Have you ever met your all time hero and how did it go?

[Binney on acid]

On Tuesday night I met Jackson Browne at the Cory Chisel gig in London. I've been a fan for about 35 years and I was so overwhelmed, my mouth and brain just wouldn't coordinate. I behaved a bit like Jack Nicholson, post lobotomy in 'One flew over the cuckoo's nest' and managed to blurt out that he's made the greatest impact in my life since my father, who I idolised. I completely forgot about my partner and our daughter, who have obviously had a greater impact in my life than Jackson has.
I also met George Best when he played in a friendly in Newhaven about 15 years ago. He signed hundreds of autographs and didn't decline anyone. My copy of The Wedding Present album, 'George Best' is now one of my most prized possessions. Once again I was mentally paralysed, but I did place my hand on his shoulder and blurt out, "George, you're the king".
Anyone else had any similar experiences and did you make a complete fool of yourself?

 

[Gwylan]

My boyhood hero was Barry John and I bumped into him in the toilets at Stradey Park, Llanelli (of all places). I sort of gulped, muttered some inanities, but he started chatting about the game. I shook his hand and left in a sort of daze. Funnily, enough I bumped into him at rugby charity do a few months and I behaved a bit more like a human being that time. He's a nice fella, always willing to have a chat with anyone and, of course, still the best rugby player of them all (to my mind anyway).

I've also said 'hi' to JPR Williams, Nigel Davies and Scott Quinnell in the bogs at rugby grounds - not that I want anyone to think that I'm a toilet trader or anything.

 

[El Presidente]

I met Johnny Marr of The Smiths. It was at the 40th birthday party of the bloke who built Johnny's house. No one else knew who he was, so I spent the whole evening in awe, listening to tales from on the road with The Smiths and The The, working with Electronic and about his love for Citeh. He had no pretensions, just loved what he did, and was as far apart from the Billy Bigbolllocks persona of the likes of Liam Gallagher as you could imagine.

His wife was a top babe too, and I left the party feeling I had indeed been in the prescence of God.

 

[dougdeep]

I don't have heroes, and make a point of avoiding anyone that's even slightly famous.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

I didn't really have heroes myself... maybe Martin O'Neill at a push. The closest I guess was John Byrne when I was teenager & he played for the Albion. Met him ten years later at one of those sponsored matches & he was a great guy. Talks sense on the radio when he's the analyser for Brighton games too

 

[Icy Gull]

On Tuesday night I met Jackson Browne at the Cory Chisel gig in London.

I too am a massive JB fan but I think he'd bore the arse of me with his fervent political views. There is a big Jackson Browne article reviewing some of his albums in this month's Uncut that you may be interested in.

I have never met my musical hero, Neil Young.

 

[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Met Viv Richards once at Lords. Was so dumbstruck that I gibbered inanities at him whilst he stared at me. Then he just said "I've got to be somewhere else" and walked off. I fell in the eyes of my son that day.

PS Viv Richards is a huge man. Looks much smaller on the cricket pitch because he is so wide. Physically intimidating man. And I belive he speaks very highly of me ......

 

[Norman Potting]

Good idea for a thread. Met Spike Milligan a couple of times (briefly) whilst queueing for him to sign books. Meeting him didn't diminish my admiration, I must have got him on good days as his bio. reveals him as a tortured, upredictable soul.

 

[Muhammed - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

i met peter ward at remf and asked to have my photo taken with him.

he said 'yeah, hurry up though, im bustin for a piss'

 

[The Great Cornholio]

Met Viv Richards once at Lords. Was so dumbstruck that I gibbered inanities at him whilst he stared at me. Then he just said "I've got to be somewhere else" and walked off. I fell in the eyes of my son that day.

PS Viv Richards is a huge man. Looks much smaller on the cricket pitch because he is so wide. Physically intimidating man. And I belive he speaks very highly of me ......

My dad asked him for an autograph when he was at Lords watching England v New Zealand. He announced that it was his day off and refused to sign and would only stand to attention for a photo on his own. Bit of a cock by all accounts.

Rather bizarre ending to this story as well - my dad had taken one of those small bats to get signed as he was in hospitality. He come back with the bat signed by just one person - the guy who played Uncle "I heard that, pardon" Mort from "I didn't know you cared". As a 13 year old cricket fan, you can guess how thrilled I was with that. Luckily he took me the following year and I met Jim Laker, Dickie Bird, Fred Trueman, Richard Illingworth, Neil Foster and many more. Got Mike Gatting's autograph on the same page as Steve's but was upset that my all time hero, Sir Beefy of Botham, did not come to the main hospitality. So my dad tracked him down to a private party in a tent somewhere and marched up to him demanding an autograph. When confronted by Mr The Gorilla complaining that it was a private function, my dad shamed him into signing by telling him the David Gower - the then captain - had said that he must sign it. Not sure I would be brave enough to gatecrash a Botham party.

 

[jevs]

Back in the early 90's, Billy Bonds was manager at my beloved West Ham. He is also my absolute hero. WHU played a reserve match at the Goldstone against BHA and it was the return of Frank Macavennie too.

Anyway, i sat in the west stand and about 2 rows in front of me was Bonzo with his wife and kids. I didn't have the nerve to go up to such a massive legend (IMHO) and regret it to this day

 

[The Great Cornholio]

Actually - just did some research and I may have had the dates a bit out as I was in in hospitality with Bob Taylor the night before this happened: (Taken from Wikipedia)

During New Zealand's 1986 Test match at Lord's, Taylor was present in the hospitality test when Bruce French was injured by a Richard Hadlee delivery. After trailing Bill Athey behind the wicket, New Zealand captain Jeremy Coney permitted Taylor to come on the field to keep for the remainder of the day. Wisden recorded "[Taylor] equipped himself with an assortment of borrowed kit, although he did, far-sightedly, have his own gloves in his car... Despite having retired from first-class cricket two years earlier, Taylor ... kept without a blemish."


Another hero of mine when I was a kid and I used to keep wicket with my collar up in homage.

 

[Binney on acid]

I can't believe that I forgot this, but I saw Cantona playing beach football in Brighton and got him to sign a limited edition etching and a copy of his autobiography. He is mercurial. I was so overwhelmed by his presence, that I opened my mouth to tell him how great he was and nothing came out.

 

[Paxton Dazo]

I met Johnny Marr of The Smiths. It was at the 40th birthday party of the bloke who built Johnny's house. No one else knew who he was, so I spent the whole evening in awe, listening to tales from on the road with The Smiths and The The, working with Electronic and about his love for Citeh. He had no pretensions, just loved what he did, and was as far apart from the Billy Bigbolllocks persona of the likes of Liam Gallagher as you could imagine.

His wife was a top babe too, and I left the party feeling I had indeed been in the prescence of God.

Marr & Squires.

 

[The Wizard]

How about has anyone met someone BEFORE they have gone on to be famous? I met Lewis Hamilton at a test session in 2006 and he actually chatted to me for about 5 minutes (probably out of kindness due to the fact I was only 12 ), I bet now I would have 0% chance of getting a word out of him let alone a whole conversation!

 

[Dizzle.]

I met Bobby Zamora after the Fulham game over here last year. I was in awe and really couldnt think of anything good to say so i just asked for the autograph and a photo and he was off.

 

[Questions]

i met peter ward at remf and asked to have my photo taken with him.

he said 'yeah, hurry up though, im bustin for a piss'

Do famous people go to the toilet ?


There`s a thread there somewhere.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

I met Johnny Marr of The Smiths. It was at the 40th birthday party of the bloke who built Johnny's house. No one else knew who he was, so I spent the whole evening in awe, listening to tales from on the road with The Smiths and The The, working with Electronic and about his love for Citeh. He had no pretensions, just loved what he did, and was as far apart from the Billy Bigbolllocks persona of the likes of Liam Gallagher as you could imagine.

His wife was a top babe too, and I left the party feeling I had indeed been in the prescence of God.

johnny marr always comes across as a top bloke imo

i'm trying to avoid ever meeting morrissey as i fear he'd be a complete tit and i'd cry for about a year because of it


anyway

i met neville staple in newcastle and he's WELL nice.......also kissed him on the head in brighton, he didn't seem to mind

 

[pasty]

Never met mine, and never will now. He's dead (Freddie Mercury)

 

[jevs]

How about has anyone met someone BEFORE they have gone on to be famous? !

Chris Collins, TV gardener and ex Blue Peter gardener started his career on Brighton parks and gardens as a trainee. Knew him very well when he was here.