Famous musicians you've met

MadAsAHatter

Well-known member
Just wondering which famous to semi-famous musicians you all have met and any stories that go along with it.

I have a couple, but nothing super special. The last one is pretty funny (at least to me).

I knew Phil Anselmo back in high school. He was a couple grades ahead of me and we went to different schools, but had a couple of mutual friends. So we crossed paths at times. Nothing really special here. We'd just say hi or talk for a few minuets if we happened to be at the same place or something like that.

Similar thing with Dax Riggs of Acid Bath. We had a couple of mutual friends and would be in the same group conversation when talking after a show or meeting up with said mutual friends.

This would have been in the early 2000's. I met the guys from Incubus one evening before a show. My friend and I went into the record store across the street from the venue to kill some time before the doors opened. They walked in and I decided to go say hi. My friend and I ended up talking with them for a good 30 minuets while we all looked around the store. I got them to sign my shirt and they pointed us to a couple of bands they were into that I hadn't listened to before.

I got to meet Henry Rollins after one of his spoken word shows. I was impressed that after the show he made it a point to go outside to shake hands and talk with everyone who wanted to meet him. No barricade, security people, or anything. Just him shaking hands, taking pictures, and signing autographs. He made sure to give everyone his full attention when they were talking with him. My wife and I talked with him for 5-10 minutes after most of the crowd cleared out. I was just taken aback of how personable he was and how he made the fans his top priority. You don't see that all the time from stars.

This one's a little bit better story. I met Yngwie and his band after a show. My friends and I went to the bar down the street after the show. A bit later Yngwie and crew walked in. Yngwie was Yngwei and didn't stay long; pretty much in and out. The rest of the band; however, pulled up to the bar next to us. I guess they recognized our faces or something since we were right up front and asked how we liked the show. We all got to talking and ended up going back and forth buying rounds of drinks and having a good time for a number of hours until they had to get back on the tour bus.

This one is not really meeting the person, just a funny anecdote. This would have been late 90's when Brittney Spears was reaching her height and pre meltdown. She was walking through the mall where I worked (electronics boutique now game stop) at the time. My coworkers and I were talking about her being there and I was like "her music is crap, she sucks." One coworker said I bet you wouldn't say that to her face. Well she happened to walk in front of the the store almost at that moment. I ran out the store, jumped in front of her and yelled "You suck and your music is crap! I listen to metal! FUCK YEAH!!!!" and ran back in. The bewildered look of her, her entourage, and surrounding fans of what the fuck just happened was priceless. My coworkers were all holy shit you just did that and laughing their asses off.
 
I haven't met too many musicians over the years but I did meet Linkin Park around 2003. They were all really cool. Took pics and signed autographs.

Also met Bill and Brent from Mastodon before a show. They were both cool. I chatted with them for a few minutes and Brent took a picture with me.
 
Vivian Cambell, Vai, Yngwie, Craig Goldy, Ronnie Montrose, Ted Nugent, Tommy Shaw, Christopher Parkening, Doyle Dykes and Phil Keaggy
Gary Moore and Phil Lynott, Trevor Raybren, Sammy Hagar
OH! And Ty, Dug and Jerry of Kings X!
 
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Never met no super famous musicians, that's not my style.

One time in a galaxy far away I was gigging in a downtown area and this Marty Friedman hair looking little dude comes bopping in the bar and right away says "you should let me sit in". Ok, sure chief. But the bass player knew or recognized the guy, it was DLR band guitarist Brian Young. He played cold shot and I did the vocal. He promised to get us backstage at the rib fest that weekend after his set. He delivered on his promise. I should mention dude had the killer tone at the gig. I think he had rackmount Marshalls and a Suhr. I thought it was cool he was a man of his word and a helluva guitar player too.
 
Billy Sheehan, Satch, Reb Beach, Vinnie Moore, Doug Aldrich, Gary Hoey, Vivian Cambell, Paul Gilbert, Marty Friedman

The only cool story is a Reb Beach story and the reason I like to share it is because I've read more than once where others found him to be a prick and that was not my experience at all. I was fortunate enough to meet him (and Doug) after a WS show due to a mutual friend (no name dropping but he produced Reb's first solo album - post Winger days, and was helping me with mine)...anyway, Reb treated us to dinner (and beer all evening), nobody in the small group could pay for anything, he wasn't having it, an extremely generous, nice as hell guy.
 
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Don Dokken. Don’t laugh. Late summer of ‘92.
My dad and I were having dinner in Redondo Beach, and Mr.Dokken, his wife(?), and their kid, sat next to us in a restaurant.
My dad is one of those people who will talk to anyone, and somehow began talking to them.
He was exceptionally cool, and asked me what I thought about “Up From The Ashes” and the 2nd Lynch Mob album; that was actually a good conversation.
My only famous musician story.
 
Touring in the late 80's gave me some good opportunities. Phil Anselmo on our bus outside a show at Joes Garage in Arlington. Talked about how he wanted to quit the band. Steve Earle in Toronto. Knew a surprising amount about metal and commented that our pit would have been better if a fat guy hadn't been stage diving. Jason Newstead at NYE party in Phoenix. Mainly talked about a lizard the owner had in a tank. Rocky George from Suicidal Tendencies was awesome, hung out with him on a van on the way to see a Metallica show in CA. Have a good Danzig story but no time before work!
 
This one is not really meeting the person, just a funny anecdote. This would have been late 90's when Brittney Spears was reaching her height and pre meltdown. She was walking through the mall where I worked (electronics boutique now game stop) at the time. My coworkers and I were talking about her being there and I was like "her music is crap, she sucks." One coworker said I bet you wouldn't say that to her face. Well she happened to walk in front of the the store almost at that moment. I ran out the store, jumped in front of her and yelled "You suck and your music is crap! I listen to metal! FUCK YEAH!!!!" and ran back in. The bewildered look of her, her entourage, and surrounding fans of what the fuck just happened was priceless. My coworkers were all holy shit you just did that and laughing their asses off
:ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO: :ROFLMAO:
 
Richard Patrick was cool. He liked my cat lazer eye shirt.

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My old band toured with Taproot and Sevendust in 2009. The guys in Taproot became great friends and showed us the ropes on tour. Lajon from Sevendust is a really nice dude as well.
 
I was in a NWOBHM band with James Rivera from Helstar, Seven Witches, Vicious Rumors. We always had guest guitar players as well. Jay Reynolds from Malice and Metal Church played, Mark Simpson from Flotsam and Black & Blue played. Sang with Tod Howarth recently.

Guys I’ve just met and chatted/hung with would be Rudy Sarzo, Mitch Perry, Jeff Loomis, Tracii Guns, Bruce Kulick, Bob Kulick, Rowan Robertson. Spent a day with Pat Travers. We did breakfast and photo shoot for his new guitars. Wicked cool guy.

I see Jeff Duncan from Armored Saint all the time. We are both on the Valkenburg USA artist roster with Mitch Perry, Rowan and Pat Travers. Jeff and I also are part of the build team for those guitars.
 
Not super famous, except to guitar nerds but I took lessons from Greg Howe at his house for about 3 years back in the 90's. Got to know him a little bit. Super cool, low key guy. Saw him in the mall one day Xmas shopping and he came over and said hello.
 
Dudes I've met and/or hung out with who are at least semi-famous:

Dax Riggs and Sammy Duet

Kirk Windstein

Gene Hoglan

Thomas Haake

All three dudes from King's X

Bjorn "Speed" Strid

Misha Mansoor and Nolly (and all of the rest of the dudes that were in Periphery at that time)

John 5

Dave Davidson


Probably several others I'm not remembering right now
 
I met Megadeth when their Risk album came out. Marty Friedman and Dave Ellefson were super nice but Mustaine was kind of pissy that day.
Met Eric Singer and Mark St. John from Kiss. They were both cool and took time to talk. I still have the stuff they signed for me.
I met Danny Carey from Tool at a Pygmy Love Circus show but I was young and didn't know what the hell to say to him. Super awkward on my part.
Billy Cox was cool at an Experience Hendrix show.
It's always a nice surprise getting to meet some of these people.
 
Gene, Paul, Ace, Eric Carr, Eric Singer, Bruce Kulick, Roth, EVH, Nikki Sixx, Doug Pinnick, Ty Tabor, Guthrie, John Corabi, Tom Keifer, Eric Brittingham, George Lynch, Chris DeGarmo, Michael Wilton, Nugent, Pat Travers, Jake E Lee, Harry Connick, Rachel and Snake from Skid Row, all the guys in Cheap Trick, all the Metallica guys, all the AIC guys, all the STP guys, all the original guys in Enuff Znuff, Scott Ian and some of the guys in Anthrax buying fireworks in TN, Mathias Jabs and Rudolph watching the Scorpions rehearse, several of the Eagles amongst others I can't remember at the moment. Even met Jimmy Buffett who was a dick and Justin Timberlake who was cool. Not to mention so many country artists that'd be hard to list.

Coolest guy I've met is Simmons, I was around him several times over three different years and he remembered who I was when there was zero reason to do so.
 
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Met Lynch a couple of times back in the day. Once when he was in Cincinnati with Dokken opening for Aerosmith. Saw the tour bus in front of a hotel downtown unloading ESP cases with Lynch on them. Later bumped into him with his wife at the time looking for the mall downtown to shop. Had him sign my shopping bag!

Second time was during his first Lynch Mob tour at Bogart's in Cincinnati. My friend managed bands so after the show we were able to hang out after security cleared out the crowd. I sat at a table with Lynch and Skolnick and had a beer. Testament was in town the following night.

Same band manager friend was doing some AV work at Frampton's house when he lived in Cincinnati. Went to a show and met Frampton while he was walking onto the stage and then spent the show in his guitar pit with his tech.
 
Never met no super famous musicians, that's not my style.

One time in a galaxy far away I was gigging in a downtown area and this Marty Friedman hair looking little dude comes bopping in the bar and right away says "you should let me sit in". Ok, sure chief. But the bass player knew or recognized the guy, it was DLR band guitarist Brian Young. He played cold shot and I did the vocal. He promised to get us backstage at the rib fest that weekend after his set. He delivered on his promise. I should mention dude had the killer tone at the gig. I think he had rackmount Marshalls and a Suhr. I thought it was cool he was a man of his word and a helluva guitar player too.

I saw the DLR Band live while Brian was in the band; honestly they were fucking incredible and it was overall a much better show than both times I saw later era VH live (once during the EVH methteeth phase with Sammy on vocals and once during the ADKOT tour when Dave was full lounge act mode)
 
Not super famous, except to guitar nerds but I took lessons from Greg Howe at his house for about 3 years back in the 90's. Got to know him a little bit. Super cool, low key guy. Saw him in the mall one day Xmas shopping and he came over and said hello.

Lucky bastid! One of my long time favorites, kinda jealous lol.
 
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