The Velvet Underground ran over my band's time at Scepter Wand studio in N.Y. I talked with the lead guitarist, whoever he was. My father was sitting in the control room next to Andy Warhol. Hung out in Florence and Stanley Greenberg's offices listening to 45's and talked them into releasing "Mama" by B.J. Thomas. I think it flopped.
Had dinner a couple of times with kung fu movie star Gordon Liu, one of the nicest people I've ever met. Also was his transportation for a weekend. We got to talk one on one quite a bit about Chinese martial arts. He called me his ge ge (older brother; I thought he was older than me
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). My former kung fu (gongfu) teacher, Hu Jianqiang, was twice all around Chinese National Wushu (martial arts) Champion who made several movies, including the Shaolin Temple trilogy with Jet Li. While walking down the street with him in China, people would stop him for his autograph or ask to take a picture with him, even the fake monks at the Shaolin Temple! He once said to me, "you veddy high shifu". That was embarrassing, to say the least!
Taught Taijiquan to the wife of Zhao Changjun, former 10 time Chinese National Wushu Champion and kung fu movie star.
Met some other famous Chinese martial arts movie people that probably most people have never heard of (Master eagle stylist Ji Chunhua, master swordsman Yu Chenghui, movie director Zhang Xinyan, who once toasted me for winning a grand championship in the internal arts).
There are probably others in the foggy past.
Bernie
--- In newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com, "Tony" <atm655@...> wrote:
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> I had two, about a decade apart.
> Met Thomas Dolby after "Blinded" concert locally, and Patrick Moraz twice.
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> Moraz was on a plane, and we talked, then he preformed his acoustic piano "Windows in Time" composition locally too.
> He records in Florida, not far from my city
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> Tony
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Ms. Janet Strauss
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2011 7:14 PM
> Subject: RE: [newmellotrongroup] Re: MOODY BLUES voices EEEEEK
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> Anybody else have a brush with fame?
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> Brush with fame? Musical or non musical?
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> Back in the eighties, I had Heinekens with Elizabeth Taylor in her living room one evening.
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> When I was a kid living in Rome Italy, a classmate had his single mother get her boyfriend at the time to take us to the movies.
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> He showed up at our house.it was Robert Wagner.
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> Jim
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com [mailto:newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Rick Blechta
> Sent: Wednesday, June 01, 2011 6:28 PM
> To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Re: MOODY BLUES voices EEEEEK
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> On Jun 1, 2011, at 6:17 PM, John Wright wrote:
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> Alas, my on,y brush with fame not counting the time Greg Lake told me to get away from him after seeking an autograph from the Works I tour.
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> I once slammed Wes Montgomery's hand in one of those old self-serve elevators at an amp repair place on 48th St. in NY. He was reasonably nice about it. I was totally freaked out thinking I might have ended his career.
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> I also spent an afternoon with Eric Clapton at Audio Speaker Techniques down near Canal Street. We were both getting speakers re-coned. His were also stamped "Cream" and since he had a beard (and I hadn't seen him with a beard), I thought he was one of the band's roadies until about 5 minutes before I left. He was hanging around with Tony (the owner) because he couldn't stand being around Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker anymore that tour.
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> I also caddied for Ed Sullivan, and my wife hit Richard Nixon in the head with a rather heavy door. She was going in as he was reaching for the doorknob on his side.
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> Anybody else have a brush with fame?
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> Rick
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