as though he blew his money on frivolous living. He had a medical condition that cost him a fortune. His condition would probably be reason enough to make any of us bitter even if it had not bankrupted him.

While I don't know why he was that bitter/angry, if I were him, it would be because my adoptive parents screwed me every way they could. From withholding treatment to keep him physically short at the height of his fame so he could work longer as a child actor, to spending all his money so that he had to work as a security guard at a black mall.

 

[madoka]

Jesse Ventura was my mayor.

He's more of a legend now that he has fled the country for tax evasion.

When did this happen?

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

I went to school in Malibu and worked as a gas station cashier and later a coffee barista in town there. I've pumped gas or served coffee to all kinds of celebrities, but idk which would qualify as "legends." The few that stand out in my memory are:

Shirley McClaine is a certifiable nutcase
Pierce Brosnan was suprisingly chatty
DB Sweeny is a pretty cool guy, same with Dick Van ***
Tony Danza still owes me about 8 bucks

Oh, yeah and I met OP once at a Park n' Ride at the Newcastle exit off the 405 in Seattle to take $5 for a sourdough starter.

 

[CraKaJaX]

Ran into Rafael Nadal getting out of a cab at his hotel in NYC after a morning practice during the US open around 3 or 4 years ago. Unless you're a tennis fan, he probably wouldn't have been recognized by anyone. We talked about the weather and the tourney so far, and that was really it. Really good dude.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Yep, a few years ago, I was walking down a hall and saw a guy coming towards me who looked really familiar, but I couldn't place him. As he got closer, I immediately recognized him - Coach K of Duke.

 

[Oyeve]

Saw 100s of famous legends in my day. Working in the music industry helps. But, the last "great" legend I saw was David Bowie about 8 months before he died. I work in SOHO and he was just walking the streets and I was walking in the opposite direction and when I saw him I just said "thanks for all of your work". He nodded and smirked at me. Very cool dude.

 

[quackagator]

I know the Chad Lady.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I've never understood how people who are famous millionaires can be jerks. You've got one job: make the fans happy.

Sometimes you need a day off.

 

[Bartman39]

Met Rodney Dangerfield in Las Vegas while he was coming into the MGM Grand hotel...

Very cool pervert but hey he was famous...

 

[IronWing]

DB Sweeny is a pretty cool guy, same with Dick Van ***

Poor Dick, forever referred to as, He who shall not be named.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

I could swear that I saw Mike Gordon (Phish) at a highway rest stop. He was leaving and got into a very expensive SUV as a passenger. I wanted to say something but I couldn't tell if it was him.

Met a few people from SNL thanks to my wife's cousin who was a fairly famous child actor.

 

[NuclearNed]

I was in line for lunch at a climbers hostel. The guy right behind me was famous mountain climber Lou Whittaker. I had just read his book and recognized him immediately. He was super friendly with me and by friends

 

[BurnItDwn]

I saw the upright citizens brigade perform in their hayday in the 90s.

Hung out with Mikael and the rest of Opeth for a bit during Milwaukee Metalfest back in 2000.

Saw Motorhead back when Lemmy was a living legend.
Saw BB King play at Jazzfest back when he was a living legend.

I more or less stoppped going to gigs unless a friend or family member's playing. Going to see Nik Turner this weekend since a friend of mine plays in one of the Opening bands. Looking forward to that show!