Meeting with Music Idols

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Lriagan

Lriagan

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Although I haven't been here all that long I felt as if I needed to bring this thought up.

I see posts every here and there with people telling why the liked or disliked someone(Guitarist A vs B and the likes)
But what about our own personal interactions with them? Has anyone here met their idols? Or maybe bumped into someone you didn't like and after briefly speaking with them they seemed like an alright dude? *cough*Slash*cough*

I think people would love to hear some stories about the people they look up to, idolize, or envy the crap out of.


CONTENT

I was at a NAMM show back in 2008 while I was working with a small time guitar company who eventually shrivelled up. I was with 2 Co-workers and the owner of the company walking up some stairs to go from point A - B when two body guards appeared at the top of them. We all paused and were rather confused when we saw one of them turn around to talk to a man behind him, none other then Yngwie Malmsteen! The owner of the company pointed out that it was him to us.

Now, you have to understand, the owner was a 5'2 Italian guy who has been a fan for many many years. And when the owner walked up the stairs closer, he called out "HEY! Yngwie!!". Yngwie peered over the body guards shoulder, tapped on the shoulder of said body guard, and said "Take care of him."

The body guard chucked the owner down the stairs and took us out. The 4 of us now at the bottom of the stairs as the 3 up top walked off. I wasn't a big fan of Yngwie before. He was cool, did some great things, and has some rocking songs... but after that I couldn't really listen to him anymore, put a bad taste in my mouth.


When I have more time I'll share my Jack White story, but for now let us hear yours!
 
Dude, that Yngwie story is such bullshit. I can't say that I've necessarily had any horrible stories to report but hearing things like this really bum me out. At this point, you'd think that YM would be more of a gracious dude with his fans. After all, I'm fairly certain that his fan-base is not what it was.
 
Met Yngwie in 1988 and he was a coked up, arrogant d-bag. I still appreciate his music, but I reconciled that he is a shitty human being. Maybe that's changed now, but I don't really care if it has.
 
I've met every one of my guitar idols. They all tell me I should be doing music for a living and stuff. Dweezil Zappa recently told me this at the LA Amp show. He may not remember it, but he did.
 
daver101":e5400ip1 said:
Met Yngwie in 1988 and he was a coked up, arrogant d-bag. I still appreciate his music, but I reconciled that he is a shitty human being. Maybe that's changed now, but I don't really care if it has.
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Where's DerekB when you need him? I love the arm wrestling story.
 
I met Michael Schenker at NAMM recently. I was in the corridor just outside the hall and I was getting ready to walk in and he had walked his girlfriend to the bathroom and she walked in. It was an odd time and no one was around so I started to walk over. He kind of ducked his head like he didn't want to be noticed, but I went up anyway. I walked up and said "hey dude, sorry to bother you but I just wanted to shake the hand of one of the greatest rock guitar players to ever live". He smiled and shook my hand then I turned around and split. I think he was ok with that.
 
Spaceboy":1yz8j0jf said:
I wouldn't expect any better from Yngwie.
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WHAT?!?!?!?......
But he seems so Down to Earth and a Humble ordinary guy?
:hys:
Oh wait.....he isnt like the rest of us mortals....he is a ROCK GOD. ;)
 
When I was living in Tulsa I saw Garth Brooks in Best Buy. I decided to walk up to him and shake his hand saying 'Hey Garth my name's Quinn" and he replies "Alright the Mighty Quinn" and I said "Yep just like the Eskimo". That was a pretty good day.
 
quinnethan":hsglegfa said:
When I was living in Tulsa I saw Garth Brooks in Best Buy. I decided to walk up to him and shake his hand saying 'Hey Garth my name's Quinn" and he replies "Alright the Mighty Quinn" and I said "Yep just like the Eskimo". That was a pretty good day.
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Now that.......is a COOL story! :thumbsup:
 
met paul gilbert back in like 1989 or 1990 when the first mr big album came out...it may have even been 1991...foggy times.

i remember him staying to talk to me and my buddy for like 45 minutes on the side of the stage, and giving us all kinds of cool music advice and stories...he also signed a bunch of shit for us and gave us some free swag...

funny part is, i had NO idea who he was until that show....and well, you can imagine, i've been a big fan of him ever since...
 
Dave Mustaine, despite all the stories and his mouth in the media is a cool motherfucker, met him twice was cool as hell both times.

Gary Holt, I can honestly call him my friend, we hook up anytime he's around. No one is cooler.

Mark, Willie, and the rest if LOG, really cool down to earth guys.

Kerry King, cool dude, the persona is always on, was awesome to meet the guy.

Scott Ian, nice guy, stopped a conversation with someone else to take a pic and sign my Marshall.

Dino Cazeras, first time he was in a mood and being a dick, second time was really nice and talked gear like a true gear head.

Eric Peterson was kinda standoff-ish, but nice enough.

Chris Broderick, awesome dude, really nice and humble

Lee Altus, really, really cool, funny as hell.

Jack Gibson, one of the coolest dude I've ever met.

Dimebag... The stories are all true. A true rock star and legend for a reason.

Tom Araya, really nice soft spoken guy.

Micheal Wilton, cool guy, like to talk gear

Chris DeGarmo, nice enough was peoccupied when I met him.

Jerry Cantrell, nice dude, humble and chilled, ended up talking to Layne a lot more.

There more, drawing a blank now.... Never really had any bad experiences with many guitar/music heroes.
 
quinnethan":1vn8gei8 said:
When I was living in Tulsa I saw Garth Brooks in Best Buy. I decided to walk up to him and shake his hand saying 'Hey Garth my name's Quinn" and he replies "Alright the Mighty Quinn" and I said "Yep just like the Eskimo". That was a pretty good day.
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You'd be amazed how many people run into Garth in the Tulsa area... of course, I haven't. ;) Heard many stories though, every single one was cool. The guy is well grounded and doesn't travel around in a entourage or with bodyguards/etc.
 
yeti":3pw21po1 said:
met paul gilbert back in like 1989 or 1990 when the first mr big album came out...it may have even been 1991...foggy times.

i remember him staying to talk to me and my buddy for like 45 minutes on the side of the stage, and giving us all kinds of cool music advice and stories...he also signed a bunch of shit for us and gave us some free swag...

funny part is, i had NO idea who he was until that show....and well, you can imagine, i've been a big fan of him ever since...
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That sounds about right. He seems like the nicest guy ever and truly loves what he does.
 
Hendrix had moments for sure, a genius. I got a kick out of this though. - AUGUST 3--Days before Private James Marshall Hendrix (Jimi to his friends) was officially drummed out of the military, Army brass delivered withering assessments of the 19-year-old soldier. Hendrix, Captain Gilbert Batchman reported, slept on the job, had little regard for regulations, and was once 'apprehended masturbating' in the latrine. Sergeant Louis Hoekstra noted that Hendrix was a 'habitual offender' when it came to missing midnight bed checks and that the Seattle teenager was unable to 'carry on an intelligent conversation.' Hoekstra added that Hendrix, who was once suspected of 'taking dope,' played a musical instrument while off-duty, 'or so he says. This is one of his faults, because his mind apparently cannot function while performing duties and thinking about his guitar.' Those are just two of the gems contained in the late rock star's nearly 100-page Army file, which TSG obtained from the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. You'll find highlights from the file on the following 18 pages. The documents track Hendrix's messy 13 months in the Army, beginning with his May 1961 three-year enlistment, which came with his assurance that he wasn't a Commie and a handwritten explanation about a juvenile burglary arrest. Hendrix, records show, was a terrible marksman and a recidivist truant. Weeks after ordering a physical and psychiatric examination of Hendrix (who was attached to the 101st Airborne Support Group in Fort Campbell, Kentucky), Capt. Batchman sought to discharge a soldier who was an 'extreme intravert' and whose many problems were not treatable by 'hospitalization and or counseling.' Included in the Army's discharge request were various statements from fellow soldiers, all of whom thought Hendrix deserved to be bounced.
The man

 
I have met Derek Sherinian, Mike Portnoy and James LaBrie after a concert at the Al Rosa in Columbus Ohio. It was during their Falling into Infinity tour. Petrucci and Myung were nowhere to be seen after the show. LaBrie was the only one with a security guard/bouncer near him. He had a lot of fans around him and was doing his best to get to everyone. I spent more time talking to Sherinian and Portnoy. It was clear that all 3 of them appreciated the fans. They are still one of my favorite bands. I'm not sure if they can still hang out with the fans given that their audience has grown so much since then.

I have also met the California Guitar Trio. Those guys are awesome. I have taken my family to a couple of their shows. They run their own merch stand after the show and chat with their fans. They actually remembered us having been to their show a year before. They aren't that well known, but I've been a fan for a long time.

I have only interacted with music idols in situations where they are chosing to hang with the fans. I'm not sure I'd try to interact with them if I ran into them out in the street. I'm an introvert, strangers creep me out, and I'm probably socially awkward enough to creep them out. :lol: :LOL:
 
Met Joe Satriani multiple times. He chatted w/ me and my wife backstage for about 5-10 minutes -- SUPER friendly guy.
Vai was nice, too.

I met Dweezil Zappa and Lisa Loeb when they did a clinic at the old guitar store I worked at. I ran the clinic and dealt with them the whole
time. Very nice and down-to-earth. Dweezil wanted a practice amp to warm up and I offered him a 5150--he laughed and took a little Peavey Rage. Some dude in the audience asked Dweezil about his dad and he got choked up talking about him. Genuine love there.

Sammy Hagar wore my cowboy hat at the 2004 VH reunion tour debacle in Dallas. I had painted it striped and he wore it for all of BOBW then signed it (as did Michael Anthony) and made sure I got it back. If for no other reason, I'll be a Hagar fan. Eddie and Alex just ignored us. Of course, Ed was tweaked at that time...

Met Andy Timmons and his tall wife several times at various places. He is always smiling and very nice/unassuming and his wife is really nice, too.

I stood right next to Dimebag at a Black Label Society concert at the Canyon Club in Arlington, Texas. He was so short, but super chill. Was not really a Pantera listener before that (too heavy for my taste) but was a Dime fan -- he was totally cool to us.

My favorite story deals with George Lynch circa 2004. I was at the Dallas Guitar Show watching Satriani do a set. We were all in this big, empty warehouse with nothing but a stage and a side curtain that led to the rest of the warehouse and an outside exit. I was peering through the curtain because this little dude pulled out a guitar and was playing right in front of the glass door. Had two chicks with him. After a while he walked in w/ the girls and wound up standing right next to me; he was wearing a black fringe suede jacket like you'd see in a Bon Jovi video. I thought, "who IS this guy...he's totally caught in the 80s!" He looked and smiled, gave a nod; I nodded back. Satch finished his set and called up Lynch. Little dude starts walking up there, takes his tiger guitar out and proceeds to rip it up! I didn't even recognize him...ha!
 
When I meet someone who I consider an idiol, or just a "famous person" in general, my experience generally alters my opinions of their music as well. For example, Dream Theater is my favorite band, and had the opportunity to meet them a couple times (Petrucci a few times), such down to earth people, really care about their fans. Makes me like that band even more. But then when you meet someone like Billy Corgan, at an autograph session, cant even look you in the eye or say a word to you, I have no interest in ever listening to the Pumpkins (or whats left of them) anymore.

I could go list everyone I met and say if they were a nice person or an ass, but realistically, no one wants to hear that.
 
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