What's your "Claim to fame"

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Seeing Andy's response to the Bobby "Boris" Pickett RIP thread reminded me of this.

In the 1980s, a British radio DJ had a little segment of his programme, which was on at lunchtime, in which he'd get people to phone in and tell him about their "Claim to fame". These were meant to be humorous or tenuous - NOT REAL fame, as several people here can claim. Here are two from me, to get you started:

In 1964, I bought Anne Nightingale's old Dansette record player. (For the non-British, Anne Nightingale was (maybe still is) a major league radio DJ over here. A Dansette was a cheap and nasty record player of the time.) I was unemployed when my previous record player broke down irretreivably, and had to get something second hand. My mother worked in a bar and put out the word. Anne Nightingale's brother was one of her customers and he sold me the Dansette, together with a heap of DJ sample 45s - all of which were utter shit!

In 1997, I stayed in the same hotel (at the same time) as Alpha Blondy, the Reggae singer from Cote D'Ivoire. This was in Senegal.

OK - get the idea?

GO!

MG

PS - they DO have to be true, not fiction.

Edited April 27, 2007 by The Magnificent Goldberg

[Niko]

best thing i remember for the moment, in 2000 i did an internship at the german academy of arts and once delivered an urgent (well only a two-line invitation) letter from writer Gyorgy Konrad, then the president of the academy, to Gorbarchev who was staying at the Hotel Adlon then (or rather, he wasn't anymore but it was my turn to find out)

[tonym]

I was second in line to star as this man's body-double in a BBC documentary.

[Niko]

I was second in line to star as this man's body-double in a BBC documentary.

ah, you remind me of something; i have a brother who once sang in a full playback backing choir for Manowar

[J Larsen]

David Bowie has an apartment on my block, I run into Moby and Pat McEnroe at the grocery store all the time, and my next door neighboor has a platinum record in Australia. Does that count?

[J Larsen]

Actually, I think this one is more along the lines of what you are looking for: a very drunk Michael Meyers stumbled into my sidewalk table at a SOHO restaurant during lunch one weekend afternoon.

[Matthew]

I was there when Ozzie Smith made THE FIELDING PLAY against the Braves. It's been called the greatest fielding play ever, we gave him a standing O when he came off the field for that one.

[mikelz777]

I was a customer service representative for a large bank when one night I received a call from M.C. Hammer about his account. The name listed on his account was actually M.C. Hammer and not his birth name so I was referring to him as "Mr. Hammer" throughout the call.

I also once assisted American figure skater Jill Trenary as she was checking up on things before leaving for some skating competition in Europe.

By association-my wife worked for a company that promoted and sold CDs and DVDs. Celebrities would sometimes come in for meet and greets and my wife would help coordinate them. She dealt with Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benetar, Vince Gill, Johnny Mathis, and even Kenny G! She once very much enjoyed having a lunch sitting next to Rita Moreno. She also got to meet Milli Vanilli.

Edited April 28, 2007 by mikelz777

[AllenLowe]

I met Martin Luther King in 1962 -

[Larry Kart]

I met Jesse Jackson in the lobby of a Chicago office building. He is tall.

[Spontooneous]

At the same pawn shop where Timothy McVeigh bought his Glock, I bought a used copy of "A Love Supreme." (True story.)

[Aggie87]

I ran into Gregg Allman in a hotel elevator in Springfield, Virginia once.

Flew on a plane from Montego Bay to Miami with Russell Maryland, the #1 overall NFL draft pick in 1991. He rode coach, and gave me his autograph on the back of a Sandals brochure.

Also, I once drove classical guitarist Christopher Parkening (and his guitar) from the airport to his hotel, in a red Trans Am. Then gave him a brief tour of scenic College Station, Texas. He didn't seem overly impressed.

Edited April 27, 2007 by Aggie87

[Man with the Golden Arm]

Used an ATM right after Duke Robillard.

Used another ATM right after John Updike.

Went out a revolving door as Magic Johnson was going in.

When I was a kid I asked Howard Cosell for his autograph and he said NO.

Edited April 27, 2007 by Man with the Golden Arm

[sal]

I drove 5 time Olympic gold medal speed skater Bonnie Blair from Cog Hill Country Club to a banquet hall about 20 miles away.

I once was Carlton Fisk's spot while he was doing a bench press.

And while I was urinating in a public restroom, Roger Ebert came to the urinal next to mine and began to urinate.

[Chuck Nessa]

Jesse Jackson physically pushed me aside two times. Once in the '60s and once in the '80s.

[tonym]

J.G Ballard's best mate called the centre I was working at once to find out why he couldn't get in touch with him. I was reading Crash at the time (post-Diana and all that...) so we chatted for a while about the book. He said give him a ring, he's a nice bloke to talk to.

[Brownian Motion]

For about 45 minutes in 1982 I occupied a jail cell in rural North Carolina with Joseph Lowery (At the time Director of the SCLC) and several other folks. We had been arrested for civil disobedience.

[rostasi]

Jesse Jackson physically pushed me aside two times. Once in the '60s and once in the '80s.

You sound bitter.

[Aggie87]

Jesse Jackson physically pushed me aside two times. Once in the '60s and once in the '80s.

Be careful - he's on track to do it again sometime this decade.

[Brownian Motion]

Oh, I almost forgot--George Duvivier accidentally stepped on my toe at a club where he was playing with Teddy Wilson. He apologized.

Edited April 28, 2007 by Brownian Motion

[Ron S]

I once had a higher post count on the organissimo board than Aggie87.

[Aggie87]

I once had a higher post count on the organissimo board than Aggie87.

Take some of Sangrey's steroids, and you can make up the difference in about 48 hours.

[4XB]

Jesse Jackson physically pushed me aside two times. Once in the '60s and once in the '80s.

Oh... Chuck whats wrong with you face?

[bertrand]

'Jesse Jackson physically pushed me aside two times. Once in the '60s and once in the '80s'.

Why? Did you berate him for not using the search function when he asked if there were any threads on organissimo about him

[Dan Gould]

I met Jesse Jackson in the lobby of a Chicago office building. He is tall.

Walking along 57th street with my Father, Robin Williams bounded out of a building in front of us, gave us a sort of "yeah, its me" nod/smile and jumped into a cab. He is tiny.

During each of his son's senior years, Dad brought us to a television syndicators convention that took place in Vegas. My turn, Mel Allen was in the "This Week in Baseball" booth and I got to shake his hand. He was gigantic.

How 'bout that?

Edited April 27, 2007 by Dan Gould