meeting musical heroes

Subject: meeting musical heroes
From: GUEST,Danny Brown
Date: 03 May 01 - 09:43 PM

Anybody got any stories about meeting a musical hero.

My wife and I were on our way to a bluegrass festival in Ohio about ten years ago and stopped for breakfast at a diner about fifty miles away. Just as we're getting out of the car, Ralph Stanley's tour bus pulled up beside us. Ralph and his band were on their way to the same festival. We introduced ourselves and Ralph invited us to have breakfast with him and the band. Real nice folks.

Danny

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: wysiwyg
Date: 04 May 01 - 01:52 AM

You didn't stow away on the bus???

~S~

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: sledge
Date: 04 May 01 - 02:43 AM

A couple of years ago, our informal pub gang got together and recorded a CD of folk favourites including some Faiport convention, one of the highlights being Max's daughter Kirsty singing Crazy man Michael. Soon after a copy was given to Simon Nichol for fun.

About 6 months later I cornered Simon at the Fareham and Gosport Festival and asked if he remembered the CD and if he liked it, he did indeed remember it and a stand out was KIrsty's song. After a moments thought he then invited her to sing it on stage with the band that night and after a few minutes rehersal, she did. I think that the band were as surprised as most of the audience but it was superb and Kirsty was kept on for the encore.

After the gig our little gang were taken to the late night party and Rick Sanders became our host and stuck with us for as long as we stayed (very late). We all left feeling very tired but really elated though Kirsty was still reeling days later.

What a great bunch, no wonder we traipse around the country to see them year after year.

Sledge

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: GUEST
Date: 04 May 01 - 03:41 AM

Ran into Martin Carthy at Kings Cross Station. Nearly jumped out of my skin. "Jesus - You're Martin Carthy" "Yes, I know that." "Oh. Yes. I suppose you do."

But anyway, he stopped and had a chat with me, which was nice.

English Jon

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: GUEST,English Jon
Date: 04 May 01 - 03:42 AM

Oh... so that's the way the cookie crumbles. Damn. Reset. Reset.

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: Lady McMoo
Date: 04 May 01 - 04:25 AM

One of my favourite experiences of several was when I owned a small acoustic instrument and repair business in London. A small and attractive young lady walked in one day, picked up a guitar and started playing some very tasteful and distinctive slide guitar at which point I spontaneously said "Be Jaze, you're Jo-Ann Kelly aren't you!" (I had never met her before). We ended up having a great chat and jam and she was a regular visitor in the shop after that.

I was terribly saddened by her illness and subsequent passing away a few years later and felt terribly both for the passing of a GREAT talent and her family.

mcmoo

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: kendall
Date: 04 May 01 - 08:43 AM

Tom Paxton was doing a concert in Portland a few years ago. My wife (at the time) wanted to meet him, and, I did too, so, we went back stage. I introduced myself, and he said "Oh yes, you record for Folk Legacy records." I really appreciated that. Years later, we were at a party given by mutual friends, and he asked me to sing "Mooseturd Pie" I like Tom Paxton.

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: MMario
Date: 04 May 01 - 08:46 AM

Most of my "musical heroes" no one else would know - or probably care about meeting...but some I think 'catters will understand

things like having the pleasure of watching Hyla as he sang the lullaby written for his son; WYSIWYG and Dharmabum singing their "Song for the Northern Tier"; Actually talking with SANDY & CAROLINE PATON (!!!!) and DICK GREENHAUS & SUSAN of DT!!!!

okay - many will say I'm easily impressed -- but hey, you take pleasure in this life where you can get it, right?

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 04 May 01 - 08:53 AM

Walking down Deansgate in Manchester I was looking at a guy walking the other way. For ages I was thinking I knew him and he obviously saw me staring because he smiled and said 'Hi, hows it going' or some such. I replied, still wondering who it was and it was only after he was well past I realised it was Francis Rossi from Status Quo. One of my all time favourite bands and I missed my chance!

Dave the rockin' Gnome

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: Kim C
Date: 04 May 01 - 10:13 AM

I have met several and they have all been very kind: Eric Johnson, Riders in the Sky, Don Edwards, Michael Martin Murphey, Squeeze, Midnight Oil, Bruce Hornsby, Wylie Gustafson...

I once sold ice cream to Charley Pride. He was a hoot.

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: marty D
Date: 04 May 01 - 10:17 AM

Kendall, it's Tom Paxton for me as well. Everything he did was so simple and to the point. That's communication on a broad scale! Plus, he's pleasant and will chat with folks after the show. Good guy.

marty

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: Trapper
Date: 04 May 01 - 10:45 AM

A friend of mine was walking down the street in downtown Minneapolis when he saw Arlo Guthrie coming towards him. Arlo apparently was playing a concert that night, and asked my friend the best way to Orchestra Hall.

My friend, ever the wit, replied: "Practice, practice, practice...."

Sorry.

- Al

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: Bert
Date: 04 May 01 - 11:54 AM

Tom Paxton was always one of my MUSICAL heroes. Till I went to a song critique he was running. Now he is also one of my KINDEST PEOPLE heroes.

MMario, that was a great occasion and you had every right to be impressed.

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: THE KID
Date: 04 May 01 - 03:01 PM

I WAS TALKING THE BLUES ONE NIGHT IN A BAR WHEN A WOMAN ASKED ME MY FAVORITE ARTIST. I TOLD HER IT WAS JAMES COTTON AND SHE BLEW MY MIND WHEN SHE SAID THEY DATED FOR YEARS AND ALMOST MARRIED. I WAS SKEPTICAL UNTIL SHE INTRODUCED ME TO HIM SEVERAL MONTHS LATER. THAT WAS FIVE YEARS AGO AND WE'VE BECOME GOOD FRIENDS. HE WAS AT THE "HOUSE OF BLUES" IN CAMBRIDGE A FEW MONTHS AGO AND WE HAD A FEW BEERS WITH PETER WOLFE. FOR A MAN WHO CHAIN SMOKES CIGARETTTES AND CIGARS WHILE BATTLING THROAT CANCER HE HAS A GREAT OUTLOOK ON LIFE-"ITS NOT WHAT YOU DO, ITS HOW YOU DO IT"- WORDS TO LIVE BY

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: BRG
Date: 04 May 01 - 03:14 PM

Mine happens tomorrow, if I'm lucky. In the morning I pick up Gordon Bok and Carol Rohl at the airport here in Valdez, Alaska. Unfortunately, a whopper of a freak May snowstorm has Prince William Sound socked in and they may not make it. Cross your fingers for me.

Bruce

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: Tedham Porterhouse
Date: 04 May 01 - 03:15 PM

Kid,

James Cotton is a great artist, but chain smoking cigarettes and cigars while you're battling throat cancer is not about "having a great outlook on life," it's downright suicidal.

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 04 May 01 - 03:20 PM

I relish the chance I had to tell Jody Stecher that I thought his guitar playing on the "Lea Rig" on the album (The Driven Bow) that he did with Alasdair Fraser was just topnotch.

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: GUEST,djh
Date: 04 May 01 - 04:26 PM

I accidentally annoyed John Lee Hooker once. I leaned on a car waiting outside a concert hall, leaned against the passenger door to be precise, my friend grabbed a seat on the hood. My friend then looked over toward me to his right and noticed the car had a small annoyed man in the seat directly behind the window I leaned on , he hopped off the hood and I turned to apologize and discovered it was John Lee. I said a quick sorry and scurried off while Mr Hooker stared straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge the annoying teenagers, oops.
Also Albert King once refered to me as a disheveled youth and invited me to sit down with him. Very nice man.

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: kendall
Date: 04 May 01 - 10:21 PM

Hey BRG, Gordon left his car with me. Tell him the temperature here was 91 official yesterday!

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: DonMeixner
Date: 05 May 01 - 12:24 AM

I have meet a few musical heroes in my time. Tom Paxton is all he has been said to be.

Gordon Bok and I shared songs cigarettes and coffee at 3:00 am in Auburn NY 26 years ago. And we have stayed in touch off and on ever since.

Meeting Jerry Jeff Walker was unique to the point of bizarre. But that was 26 years ago too. I hope he is drinkingless.

Paul Siebel was hard to talk to, John Hartford wasn't hard to talk with at all.

Trying to put together a folk festival that went no where i spent a wonderful hour on the phone with Art Thieme about 15 years ago.

Meeting Steve Goodman was not a treat, much my fault as his.

And meeting Dandy and Kendall last summer at Old Songs was a great treat. Very friendly folk.

Don

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: kendall
Date: 05 May 01 - 08:07 AM

Don, dont spread that around, you'll ruin my reputation! Who ever heard of a friendly curmudgeon?

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: GUEST,DonMeixner
Date: 05 May 01 - 09:42 AM

Sorry Ken,

AH HEM! While Sandy and Caroline are very friendly folk, and Jeri and Animeterra showed great good taste when it comes to silver jewelry, and Mario is just plain good folk, and I enjoyed Dick G's finely honed sense of the ironic, and Bill Sables was an ambassador of good music, and all of the other Cats I met werenestkind, Kendall Morse is a curmudgeon at best and about as friendly as lowtide hornpout with a treble hook in his ventral appendage.

Is that better Ken?,

Don

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: GUEST,BRG
Date: 05 May 01 - 10:43 AM

Will do, Kendall. Weather's still lousy here but they will be arriving in style aboard a tanker escort vessel.

Bruce

Subject: RE: meeting musical heroes
From: kendall
Date: 05 May 01 - 12:57 PM

Dont sugar coat it Don!