If you worked in Broadcasting....you met some really nice stars and some NOT so nice.....The biggest A-hole I ever came across was Little Richard.....Not so much directly to me, but how he slap bitched his staff around..... The nicest celeb I had the pleasure in meeting was the great Dick Clark......Many others.....to be honest, most very nice! Give us your A & D list!

Good post, might see some interesting ones, so I'll definitely check back on this one...

For me, I've got a tie on my side of the planet between Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks and Tim McGraw. You can even hear her attitude problem from when I recorded her in our studio and she was doing our jock shouts. I turned to one of my buddies after recording and said, "That one's going to be trouble!" He reminded me of that after her Bush discussion.

Tim McGraw ties because I've dealt with him during two meet and greets, and both times, runs the guys through like a cattle call and if you have a gal, a bit slower, but if you have just ladies coming through, spends plenty of backstage interview time with ya.

The BEST, I've dealt with so many on the Country and CHR side of things so that's REALLY tough. For CHR, Tina Turner was a nice interview back in 1987, she was such a positive person and just so friendly and caring. Great to her staff too.

On the Country side, a Canadian artist who's currently VERY popular in Canada, but not really worried about doing things in the US yet. His name is Aaron Pritchett, out of Vancouver, and treats his fans with great respect and understanding and will spend a lot of time on an interview.

For US known in Country, it was the late great Chris LeDoux! Used to put on a party out front on the stage, and a true gentlman that respected his wife, his fans, us radio guys, and life in general.

As those of us who've worked in the radio game, there really are some great ones, as much as bad ones.

Who's next?

I met reborn Little Richard under the big top at the Puyallup Fairgrounds when he was the guest star at an old fashioned tent revival hosted by the Rev. R.W.Shambach. I found Little Richard to be nice, kind, accommodating and pleased that I was interested in speaking with him and interviewing him. He was alone and looking great. He put on an amazing show with the bible belt bible thumpers.

Mary Wilson came by Channel Two one morning to plug her book and she was the same way... gushing nice.

I have found that most celebs dropping into Portland or Seattle are very nice if you are nice to them, just like you'd expect from anyone. Do some background on them, know why they're there, and engage them in some conversation of substance. You'll be amazed at how relieved they are that you are not superficial and may actually care about what they think.

Probably THE nicest celeb I ever interviewed was Marty Robbins, just a month before he died.

The best celebrity I ever got to meet was "Mr. Hockey," Gordie Howe. He was in town on his 65th borthday tour and couldn't have been nicer. I was talking with him before our game, when his dick-manager came along and tried to break things up. It was so cool when we just ignored him and kept talking. Best of all, he even agreed to come on my broadcast for an intermission interview and did. It was an experience I'll never forget. For a guy just starting out in his first year calling hockey, it meant an awfule lot.

Peter Jennings was very kind.

Herb

Up here in the Tri-Cites we had something called "Sun Fest" once upon a time. In the late 80s and early 90s they had money ! KALE/960 helped bring in some Oldies Acts over about 5 summers. I was privledged to be part of all this as a staffer and in the loop, and got to meet some pretty interesting people being backstage in the open air Amphitheater located at Amon Park in Richland. Always great weather in late June, hot and toasty next to the Columbia River.

Most of these Early Rock artists were very talented and respectful, regular Joes so to speak. However, there were several that stood out as odd ducks, downright jerks or extremely well mannered IMHO.

Peter Noone : ( Hermans Hermits ). This guy is extremly talented ! He works a crowd like the creme de la creme...However, like a lot of 'Limeys'...and I can say this cause I have family in England and have been around these people off and on for years, he can be cutting, arrogant and sarcastic beyond reason. Our morning Jock, Lon Martin introduced himself to Peter back stage before the show as the presenting Oldies Radio Station Talent and Introducing MC , which is S.O.P. of course. OH well did Peter spout off after the intro this back stage...he says in A BIG LOUD VOICE...OH LADIES AND GENTS HERE IS THE STAAAAAAAAAR OF EVERYTHING>>>ITS THE DISCK JOCKEY IN THE MORNING ON THE RADIO>>>>HE IS THE STAAAAR BLOKE DONT YA KNOW and on and on for a minute or so...We all were shocked ! Lon just handled it pretty well and so did we all and just moved on. Noone did a good show..Ill say that ! Something I didnt know was the Noone was a DJ before he was a Star in a posh London Dance/Disco type place and was responsible for breaking music, had connections to the music industry there and thats how he got his start in the biz. So that may explain some of this sarcastic arrogance.

Nicest guy I ever met. DION DEMUCCI...Dion what a guy ! He was in his early 50s back then and still had all his skills. Proud of his 5 daughters , married to one wife for years...liked talking about he old days, but liked talking about his family and what he was doing now...real nice, and did a great show. he explained first hand how he wrote Abraham Martin and John in the summer of 68 right after Bobby got shot. He had been in rehab for an addiction to Cocaine and alchohol. He was comming down from this in July of that summer and had to have something to occupy his time and he was severely effected by Bobby's death. He took about 6 weeks to write the song and then record it. It hit the charts in September of 68'.

Second nicest guy was Davy Jones. He was doing a show on his own ( not the Monkees, as he didnt own the rights ) , but he did the songs. Real personable.

Johnny Rivers. Did a 'good show " but...very paranoid and aloof, pensive , unfriendly...it takes all kinds...

Spanky McFarland ( Spanky and Our Gang ) ownes 'The Mamas and the Papas". She had a show that was Our Gang and Mamas. The troup at that time was : Spanky, Scott McKenzie ( he did his one hit, San Francisco ) Mackenzie Phillips as Michelle, John Phillips as himself ( which was quite a thing to behold ! ) Spanky doing Mamma Cass and other studio musicans filling in. A pretty good show all around. Spanky was totally in control, proffessional and did a good job and you could tell she was the 'boss', although she had her own management road show team.

Mak Phillips was still going thru various forms of rehab. She talked a lot about that backstage and up front. She floated in a Limo' late, with a guy on her arm from her latest NY state rehab location and talked to us all whilst sucking down a six pack or more of beer before the show and extolling the virtues of addiction 'Rehab'....we were all mildy amused at this...I know she has totally recovered from all her addictions now, at least according to her Bios that I have seen in the years since. Poor John Phillips, all he could do was stand there with his guitar , like a bean pole and smile criptically at everyone...which is OK I guess..

This post is too long now...I have other '60s and early 70s rock star stories..mostly fun stuff and good memories..

Spending the day (5-6 ounces um, I mean hours)with Willie Nelson, was like a zen orgasm. There isn't a mean bone in his body -- and he treated his oldest friends (Waylon, Shelley Duvall, the Kinkster) with the same respect as the two of us from the radio station who spent the afternoon looking at raw footage from the ranch of his duets with Ray Charles.

Billy Joel was an absolute kick backstage at the Mem. Col. for about an hour 'til his (first) wife showed up and informed us all that we had absolutely no right to be speaking to Billy without her permission, and that the beer Billy had passed around was ONLY for the band. (She took the half-drunk bottles back! lol. (era-The Stranger)

I met McCartney & Linda in London while they were editing Wings over America. An 80 year old guy I'd been hoisting a few with each evening worked at an editing studio as doorman and butler...and invited me over to meet "one of your Beatles." Linda and Paul did everything (including giving us a bottle of single malt) to make Jim look important in the eyes of the yank he wanted to impress. Very very sweet

Although gone forever, radio was a fantastic ride.

For the most part, I've had very good experiences.

The only one I can think of that was a bit of a downer was Billy Joel in 1986. He acted like his rather be doing anything else than another meet & greet. However, in 1984, he was great. It was also his birthday, so that may have had something to do with it.

Lionel Richie amazed me. There must have been 40 of us that were introduced to him. After about a half hour of food and drink, we all started to leave. Richie said goodbye to each of us by name. How he could remember everyone's name was beyond me.

Tony Orlando was at KPAM in 2005 for an hour or so to promote his Christmas CD and help Bob Miller with his "Operation Santa Claus" fundraiser. The most friendly, down to earth celebrity I've ever met. He was having such a good time with everyone that his PR people basically forced him to leave.

The absolute #1 celeb I've met is Dick Clark. I consider him one of the most important and influential people in the history of rock and roll. Back in 1986, I had just become music director at KEX & I knew that I was going to be in LA in a few weeks. Just for the heck of it, I wrote a note to Dick asking if it'd be possible for my own meet & greet. I was expecting a "thanks for the note, sorry but...." response. Instead, I was told to call his wife Kari as soon as I got in town to confirm a time. When I called Kari, I asked if I could bring a camera. She told me "Dick's expecting you to!" Dick couldn't have been a nicer guy, giving me a tour of Dick Clark Productions and shooting the breeze with me for over a half hour.

Two things that we talked about stand out.

1. Nu Shooz had taped American Bandstand the day before and he asked how anyone could stand living in a place where it rained all the time

2. I asked if he every thought about putting old episodes of Bandstand out on video. He asked if I really thought people would be interested in that. I said that I thought they'd be a hit. By the end of the year, a couple volumes of "The Best Of American Bandstand" were available. I've always wondered if I help make Dick Clark Productions some more $$$.

In 2006, I sent him a copy of one of the picture of us, knowing that he'd never remember. I included a note wishing him well on his health and congratulating him on being inducted into the Television Hall Of Fame. About two weeks later, I get a letter from Dick thanking me and telling how his induction into the TV HOF, which happened the night before he wrote the letter, was a highlight in his life.

Sorry for rambling about this, but it was a career highlight for me.

Rich- Awesome, awesome, awesome story. That is one for the ages. No need to apologize. You are officially in my "most envious of.. radio guy" files.

Oh, here's another one-The Oak Ridge Boys came into my radio station once. I had a short conversation with the guy with the looooooong beard. One of the biggest dick heads I've ever met. Never listened to their music since.

I dont think any of us NW "radio chickens" can beat a personally conducted owner's tour of Dick Clark Productions !

I wouldn't think so either.

Fun stories--all of them! I envy TDanner's the most. I can't come close to any. But a couple of mine:

--Having Richard Simmons chase me down a hallway and into the mens room (when K103 was in Beaverton), then invite his throng of female fans in to watch me whiz.

--Getting into an argument with Abbie Hoffman, who made some egregiously wrong statement at some public event in 1970 just to be a jerk, and I called him on it.

--Also getting into a frank exchange with Paul Harvey, who dissed my generation and praised the Vietnam War. Our little volley was reprinted in the Seattle papers the next day. Seemed prickly, aloof, and frozen-faced, but what a broadcaster.

--Doing weekend news in Denver and having Howard Cosell walk in looking for football scores off the wire. He was courteous and professional, but a huge show-off in the booth. The news director brought his girlfriend in to demonstrate to her his high-powered connections, and Howard left with her in his limousine.

--A long chat with Gerald Ford during the '76 campaign, killing time before a photo shoot. I went into it prepared to grind on him about the Pardon and came away thinking he was one of the nicest people I'd ever met.

--County Fair introductions, with all the backstage fun. Having Kenny Loggin's road manager threaten to castrate me. Giving David Clayton-Thomas of BS&T a size-medium K103 t-shirt, not a pretty sight. Playing Frisbee with Peter, Paul, and Mary.

--Numerous encounters with John Denver before, during, and after the height of his career, always a serious and intelligent man.

--Having an old guy cut in front of me at the open bar and growling the word "Bourbon" at a Correspondent's Association banquet in DC, and seeing the face of Walter Cronkite looking up. This was at the Washington Hilton, where Reagan was shot three years previous, and I met Jim Brady in his wheelchair.

Lots of recording artist meet and greets, Wendy Wilson stabbing me in the rib cage with a pointy anatomical object, a perfunctory hug from a tiny but incredibly athletic Shania Twain. But no single malt from Paul McCartney, no tour of Dick Clark Productions.

I want to know more about this "Zen orgasm" that Terry Danner had! Was it the Booze talking or was it actually Wille?

And thats the way it was...

At the C.A. Banquet in DC...cut in front of John...and just "Bourbon" with no " Please "...I guess that works when you're a network news anchor for 25 years.

This is a great string here...who started this thing anyway ?...I need to go back and look...

oh it was Stoner....

Well I can bring up Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary too. Inteviewed him for our campus radio station in Spokane WA, when he was doing his solo shows away from PP&M. We found out later from his manager that it was his most enjoyable interview in years.

Years later my wife and I meet him again at another solo concert in town, we give him a copy of my wife's book on music management for the local artist. He ends up endorsing the book and we used it in some advertising with his permission from a phone call I had with him.

You all have some great ones on here, and it just sparked one I almost forgot. Back in the late 90's KUPL days, (we brought Bill Engvall in for a morning remote). Since I set up all his hotel trade and lived just down the road from the hotel, he came into town the night before, so we planed a little late night dinner with him. This was around the time "Here's Your Sign" had been out.

Well, as the evening progressed, everyone else needed their beddy bye time by 10pm, since we were all starting at 5am. However, Springboard (Jim E Chonga) and I stayed a bit longer, and drank just the same.

Chonga finally drifted and Bill and I kept going, of course, I missed the memo on comedians loading up on possible material the night before a remote. To my suprise the next day Bill was sharing stories about the five of us on the air, that we had not said much before.

For example, telling my tale of falling out of the boat in the middle of the night when I was five on the Columbia River. I've never clung to a buoy so hard and never realized that years later a famous comic would create his own nickname for my terror as well.

Now jump to Oregon Jamboree in 2004 and I'm heading backstage to emcee, but left my credentials back in the rig. The security guys couldn't let me in, until a tour bus rolled up and Bill looks across and yells, "Hey, Buoy Boy! Come on in!" And then continued with a few other key points on stage when I introduced him. He's really a fun and sincere guy, but watch out when you're drinking with him anytime prior, because he's not just loading you up, he's getting some bits together.

If you do happen to see him in the Willamette Valley every once in a while, it's because his sister-in-law lives in Corn Valley, I mean the Corvallis area.

Wow. You all have some GREAT stories! This has been fun reading. Please post some more.

I have a couple offerings, but I think they're pretty modest compared to everything here. Anyway, here goes:

I interviewed Les Paul backstage in December 2002 at the Iridium Jazz club in NYC. He's just like anybody's grandfather with great stories, except his stories mention Charlie Christian and Chet Atkins and Mary Ford.

I met Jeff Beck twice and he was nice, but very rock star (but not in a bad way).

I interviewed Dennis Kucinich in the spring of 2004. I also interviewed Amy Goodman around the same time. Both were very nice and gracious.

I met Bob Babbitt of the Funk Brothers backstage in Austin TX in 2006. Special guest that evening was Buddy Miles, so I met him too. He spent most of the time trying to talk to Eddie Willis, guitarist for the Funk Brothers and a geniunely nice fellow. I remember Buddy talking about some legal problems with Hendrix's estate....Bob Babbitt is great, he's just a big bear.

I've met Steve Morse (guitarist, Dixie Dregs & Deep Purple) many times, and interviewed him twice. He's a real down to earth, gracious, friendly person, and so amazingly talented.

There's others, but I don't think anyone would recognize the names.

thanks for reading

Partying with Bob Marley and the Wailers, and they brought the par-tay supplies!

Talking with Madonna on the phone about her record sales in our market, it was her first hit. She talked about wanting to do some shows but didn't actually have a band.

Having Rod Stewart spend the afternoon at our station, he took over the PD desk!

Laura Brannigan spending the afternoon in my office at the station.

Riding around town with Rick Springfield.

Remembering the Air Supply guys being really snotty and complaining about having to be at a radio station!

Watching Robin Gibb yell "no way" after I introduced him and fellow BGs on stage, and the audience booed!

ZZ Top hangin' out at our station, before they were well known.

Doing a record store appearance with Robert Kool Bell of Kool & The Gang.

Getting taken to lunch by Gloria Estefan, she drove her silver Rolls Royce!

Running into Dickie Goodman at my dentist office!!!

What a strange business! I really feel lucky for many of the experiences radio has given me!

This was not my experience but Ted Rogers told me of the time he met Elvis in Denver at KIMN. Elvis was about 25 years old. Ted said he's never seen a person's skin so clean.

Ted goes on to tell the story of the two police officers assigned to Elvis during his visit. At the end of his time in Denver, which included a concert, Elvis offered both police officers pink Cadillac’s. However because they were municipal employees they couldn't keep the caddies. So one police officer quit so he could keep his.

B.A....Ya gotta tell the Chuck Berry story!!!!!

A career largely spent in The Dalles doesn't get the same kind of celebrities, but there were a few.

Burt Ward played Robin to Adam West's Batman in the campy 1966-68 TV series. By the mid 70s, he was reduced to making personal appearances in costume at car dealerships in, yes, The Dalles. He was bitter about it, and did the minimum to get through the gig.

Then there was Rock 'n Rollen Stewart, the guy with the rainbow Afro wig who was famous for slipping into televised events and holding up a sign with "John 3:16" on it. Interviewed him at the Goldendale Observatory in the runup to the solar eclipse of 1979. He actually seemed like a sincere, harmless guy.

Took the cassette recorder down to a comic book convention in Portland in the early 1980s to interview Kirk Alyn, who starred in the original Superman movie serial in 1948 for Republic Pictures and a sequel in 1950. He was thoroughly charming and professional, and told great stories. I was delighted when he was given an uncredited cameo in the 1978 big Superman film.

But perhaps the highlight was a visit to the NAB in Las Vegas in 1981. Met movie producer Stanley Kramer in the CBS suite (we were a CBS radio affiliate), got my picture taken with Dick Clark and, best of all, had a drink and about 20 minutes conversation with Gary Owens, who was as gracious as possible, treating the kid from the station in Oregon as a fellow radio colleague. We chatted about voicing cartoons, and about what Paul frees was really like.

The best and most fascinating interviews I ever had were with Linus Pauling. He had to be one of the most intelligent beings on earth. What made him so smart? Study, he told me. Donald O'Connor was a pleasant guy; Jimmy Carter was disappointing; Rosalynn was stuck up; Bush 41 was bland as all get-out; Bob Dole nearly fell off his chair when I asked him how he got that pineapple so neatly in the can. Bob Packwood was the master of the 20-second sound bite; NJ Sen. Bill Bradley wasn't. Mark Hatfield never looked me in the eye. Ronald Reagan was brief; John McCain was gracious; Al Haig was a true egotist even before he was SecState. Amy Alcott and Nancy Lopez were inspiring ladies. And who of us didn't love Tom McCall. Many others; but, some of the worst interview experiences I ever had were with the now-infamous Neil Goldschmidt.

Coolest celebs:

You're going to think that I'm COMPLETELY crazy, but....Howard Stern. Met him at an MTV Video Music Awards Show. He was courteous and humble.

Best Interview:

Chili from TLC. A sweet, intelligent girl with a great sense of humour and a brilliant spirit.

Worst Interview:

Pat Monohan. It was a phone interview and I was clearly the last D.J. that he had to call that day. He was driving thru traffic....pissed as hell and trying to get thru the interview as quickly as possible. I had fun with it, anyway.

Before radio:

1964: I was a teen working in my Dad's shoe store and in walks Betsy Palmer. She would have been in her late 30's at the time, but looked like she did in her 20's. I don't remember anything about our conversation, but I do remember how drop dead gorgeous I thought she looked.

1969 My freshman year in college found me working a carbon arc spotlight at the university's concerts. After a fantastic performance by The Band, most of the members had left for the motel but Garth Hudson (keyboards, horns) had stayed behind to watch over a new keyboard he had just purchased in England. I was helping break down the stage and was asked to give Garth and the road manager a lift. I remember talking with him about what it takes for a band to be so tight, and I remember what he said. "Practice."

During my days in radio in PA:

Billy Joel in Allentown in 1974 (Piano man had just been released). Imagine Billy with little to no confidence about anything but his keyboard talent, playing two shows in one night for $900. In the control room, off air, he said to us ... "I'm still the same assho#e I've always been." The question was "Has national exposure changed you any?" The rest is history.

Neil Peart of Rush (drummer). The afternoon before their $2 concert for us on their first tour of the U.S., we were getting Neil to cut one of those "Whenever I'm in Allentown I listen to" spots, and he spied an old upright in the production studio, so he decided to write a little singing promo for us. He was very funny and a blast to work with.

During my days in TV in Portland:

Bob Jamieson of ABC news. This guy was not like anyone else I had met from national network media. Totally down to earth and not caught up in the typical ego expansion most TV news people seem to suffer from. He was here covering Tonya Harding for World News Tonight and I got to talk with him quite a bit since I was doing all day uplink duty satellite feeding stories about Tonya back to New York and over to Japan, and Bob was producing as well as reporting. We turned the national crew on to late night eats at Montage. They loved the place.

Most recent: The Portland Creative Conference hosted Todd Rundgren as a speaker at Wieden & Kennedy on "The New Music Business Model. There was a great buffet and no host bar before his presentation. Todd came out and hoisted a few and engaged everyone in conversation about anything. He's extremely intelligent and friendly and is the type of person you have trouble breaking off conversation with. I have been a fan since the days of The Nazz, but had never met him.

This is the most interesting and refreshing thread I've seen here in a very long time. Thank you everyone for your amazing stories.
The fascination with famous people started when I was a kid and would go to the Crosby Pro-Am at Pebble Beach, Spyglass, and Cypress Point. We followed them all. The highlight of those days was when Dean Martin looked out of his window at the Lodge at Pebble Beach and saw us kids waving at him, and invited us up to his room for pictures and autographs. We were amazed! He was so nice and made it a point to say something special to each one of us. Clint Eastwood was always just a normal guy and we adored him. Jack Lemmon was a lovely man who would sign autographs and talk with everyone until he would get a call to show up at the first tee. Loved all of those encounters.
For the radio stuff, I got to interview and hang out with Dr. Timothy Leary in 1987. He even joined the staff for a beer at High Rocks and shared french fries with my 2 year old son. He loved talking about what communication was going to be like in the future with computers. Warm and wonderful man.
Met a lot of rock stars and most have been kind to contest winners...thankfully! Some have been hard to work with prior to the "meet and greet" but they've been professional enough to deal with their fans well.
David Bowie has the ability to make you feel like you are the only one in the room, even when you're there with lots of other people waiting for their minute with the man.
Bruce Springsteen was great to us in 1980 when we met him. He mentioned that he saw me dancing in the front of the stage. I knew I could die happy at that moment.
Yoko Ono was reserved and classy...and then became a typical proud mother when I asked her about Sean and his career in music. She just beamed!
Lots of other fine moments, but still, the great story about Dick Clark posted earlier is the grand prize winner...amazing.

As everyone recalls, it was Bob Packwood's penchant for the ladies that eventually got him in trouble and led to his resignation from the U.S. Senate in 1995.

When I was a reporter at The Daily Astorian in the late 1980s, I had the privilege of seeing The Master himself in action. I was covering a Packwood visit to the area. At one point he saw me, and was walking directly toward me. When I got about two feet away and started to ask a question, he suddenly glanced at a young lady who was about 10 feet to the left of me. He IMMEDIATELY and ABRUPTLY veered over to the woman, extended his hand and gushed, "Hello, I'm Bob Packwood. Has anyone ever told you what a charming young lady you are?" Suddenly I wasn't even in his universe. He made it pretty clear that his priority at that particular moment was NOT speaking to the local press...

I had the opportunity to have lunch with Gene Roddenberry in the mid '80s; friendly but tight-lipped about discussing his work. More recently I was involved in a Q&A with Jesse Jackson and was not impressed - absolutely unresponsive to any question discussion that deviated from his message.

Yes, this is a great thread...keep it rolling.

I arranged for Al "Jazzbeaux" Collins to come to our little station to host a meet & greet at a station-sponsored turkey barbeque. He brought an entire entourage' of strange friends from San Francisco... lots of funny smoke in the air.

And if you don't know who Al Collins was, you're probably too young to either know or care! Trust me, he was quite the radio performer.

Just a side note, here: what all of these encounters with famous people have in common is that we remember every detail, even years later. If you're an on-air personality, to some of your listeners, *you* are a famous person, and how you treat the listener on the request line, or the kid who wants an autograph at a school appearance, will be remembered, re-told, and no doubt embellished. If you blow them off, it'll echo down through the years. But if you're gracious and kind, that story will be told too.

The really huge celebrities I've met have also been the most gracious. No coincidence.

I had occasion to spend time with the late Harry Caray at Wrigley Field. He could not have been kinder. Ernie Banks, same thing. Joe DiMaggio. But Melvin Foomwatt? Not so much.

If you aren't older, and don't know country, a lot of this won't mean anything...but here goes.
JERRY JEFF WALKER was doing a show at our county fair. He stopped by the station the night before...and I mean the night...he came in with our overnight guy. TOTALLY UNSCHEDULED...NOT PLANNED.
So our jock puts him on the air.....Jerry had his guitar and sang a song...our jock asks him a question....Jerry answers with the use of some very colorful language...f-bombs...$#!t....
our jock was too polite to cut him off...which was great....instead...he says stuff like, "Jerry, you can't say that on the air."
Well Jerry took that as an invitation to say it more.Meanwhile our jock is saying things like "Jerry, you really can't say that." He ended up staying for quite some time...singing and cussing...hilarious stuff.
Thank god there's an actual recording of this event...only certain people have it and, sorry, we've all left radio and don't have a way to post it.
CHARLEY PRIDE was another county fair gig....I was the emcee....much younger in those days. He made it clear I could have a very personal meet and greet with him if I wanted...I declined. Ironically we had a wireless mic we used at remotes...it was black and about the right size, we thought. After the fair, anytime I was involved in a remote, the mic was referred to by the staff as "charley pride".
GARTH BROOKS was actually one of the nicest people to meet. First time I met him he was the OPENING ACT for the JUDDS. My how times change.
Then I met him when he was the act and Martina McBride was opening. Garth walked up and said Hi to me by name...remembered something we discussed the previous year or two....amazing to me at the time that he remembered something about me !
I mentioned the JUDDS, they were also incredibly nice back in the day. Invited me into the bus...just talked...way cool. Spent time...no rush...hang out...
COLLIN RAYE was another great person.
I echo the feelings of many of you....back in the days, RADIO WAS A FRICKIN KICK IN THE PANTS.
I lived a life most people only dream about. I am so happy to have been a part of it when it was GREAT....thanks for letting me re-live some of the best years of my life.

John Erickson- good comment above....

I just popped in the studio to drop off a station rig after announcing a Donkey Basketball game at a local HS....As I was going out to chat in the crowd afterwords, I realized that behind the table I had been sitting at, was a big hand made sign with our call letters and my name on it....Hadn't noticed it the way I walked in...yet it was in full view of the crowd like I was "somebody"(!). Very nice of them to do that, and while donkey basketball is not my biggest thrill in life(!!),--it was a fun time and good fundraiser for a school FFA chapter and I enjoyed it....Probably the most unusal event I have emceed...not sure you can call it "play by play on this type of game!"

In these tough times for the industry, we all need to do alot more out in our communities, connecting with actual breathing humans...and giving them a reason to listen to us and not the ipod, or satellite radio. It also means we (especially in News/Talk) need to "be there" when things hit the fan in our communities and special coverage/live breaks are warranted.

I still get people comming up to me on my 'other job' and saying...arent you still in Radio? I thought I heard you on ( some station )or what ever happened to Oldies 95.7?/ ...NO its not me that station is 'BOB' now or KALE is ESPN you know..da da da....I havent been on any station for over a year now...That is when I really miss radio...but ONLY THEN... when they go away and then I forget it !

Some other rock legends that were part of the Sun Fest Rock and Roll Summer revues. And one Benton Fair gig. Another long post, but I waited to let everyone else 'ring in'.

Chubby Checker. At our gig he was gracious and did a high energy show ( I heard much to the contrary from an MD who had a negative run in with him in Spokane once). Chubby did a lot of dance songs you know, and so his show was really movin' big time, the guy could bend like a pretzel. Chubby liked to party long after the gig too , sat drinking wine and lounging with fans and some event and radio staff...had a knit cap on his head in THE HEAT OF THE MID COLUMBIA SUMMER???? Its because he is as bald as a cue ball and wears a real expensive wig during the show and meet and greet time. But kickin' back with 'wine for the night' he puts on the cap and takes off the expensive wig even in the hot weather.

Chub tells the story about how he recorded 'The Twist' in several versions when he was still in high school ( 1959) and had an after school job plucking chickens ! He recorded it a few times with no promises. One night he came home from plucking chickens after school, ate dinner and went up to his room to do homework. He turned on the radio and THERE HE WAS ! He called his agent and the rest is history. That song got re-released as well and did better than it did the first time around, talk about a gold mine !

Rob Grill and the Grass Roots. They sounded good. Rob was having trouble with his hips. He was usuing a cane and had problems with moving about and had to stay in one place a lot when on stage. We had to make up something like a wheel chair ramp so that he could get around easier behind the amphitheater stage. I have seen him in two shows since and he has had both hips replaced and one twice ! Last time I saw him at the Puyallup Fair, he was moving about quite well.

Three Dog Night appeared one year, sans Chuck Negron. The show was average and for that very reason because it was 'sans' Chuck Negron !

Mick Dolens came to town one summer. I believe it was "Mick Dolens OF the Monkees" Of course on KALE we made a big splash of just " The Monkees" when we promoed it live or otherwise. Mick was all business. And so were his support staff and roadies. They set it all up, did the tuning, the memorabilia table slam bam thankya mam. Mick shows up with his possie in a Van , they dont use the trailer set up for thier exclusive use. Do the sets, go the memo' table, do autographs and glad hand fans for 20 mins and disappear the way they came. No glad handing of event staff or radio people. No contact, period !

Then there was Jan and Dean ! At the Benton Franklin Fair one August right near the end of Oldies on that station before they flipped it to All News. I think of this as the fairwell party for FUN OLDIES AM 960 KALE. KALE was doing a live remote at the fair in 1994 I think it was, and I was doing the remote in the fairway booth and our PD was in and out and about in the early evening before the gig at 9pm. Here comes this guy in a Hawaiian shirt, white pants, long hair. He hung there while I was doing my break and looked at our shirts and other stuff we had in the booth. He starts asking me where the Art exhibits are at the fair ,this, right after I did the break. I told him and I looked a little closer and asked him who he was...cause I knew... he looked familiar but I wasnt quite sure.....Dean Torrance ! Oh YA...so we talked a bunch. He told me that he has been a commercial artist for many years now and just does summertime gigs with Jan Berry. We talked about Dead Mans curve and where they were talking about in their song....so I got the explanation of how in LA dead mans curve was out on West Sunset BLVD..up by UCLA. Its now a frontage street to the new Sunset blvd rebuilt in that area. You can go drive the curve still, if you are down there and want the 'thrill'...whatev"

Our PD , Greg Allen, got to spend a lot of backstage time with Jan and Dean together and ON STAGE LATER ON as it turns out...I was only briefly back there because there were a lot of people back there already. Jan Berry ,you know, was almost killed in that accident when he emulated dead mans curve on Wilshire Blvd in LA in his Stingray , wrapping it around a light pole after an argument with a girlfriend. Anyway Jan did pretty well considering his long and painful return to physical reality and he needed a lot of support and a lot of medication to get up on stage anytime there after. He died a few years ago.

Dean explained a lot of this to me at the booth some hours before the gig. I got the impression that Dean did these gigs not so much for the money but for Jan. These shows were therapy for Jan really. Also, Jan made hay on the memorabilia and Dean said that part of the show was really Jan's deal.

Anyway we had fun that night and so did everyone else in the crowd ! They did all thier hits and some of the hits of friends like the Beach Boys , the Hondells, and other LA based talent, those guys all knew each other , even went to the same High Schools in several cases.

Congratulations, KKB...you've just shared the "secret ingredient" to success! (That last paragraph you wrote is dead on...)

And John Erickson's side note above are very wise words as well...

Yes, this IS the best thread in a year-and-a-half or more... To all who have contributed, THANKS for the memories!! More??

Kennewickman reminds me of my experience with one of the Monkees. Michael Nesmith's father and I were very good friends--in my pre-radio days. Michael's dad was divorced from his mom, and Michael lived with her in LA. His dad lived near us in Kansas. One summer Mike brought his guitar to Kansas to live with his dad. Mike sat around the house for a few weeks strumming his guitar when his dad suggested he get a job or go back to LA. Michael went back to LA, eventually auditioning for the Monkee job. The rest is history. Incidentally, Mike's mother Bette is the inventor of Liquid Paper correction fluid. She sold it to Gillette for nearly 48-million. When she died she left half of her fortune to Michael, not that he really needed it.

Even in the voice tracking world of radio I'm in currently, my wife and I end up in Coos Bay at least once a year. (been vting for 7 years now in that market)

They have a wonderful outdoor event in September called Music on the Bay. They got Larry Carlton and his Blue Sapphire Band to play a couple of years ago. Larry's son Travis plays bass for the group. Had a chance to meet Larry and his son. Very nice and got some pictures too. Larry was wearing our stations T-shirt while playing. Pretty nice of him.

Barb and I got a chance to be introduced to the crowd of over 1000 people on a beautiful evening. After we got off stage we went back to our seats, or in this case the place we brought our own chairs right in the middle of the audience. Got a chance to talk to some listeners and enjoy a great outdoor concert.

Many of the listeners came up to us and just wanted to say hi and how much they enjoy our show. They felt like we were seating right next to them at the breakfast table.

So even in today's Vting radio world you can still have an impact if you put forth the effort. I have never taken being in radio for granted. I love to meet listeners, yes even the ones that drive me nuts. It's still about connecting with the listener and when that gets confirmed during a meet and greet it just makes me want to work that much harder/smarter to keep that connection.

Great stories from everyone. Time for a radio group hug.

I'm now remined of perhaps the biggest "meet and greet" of my life, which came in my pre-radio days in the late 70s. I was working for the Portland Beavers baseball team and one year, when we had an old-timer's game, I got to toss the ball with Ernie Banks. Later, I went into the old timer's dressing room, picked up a ball out of the box and went around the room, getting it signed FOR FREE (Take that, memoribilia collectors!!)by Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron, Eddie Matthews and Artie Wilson. Can you imagine what that ball would be worth?

Perhaps the neatest thing that has happened was this past January. My wife couldn't afford to get me anything for my birthday, so she went to several people she knew from going to the games of the hockey team I've called games for the past two seasons and had some people make happy birthday signs to hold up during the game. There were about 20 signs made, all different and all very creative. One of the best birthday presents I have ever received.

I never ended up interviewing anyone famous, but I did hand a mic to or take a picture of a few. Unfortunately for me I did not know who Kylie Minogue was when I took a picture of her in NYC with former Jammin' 95.5 jock Alexa, or I would have had Alexa take a picture of us!

My favorite personal famous-person story is from the late 70's when I was a night jock/engineers' helper in my 3rd radio job. I was walking down a hall of the radio station when a blond woman about 6" shorter than I stuck out her hand and said to me "Hi! I'm Dolly Parton." I was immediately in shock. She looked very normal without stage makeup and a wig.

Good words for a couple artists: In the mid-80s Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, with a couple bandmates, followed us back to the station after we did a live on-air interview with him at Sacramento's Arco Arena (the original one that got made into an office building) after their soundcheck. They hung around for a while, wandering through the station.

In the early 90's, Garth Brooks recorded answering machine messages for my remote guy and the radio station. "Hi, this is Garth Brooks. Matt's not home right now, but he sure has some nice stuff. I might borrow some it..."

I sang with Rob Lowe, on the air.

One of the nicest actors I've ever met. It was a weekend evening in 1988 and Rob was in Portland stumping for Democratic Presidential candidate, Michael Dukakis, visiting radio stations. John Hugill was on the air at Kisn-FM and I was in the studio early for my shift which followed. Danny Davis (PD) had informed us Rob was coming but we didn't know exactly when and his limousine driver would have to find our studios, which at the time were in Healy Heights.

We meet Rob at the door, brought him into the studio and started talkin' with him between songs. Rob was trying to get out the virtues of Dukakis and John & I switched the topic to his movies. I brought up one of my favorites "About Last Night" which co-starred Demi Moore. We asked about what it was like working with her.

We could tell Rob was feeling at ease. We tried to get him to do the DJ thing and introduce songs but he was a little scared to try that. Then one of us got the idea to get Rob to sing along with a song on the air. Rob was once again skittish about doing something like that, so I said "Come on Rob you can do it!", and I start singing (can't remember the song) all of a sudden Rob starts singing with me! We sing a verse or two. I think Rob stayed 30 to 45 minutes, he was having fun. Rob's handler comes in and says "Rob we gotta get to Z100 tonight yet. So off he went.

It was only a few months later that the World would find out about Rob's involvement in a sex scandal over a videotape of him having sex with two females, one of whom was sixteen, in Atlanta while attending the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Lowe asserted that he did not know that the second girl was underaged, and it was confirmed that the two had met at a bar, which the girl entered by lying about her age.

..."raping with him between songs" and Rob Lowe, of all people!

Oh great, you changed it; now, my post not only makes no sense but makes me sound like a homicidal maniac!

tdanner said: I met McCartney & Linda in London while they were editing Wings over America
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During my Capitol Records career I worked with Paul and Linda twice. The first time was the west coast part of the Wings Over American Tour in 1976. A highlight of that tour was the first ever concert in The Kingdome in Seattle. I spent most of the concert in the press box baby sitting the two McCartney kids who at that time were about 6 and 9 years old. The next tour I did with Paul and Linda was the 1989/90 tour. At the Seattle stop, again at the Kingdome, I got a phone call from Paul the night before the show asking if I would like to come to their rehearsal that evening in The Dome. Five minutes later I am there listening to Paul and the band sound check...all he played was old time rock n roll...Little Richard, Roy Orbison, Elvis, etc. It was as good a show to me as their hits that they played the next night for the sell-out crowd. While in Seattle Paul had agreed to do a meet and greet for the Make A Wish Foundation for a young girl who had cancer. Now Paul's staff were a rude and haughty bunch...totally caught up in how important they were to be working for Paul. They made things very difficult...saying Paul and Linda could only stay for ten minutes, etc. Paul and Linda ended up spending about two hours with the girl...she was so happy. And both Paul and Linda always treated me well....he really is a nice guy...likewise Linda too. Paul and Linda get my vote for being the best Capitol stars I ever worked with. Runner-up goes to Tina Turner. The worst? Billy Squire without a doubt. Big ego, little talent, mean-spirited...the worst. Runner-up? Bill Nelson of BeBop Deluxe, a British rock group in the 70s.

I notice some non-radio encounters above, and thought I'd add a few. Since joining the -ahem - newspaper biz a couple of decades ago, I've had a couple of interesting moments.

Marv and Rindy Ross of Quarterflash/The Trail Band have been both classy and down-home comfortable on a number of occasions. They were kind enough to do a retrospective interview on their various musical incarnations (back to their high school days) and we had a great feature story from it. I happened to mention to Marv that I'd finally traced down a copy of "Girl in the Wind," the CD that was released overseas but never here. He said even they didn't have a copy, so I gave him mine. In return, he and Rindy brought several Quarterflash rarities, including a couple of 12-inch singles and a poster from their tour of Japan, with the proud headline: "Van Production Special Presents" It's a gem.

Had a rare day a couple of years ago. In the morning, my wife and I were at Newport, visiting the Hatfield Marine Science Center. Had a chance to touch the tentacle of a live octopus. That evening at a Maryhill Winery concert, got a chance to shake Emmylou Harris' hand. She was poised and gracious; the octopus less so.

Did a phoner with B.B. King a couple of years ago, just before his 80th birthday. He was very tired, but gave me a few good quotes and was very nice.

But the strangest interview was with Leo Kottke. He didn't do phoners, but would do e-mail in advance of his concert. So I sent a list of questions, and he gave great, quirky answers, commenting on one question that nobody had ever asked that one before. (Whether or not he had the same relationship with the trombone he played before he took up guitar.) After the concert, I went backstage to introduce myself. He was kind enough to say he enjoyed the interview a great deal. Music to my ears!

When I was living and working in Corvallis for KFLY in the late 1960's, PayLess Drug Stores built a brand-new super store north of downtown. Since it was a big new account for ABC Record and Tape Sales, they somehow got Neal Diamond to make an appearance. He had finished his original contract with BANG! Records and had just signed on with MCA. He was really nice to us radio people and everybody who was there. Then he took to a podium next to the record department and autographed records, pictures and anything else people had. The girls all had beehive hair and all waited patiently. I wonder if up and coming singers still due the proverbial "supermarket opening?" Years later when one of my coworkers was talking about waiting several hours in line for tickets to his concert, I thought about Neal calmly standing and signing for several hours...no security guards or handlers....I hear he was also a fan of Nick's Coney Island on Hawthorne and used to stop in most times he was in Portland.

I went to the old Tower Records in Gateway a few years ago and met Tony Orlando and Dawn. Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent were both there with Tony, who had just somehow performed at the casino, but had no voice left. They were all nice and signed everything, even though poor Tony could hardly talk.

Hard for me to narrow it down to just one, while reading all the posts here I have meet or interviewed been backstage with or hung
out with every single celeb posted here. The one that does stand out the most is President Jimmy Carter. I would say Paul McCartney
ranks right up there to. But Elvis back at MacCourt in Eugene during the fat years is a real treat he was great to all the station staff. He treated us like we were the stars. I still see many of these artists when they are in the area. I also get X-mas cards from many of them as well each year (handwritten and signed).

Wow Bestdj. You must be the coolest person who ever lived. We are all so jeleous.

>>>>>I still see many of these artists when they are in the area. I also get X-mas cards from many of them as well each year (handwritten and signed).<<<<<

Including Elvis?

I get cards from Bing Crosby still today.

A few years ago someone (sorry I don't remember who) posted a great story on this board about 'sharing' a small bathroom with Rodney Dangerfield. I don't remember all of the details and I couldn't find it in the board archives. Perhaps the person will re-tell it.

Playboy Playmate Barbie Benton. She came by the station on some promotion deal back in '74. How it related to our country format (KSON), I have no idea.
She was quite engaging and intelligent (to my surprise). Or, maybe I was just stupified because she sat in my lap for a photo op!

...BB was a low level country talent appearing on Hee Haw for a time.........

Mine

Music Category,
Jan Berry Dean Torrance.
Captain and Tennille.

Non Music, Too close to call
Marlee Maitland
Martin Sheen
Brad Whitford
Teri Garr
Meg Ryan

Foulest evil, rude crumbs of all time....

Female... Tie
Faye Dunnaway
Mary Tyler Moore (maybe a bad sugar day)

Male
Sylvester Stallone.......

Tomededwards said: Playboy Playmate Barbie Benton. She came by the station on some promotion deal back in '74. How it related to our country format (KSON), I have no idea.
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Barbie had an album out on Playboy Records (imagine that) and they were working it at both pop and country. And that is why she was there sitting on your big ol'...........cowboy lap.

Hey Stan...I remember the Wings Over America concert at the KINGDOME and how you treated your guests that evening fondly...a great dinner at the (now defunct) Globe Celler restaurant (great steaks!) and terrific seats for the concert! Always wondered where you disappeared to during the concert...never knew you were on babysitting duty!

Billcooper said: Always wondered where you disappeared to during the concert...never knew you were on babysitting duty!
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True story. You had better seats than I did...actually the kids and I had a large room with amenities but the acoustics there were not nearly as good as the lower levels where your seats were. That was a great night for all, big fun, wonderful music.

My brushes with greatness.

I was about 12 when I saw Jack Klugman at the Universal Studios complex. He waved to us as the tour cart drove past.

My second brush with greatness was with then Vice President George Bush in 1985. He was speaking at a political gathering in Portland. Once he finished speaking, I was able to shake his hand. In my zest to solidify my conservative credentials, I asked God to bless the Vice President as we shook hands. It should be noted for the record that during the 1992 campaign I saw the error of my ways and became an unabashed liberal Democrat.

My last brushes with greatness was twice seeing President Bill Clinton, once in Portland in 1992 and in Vancouver in 1996. Both were campaign events, one at Pioneer Courthouse Square and the other Officers Row in Vancouver. The Vancouver event also hosted Mrs. Clinton and Vice President and Mrs. Gore.

When I was in high school, My dad and I met Stan Kenton backstage at his concert. They talked about the big band days in the 1940's in San Diego. I was too star-struck to say anything!

Working at Chrystalship in Eugene in 1976, the record label folks brought in Kim Carnes for a meet and greet. Nice lady. VERY short.

In 1977 my sister and I met Henry Winkler at Malibu Grand Prix in, well, Malibu Ca. They let him cut in front of the line, and he seemed embarrassed about that. But he acted like a regular guy. He talked for quite a while with everyone in line. I was shocked at how short he was!

Not exactly a celebrity, but I met Mildred Schwab at a campaign event in the 1980's. She was abrupt, profane, kind of rude. But VERY funny, and a big chain smoker. I liked her style!

Also in Portland in the 80's, we were waiting with our 5 year old son in the waiting room of of our pediatrician. Our son said, "That's Shirley!". I said who? He said "That's Shirley"! I said who is Shirley! He pointed across the waiting room. It took a minute to sink in- he was pointing out Cindy Williams- "Shirley" of "Laverne and Shirley". She was there with her child. We chatted about sick kids.

Of course our son knew who she was. At age 5, he was strangely obsessed with Laverne and Shirley reruns. And Knight Rider. And sticking Micro Machines up his nose. . . .

The first "star" I ever met was John Denver. He wasn't known as a performer then, he was only known for writing "Leaving On A Jet Plane". He started his performance career by traveling around the country by car, doing free shows anyplace he could find a hall that would let him play. I have heard from others who met him after he attained stardom who said he was big-headed, but when I met him, he was as nice and charming as he could be. Buddy Rich was another surprise. In person, he wasn't at all like his public persona; very polite and well-spoken. Nastiest celebrity? Hands down: Karen Carpenter. She was such a royal bitch, that even her road crew referred to her brother and her, behind their backs, as "Prince Charming and his Ugly Brother"! David "Fathead" Newnam was also very cool, except he spent a lot of time kvetching about the way he was portrayed in the Ray Charles bio. As he put it, "They made me look like I was his damn pusher; Ray had all his own problems before I ever met him!"