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I've read with pride how other Bners have handled their encounters with The Man, most recently those of the Orlando group at the Cafe, BuffettonmyBMW at Anguilla, and of course CatchandRelease also at the Anguilla affair.
I always assume I would try to be cool and calm like C&R was, and say the appropriate things.
But have any of you thought about what you would do if you met a Celebrity just by chance when nobody else was around?
If you had an extended time slot and were'nt in line with others all waiting for their chance?
I always knew that if that ever happened, I would play it real cool, hardly letting on that I even knew who the person was, with the intent of being welcome to spend extra "quality" time with that star.

In the Summer of '84 , it happened, but I blew it!
Oh, I stayed cool alright, but TOO cool!

I had decided to learn to windsurf that Summer, and took a 1 hour lesson.
Armed with all of that experience, I began renting sailboards at a sleepy boat shack on Orchard Lake, near my house in Michigan.
The sport was evolving rapidly at the time, and the place had just taken delivery of a brand new much higher tech model.
I was told that you had to arrive early if you wanted a shot at it.
As the first and only one there on my third day out, I requested and got assigned to it. I was thrilled, and as I carefully rigged the sail, tightened the downhaul and outhaul, I admired the beauty of this new and sleek board.
There was only a small amount of wind, but so what, I was a beginer and looking forward to a mellow day of sailing.
As I was just about to launch, I noticed the young attendant who had taken my money and I.D. slowly approaching me.
Something must have been wrong, I thought. Or maybe he just wanted to carefully check my rigging of this brand new craft.
He pointed to some tall lanky balding guy standing up there, and asked me:
" James Taylor would like to try out the Bermuda today. Would it be O.K. with you if he took it and you took one of the Clubs instead?"
I looked at him in "Yeah, right, James Taylor" disbelief, but accepted the swap.
I hate being BSed by someone, but I just wanted to get out and sail.
I was told to review the rigging with "Mr. Taylor".
Way too tall, too skinny, and far too bald, when he spoke to me my jaw dropped! You cannot fake Sweet Baby James mellowness nor voice.
It obviously WAS him, and here I was showing him the "ropes" literaly of the brand new Mistral Bermuda!
It was so quiet on the lake, WE WERE THE ONLY TWO PEOPLE OUT THAT DAY!
I had all the time in the world, so I refrained from any idol worship or references to lyrics. All we did was sail along side each other talking abouth nothing other than the lack of wind and the differences between the two models.
I knew to just play it cool, and give him the enjoyment of just being a regular renter. There was no handlers, just him.
I was going to make friends with him, both of us equaly skilled at the art of sailboarding at that time.
I knew, he would eventually invite me to the East to sail with him, since he would have thought I was such good company.
The weak but tricky winds caused some problems, a large island with tall trees in the center of the lake allowing for rapidly changing wind directions.
We got seperated by the diverging winds, but no problem, with my three days of experience I could catch up with him for sure.
NOT!!!!!!!!!!
Half a lake away from each other, the wind died!
Eventually, I started to paddle, as did he, but a puff would come and we would each go for it, but end up even further in separation.
I could see him paddling, but he soon disapeared behind the other side of the island.
The wind returned, and as I slowly got blown downwind I had some great rides. After a while, JT was nowhere to be seen.
It took me along time to work my way upwind, but when I stopped at the shack James was long gone.
The crew showed me the autographs that he had signed for them, and even though these young and rough guys were'nt really sure who he was or what he did, they had no desire to part with any of the memorabilia.
After returning home, I watched the 5:00 news, and sure enough James Talor was in concert that evening less than 10 miles from the lake.
I played it cool. Too cool. I have the memories, but never even got to extend my appreciation for his talent to him.
He must of thought that I was just too dumb to know who he was.
Maybe I gave him what he really wanted- a sailboarding buddy for a few hours that treated him the same as anybody else would be.

I ended up purchasing a brand new Bermuda of my own the following week, which soon became antiquated in the rapidly changing world of sailboard design. I became the owner of several others over the years, but still take the Bermuda out in the really light winds.
I can't help but think of James Taylor every time I rig it up though.

I also learned alot more about how winds encircle islands, and plan for it in advance!

Are you prepared for a purely by chance encounter with a star with plenty of available time?

Thats crazy, I'm the same way because I think it would be better to allow them to be normal and not scare them off. I have no idea how I would react with Jimmy, but my fantasy would be to see him in a dark bar and sit back and just BS. Of course he would probably have more to talk about then me!!!

When I worked @ a major network based in the Tampa Bay area... I was in charge of neogiating contracts for on air talent among other things.

That included hosts, models and celebraties... In my 7 years in that position.... I met movie stars, baseball legends, hasbeen rock stars, TV personalities, actors, football greats, golfers, business moguls..... you name it.

In the beginning... I was nervous when the "celebrity" showed up and I had to meet them in the green room. After a while... it became old hat and not too many of them "rattled" my cage... But then I met some really BIG names..... A few that come to mind include the 1970s icon who's pic was on every teenage boy's wall, and the "Forever teenager", and one of the Golden Girls, a baseball LEGEND, a daffy blond actress who I still wonder how walked away from a TV show and lived to tell about it......

Anyway I met and had "quality" time w/ these so called stars... but saw them in their true light... I pulled the poster girl away from her stash in the bathroom so she could make air time, out of the mouth of the the "teenage" was every 4 letter word you can imagine.... the daffy blond tossed me her FILTHY Armani suit to press (law school teaches ironing I guess ).... the Golden girl only drinks water out of crystal...and cubed not crushed ice , the baseball legend was so demeaning toward women it made me sick....

But then there was the letter turn-er girl...who was as sweet and regular as you can imagine...even came home with me on Thanksgiving and was the first to hit the floor when Mother dropped the turkey in shock to see her walking in our door!!

It brought me to the point that it takes ALOT to get me star struck. These are regular people who just happen to be famous. Some impressed me... most did not. There were not many I wanted to engage in a conversation with.

Of course Mr Buffett never hawked his wares, so I never had the opportunity to meet him until that accidential encounter in Orlando... but I do believe he would be OK drinking from a paper cup!

i treat them like any other person i meet!!...with respect......I grew up with Tim Hutton until about middle school when he moved to California...would see him here summers on and off..... Susan St James...Ivan Lendl...Gary Burghoff...Tom Brokaw...Whoopi Goldberg...Merl Streep all live not far from here...and a lot come up here to Litchfield ,The Berkshires to get away from the City......and they are treated like locals.....Sarah Jessica Parker and Mathew Brodicker were having dinner at a bar/restaurant i hang at 3 weeks ago...Tom Selleck(My mom saw him many years ago twice in a store she worked at and at church)....just don't act star struck and they usually are fine

I tend to ignore them, unless they're hot babes.

ToplessRideFL wrote:When I worked @ a major network based in the Tampa Bay area... I was in charge of neogiating contracts for on air talent among other things.

That included hosts, models and celebraties... In my 7 years in that position.... I met movie stars, baseball legends, hasbeen rock stars, TV personalities, actors, football greats, golfers, business moguls..... you name it.

In the beginning... I was nervous when the "celebrity" showed up and I had to meet them in the green room. After a while... it became old hat and not too many of them "rattled" my cage... But then I met some really BIG names..... A few that come to mind include the 1970s icon who's pic was on every teenage boy's wall, and the "Forever teenager", and one of the Golden Girls, a baseball LEGEND, a daffy blond actress who I still wonder how walked away from a TV show and lived to tell about it......



It brought me to the point that it takes ALOT to get me star struck. These are regular people who just happen to be famous. Some impressed me... most did not. There were not many I wanted to engage in a conversation with.

That's different. You were meeting them in your professional capacity, and were expected to behave as such. Also, they knew full well that you knew exactly who they were. You had your own reputation and professional ethics at stake.
I'm talking about the chance encounter, where it's not neccesarily obvious that you know who they are.
I've also been in the presence of "stars" when working with them in my professional capacity, and it's a whole different deal. You are expected to treat them with respect AND special consideration at the same time. It would be "tacky" to act like a star-struck person in the street under those circumstances.
Besides, YOU try to p*** off a Champ when he's within striking distance!

Longboardn' ASEL&S wrote:

That's different. You were meeting them in your professional capacity, and were expected to behave as such. [/quote]


I still think Jimmy would drink from a paper cup... in a professional or personal situation

ToplessRideFL wrote:
I still think Jimmy would drink from a paper cup... in a professional or personal situation

Agreed. And he might even drink out of a bottle being passed around.
He might be one shrewed promoter and businessman, but I think he is still the real deal as opposed to a demanding stuck up snob.

I've had the privilege of meeting several "stars". They're still just people - their poop stinks too. I've found that respect opens more doors than anything - even with us normal everyday people too.

ph4ever wrote:I've had the privilege of meeting several "stars". They're still just people - their poop stinks too.

Say it ain't so! Even Jimmy's? What about Jessica Alba's?

I got to meet Jimmy last year before the Cinci show. I was asked to come backstage for a little bit and I would get to the chance to say Hi.
Long story short...I was standing on the stage looking out over the crowd pouring into riverbend and out of the corner of my eye here comes Jimmy.
Jake here meet Mr. Buffett I clamed up tighter than a !^#!)^#_!@^#_...said my hello took a couple of pics and even though he was late getting ready he still took the time to talk a bit and never seemed like he was in a hurry. I didn't go into the "I love your music, shows etc.. I just let him carry the conversation and let it be.

THANKS JIMMY!