CHSurvivor
08-18-2014, 05:21 AM
I saw the thread about meeting Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. Being a Beatles fan myself....that is UBER COOL.... Seeing one in person is definitely on my bucket list....
I have met a lot of stars in my day....entertainers, singers, actors, gear heads.
I am not a celebrity hound. And if Tom Cruise walked past me I wouldn't bat an eye....
But meeting these people and the time I had meant something to me....
Jay Leno...my son and I were invite by Jay and had a private tour of his garage.
My boy and I had gone to the garage. Sat on a gold cart and wen through. seeing 200+ cars and 250+ motorcycles is really hard to comprehend. I got to hang out with Bernard (his chief mechanic) and the other fellas. We then proceeded to head over to NBC, we sat front row center(not the standing room) with our names tapped off as guests. My son(being under 19) was taken with my wifes mom to the green room. Where they watched the Tonight Show with Jay. Low and behold the guest of the show hang out in the green room with my son and mother in law. My son talked to and listen to Robin Williams before he went on. RIP Robin.
After the show, Jay literally changed into denim in 45 sec. All 4 of us on stage(where he did his monologue) and we got pics, autograph and so forth.
Was surreal....November 16, 2011
Next, Tim Allen. I waited 20 yrs to see this man not only do stand up but like most car guys grew up watching Home Improvement and Men are Pics.
We had a private 1 on 1 meeting with Tim in the green room prior to his Niagara Falls show. It was just me, my wife and Tim. Tims grandmother lived here in London and he spent time here as a kid. We also have a mutual friend. Yosemite Sam(custom pinstriper from Detroit). We chit chatted about Sam, my business I was loosing at the time. Shooted the chit and that was it. He then got our address too and mailed my son a huge Toy Story poster and wrote to Zackery Infinity and Beyond Tim Allen.About 5 min. We then went to the audience and sat down as personal guests.
I then realised I forgot to get autographs as I got 5 photos of him. I gave it to security and explained I forgot. Within 1 min they all came back autographed. Then the two fellas beside my wife said you look happy. I said I am...I waited 20 yrs to meet someone. Oh Tim...they smiled and nodded. I said oh have you seen him before? They said thousands of times. I said oh your big fans too...sorta...we are his child hood best friends of 40 years and this entire section is friends and family...we wondered who you are your wife are...Tim flew us all out here and this section is friends and family only.
Class act. We have seen him 4x now. Twice in Niagara Falls, once in Kitchener and last was filming Last Man Standing. We sat behind his wife and Rick Dees and his son.
Chip Foose.....My son had been recently mauled by a dog. He was 5. So I had him in a wheel chair as he couldn't walk temporarily. We went to the autorama in Toronto and we knew Chip was there(before Overhaulin). We got in line to meet and autograph. Chip looked up and saw us...got out of his chair on the podium and came over met us, shook hands, drew a car on my sons shirt and autographed. I have so much respect for Chip and if most of you don't know his sister passed at an earl age from a disease that ages people 10x.(sorry forgot name). Chip is all class. I emailed overhaulin once and said Id offer to help on a build if it was for someone sick like me.
George Barris. George is sorta a friend of mine. he comes yearly for my friends car show. My friend has the largest car show in Canada and happens to have the Worlds largest and rarest Cadillac Collection on the planet. I actually was his detailed for 3 seasons...anyway...George and i have talked many times...I didn't think he would remember me but when we were on our Honeymoon, we saw Jay Leno and stopped and seen George. He got us into the Peterson Museum not only as guests (as he is a member) but got us into the restricted "Vault" which is the storage basement...My son sat in the original Batmobile. Before it was sold. George still has a clone, The Munster Mobile
, a clone to James Deans car, the Nightrider and a few others.
Along with George, Gene Winfield another custom car designer has come up to Canada too with many celebrities...The Beach Boys, alot of 50s and 60s singers etc. Too many to mention.
The only other celebrity that stands out...that I had private 1 on 1 time with is Lisa Marie Presley. I am a huge Elvis fan. I met her a few weeks prior to one o my brain surgeries and she was class act all the way. Our meeting made 400 websites so it was cool. I also became friends with Elvis hairstylist/spiritual guide Larry Geller, his nurse Marian Cocke, and hung out with his band TCB, and have met the Sweet Inspirations, The Imperials. True Elvis fans will know what that means.
I have meet many many entertainers. Helix the rock band lives here in my town. I saw Brian Volmer at the gym all the time. Met Jeff Healey and saw him sing(both of us underage) at a bar before the Movie Roadhouse.So many I cant remember.
One photo below is my son and I at an Atlanta 500 race. Kenny wallace had grabbed my sons hat and asked the crowd who wasna Earnhardt fan? As we were live on the JUMBO TRON and on Speedvision...and the fellow in the white jacket is Peter Noonan from Hermans Hermits.
Not saying of this to brag by any means...just sharing amongst fellow gear heads...(possibly Elvis fans too)
I have met a lot of stars in my day....entertainers, singers, actors, gear heads.
I am not a celebrity hound. And if Tom Cruise walked past me I wouldn't bat an eye....
But meeting these people and the time I had meant something to me....
Jay Leno...my son and I were invite by Jay and had a private tour of his garage.
My boy and I had gone to the garage. Sat on a gold cart and wen through. seeing 200+ cars and 250+ motorcycles is really hard to comprehend. I got to hang out with Bernard (his chief mechanic) and the other fellas. We then proceeded to head over to NBC, we sat front row center(not the standing room) with our names tapped off as guests. My son(being under 19) was taken with my wifes mom to the green room. Where they watched the Tonight Show with Jay. Low and behold the guest of the show hang out in the green room with my son and mother in law. My son talked to and listen to Robin Williams before he went on. RIP Robin.
After the show, Jay literally changed into denim in 45 sec. All 4 of us on stage(where he did his monologue) and we got pics, autograph and so forth.
Was surreal....November 16, 2011
Next, Tim Allen. I waited 20 yrs to see this man not only do stand up but like most car guys grew up watching Home Improvement and Men are Pics.
We had a private 1 on 1 meeting with Tim in the green room prior to his Niagara Falls show. It was just me, my wife and Tim. Tims grandmother lived here in London and he spent time here as a kid. We also have a mutual friend. Yosemite Sam(custom pinstriper from Detroit). We chit chatted about Sam, my business I was loosing at the time. Shooted the chit and that was it. He then got our address too and mailed my son a huge Toy Story poster and wrote to Zackery Infinity and Beyond Tim Allen.About 5 min. We then went to the audience and sat down as personal guests.
I then realised I forgot to get autographs as I got 5 photos of him. I gave it to security and explained I forgot. Within 1 min they all came back autographed. Then the two fellas beside my wife said you look happy. I said I am...I waited 20 yrs to meet someone. Oh Tim...they smiled and nodded. I said oh have you seen him before? They said thousands of times. I said oh your big fans too...sorta...we are his child hood best friends of 40 years and this entire section is friends and family...we wondered who you are your wife are...Tim flew us all out here and this section is friends and family only.
Class act. We have seen him 4x now. Twice in Niagara Falls, once in Kitchener and last was filming Last Man Standing. We sat behind his wife and Rick Dees and his son.
Chip Foose.....My son had been recently mauled by a dog. He was 5. So I had him in a wheel chair as he couldn't walk temporarily. We went to the autorama in Toronto and we knew Chip was there(before Overhaulin). We got in line to meet and autograph. Chip looked up and saw us...got out of his chair on the podium and came over met us, shook hands, drew a car on my sons shirt and autographed. I have so much respect for Chip and if most of you don't know his sister passed at an earl age from a disease that ages people 10x.(sorry forgot name). Chip is all class. I emailed overhaulin once and said Id offer to help on a build if it was for someone sick like me.
George Barris. George is sorta a friend of mine. he comes yearly for my friends car show. My friend has the largest car show in Canada and happens to have the Worlds largest and rarest Cadillac Collection on the planet. I actually was his detailed for 3 seasons...anyway...George and i have talked many times...I didn't think he would remember me but when we were on our Honeymoon, we saw Jay Leno and stopped and seen George. He got us into the Peterson Museum not only as guests (as he is a member) but got us into the restricted "Vault" which is the storage basement...My son sat in the original Batmobile. Before it was sold. George still has a clone, The Munster Mobile
, a clone to James Deans car, the Nightrider and a few others.
Along with George, Gene Winfield another custom car designer has come up to Canada too with many celebrities...The Beach Boys, alot of 50s and 60s singers etc. Too many to mention.
The only other celebrity that stands out...that I had private 1 on 1 time with is Lisa Marie Presley. I am a huge Elvis fan. I met her a few weeks prior to one o my brain surgeries and she was class act all the way. Our meeting made 400 websites so it was cool. I also became friends with Elvis hairstylist/spiritual guide Larry Geller, his nurse Marian Cocke, and hung out with his band TCB, and have met the Sweet Inspirations, The Imperials. True Elvis fans will know what that means.
I have meet many many entertainers. Helix the rock band lives here in my town. I saw Brian Volmer at the gym all the time. Met Jeff Healey and saw him sing(both of us underage) at a bar before the Movie Roadhouse.So many I cant remember.
One photo below is my son and I at an Atlanta 500 race. Kenny wallace had grabbed my sons hat and asked the crowd who wasna Earnhardt fan? As we were live on the JUMBO TRON and on Speedvision...and the fellow in the white jacket is Peter Noonan from Hermans Hermits.
Not saying of this to brag by any means...just sharing amongst fellow gear heads...(possibly Elvis fans too)