Quote:
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Originally Posted by Brucelee
Famous people who I have met and/or had meals with:
Michael Jordan
Clyde Drexler
Jimmy Connors
Ivan Lendl
Tim Mayotte
Jim Currier
Robert Parrish
Phil Jackson
Rod Laver-has a home in LaCosta
Dick Enberg-a local
Jim Lampely-a local
Sandra Bullock-a looker!
Jason Patrik-here man at the time!
Boy, that WAS a good job I had!
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Hi,
That's a pretty impressive list. I have an old buddy in the Hotel Biz (where I spent 20+ years) and we have a running bet as to who has had meals or other significant time with celebrities. Some of my list:
Dinners:
Morey Amsterdam - genuinly funny guy
Rodney Dangerfield - Assh*le - RIP
Liv Ullman - one of the World's truly most beautiful women
Lilly Tomlin
Michael McDonald - Dooby Bro. - had cockroach races on the Bar at the Boul Mich in Chgo. the night of their last concert - drank 'til sunrise
Paul & Linda McCartney - great folks
Jonas Salk - rather boring and condescending
Ronald Reagan
Geo. Bush I
Cher
Barbara Bush (separate from Geo.)
Candace Bergman - She was in Mpls. to accept an Award from the Swedish American Institute on behalf of her Late Father, Edgar Bergman. At the last minute, she called me and said that her fiance' was unable to join her and did I own a Tuxedo (I did/do), would I be her escort for the evening? She was very nice, a knockout in a low-slung Formal, and we went to the award dinner and then dancing afterward. This was
pre-Murphy Brown before she became the Poster Child for the FemiNazis!
Tony Oliva - we'd always go out howlin' together whenever he came to Chgo.
Paul Molitor - we went to High School together
Dave Winfield - Fraternity Brothers
Michael Jordan - played in his foursome in a Charity Golf Tourney at Butler National - that guy will bet on Wind Changes!
Walter Payton - next-door naighbor to an exclusive Corporate Education Cntr./Retreat I managed in Lake Bluff, IL
Mr. 'T' - another neighbor - he was always chopping down the trees
Frank Sinatra - he came into my office and personally handed me 2 backstage passes for the '83 ChicagoFest - lots of MOB Types in Sharkskin Suits there too!
Dan Akroid - went to a recording studio and did 'Hand Claps' on an album he was producing
Crosby, Stills and Nash - Stayed with us. I had to go to their suite and respond to complaints of Pot smells, suggested they go to the top of the Parking Ramp, which is where we all smoked. Later they came and played in a pick-up hockey game we had rented a rink for in Mpls., they later sent me a CSN Hockey Jersey, their own local hockey team in Denver
B.B. King - had lunch with the
Blues Boy
Little Eddie - Chgo. Blues Guitarist who jumped off the stage with a 25' Amp cord and played while dancing with my wife and I at the Blues Saloon - former club here in Mpls.
Mickey Mantle - he spent his summers with his Uncle, my Dad's next-door neighbor, so he could play in a higher caliber Little League Region - my Dad and Mick became life-long friends and he even mentions my Dad in his Book.
Carol King - a group of us were invited to back her up and sing
'Doo Wops' Main Stage ChicagoFest '82 - 50,000 people a real high!
Winona Ryder - she was travelling with PearlJam and they had to leave for a day's recording - she stayed behind and invited me to dinner as she didn't want to eat alone - yep she stole the Towels and Soap!
Billy Martin - I had to cut Billy off and kick him out of our Bar - he went across the street to another which is where he punched the Marshmallow Salesman 10 min. later and got fired the 2nd time by Geo. Steinbrenner
Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Taj Mahal and I (just the 4 of us) all on a boat moored 5 mi. off Navy Pier in Chicago w/ 2 cases of
Jack - an all-nighter!
Sam Donaldson - was doing #1 in the Men's Room when Sam walked in, my pager went off and Sam looked over and Said "Oh, yours talks!" Embarassing moment in Sports!
Andre Segovia - always stayed with me in Chgo. and always invited me to dinner with he and his wife - greatest guitarist of all time!
Ralph Loren (with the prettiest 16 y.o. Boy you ever saw...??)
Paul Newman, Carl Haas, Mario and Michael Andretti - worked with Newman/Haas at the '91 Indy 500 - drove a golf cart for 10 days to/from Gasoline Alley for VIPs - a dream come true!
Her Majesty Elizabeth II - Yep the Queen herself!
The Beach Boys - dinner backstage at ChicagoFest '82
Carlos Santana - at Universal Studios in Chicago, they were recording next door and raiding our Craft Table as it was better than theirs - really nice guys...
Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert and Mike Royko - all regulars (as was I) at the Billy Goat Tavern in Chgo.
Sophia Loren and Carlo Ponti - my wife and I were at the Delano in South Beach, eating at a table next to them. They invited us over to have dessert and cognac - most amazing blue eyes you've ever seen.
Tiger Woods - had dinner w/ he and his Fiance' with my wife after one of my wife's tourneys
Dave Madden - '92 SuperBowl, Dave stayed with us and had the Madden Cruiser parked in our Lot for the week - really nice guy, but I had to ask him to quit inviting the Housekeepers into the Bus and giving them Beer while on Duty.
Fran Tarkington - kept a Suite at our Hotel during the season as his family lived in Atlanta - Great QB, not such a nice person
Cal Ripkin Jr. - during a 3-game stance in Mpls. to play the Twins. He was at 2997 Career Hits and with all the publicity hype about getting #3,000, the Orioles put Cal up in a small Boutique Hotel I was managing and away from the Team and the Press. I had coffee with him on the morning of 4/15 and wished him well in his series with the Twins. Later that day, Cal hit #s 2,998, 2,999 and #3,000. An equipment manager from the Orioles came to the Hotel to pack his belongings, but Cal never returned, so I didn't get the chance to congratulate him
Kevin Garnett - Same Boutique Hotel, Kevin was coming in to have a pre-signing workout with the Timberwolves. Only 17, Kevin was shy and kept calling me Sir. A pretty nice guy whom success hasn't spoiled like so many Pro Atheletes.
As I said, this is just a partial list, one of the perks of managing some of the marquis hotels I was privledged to work for. It's been interesting meeting most of these people and the one thing you come away with is that they are just folks, much different than their public personas. If you're Star Struck, they won't give you the time of day, but treat them as you would anyone else, and they find that refreshing and will really open up...
Happy Motoring!... Jim'99
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