Saturday, April 12, 2008

Famous Encounters

I just read a blog from my buddy Lynn, and I think this is a great subject. Absolutely no point involved, just a little game I thought would be fun for my group of blogging friends that want to play. We have all met our share of famous people. And when we do we usually get all excited and tell everyone we know for the next few days and then we forget about it. Well, I am going to go back and remember all the ones I can remember. I really hope you leave a story or 2 in either your blog or as a comment to my blog.

Here goes.

1989. San Francisco Bay Area Earthquake. Earlier in the day, my buddy Quiant Myers introduced me to a former pro bowl Defensive End for the SF 49er's, named Pierce Holt. After the earthquake, I was skateboarding home from Quiants and at the ice cream parlor I saw Pierce. I stopped to talk to him, and he tried to ride my skateboard, almost falling down. So I almost ruined his career, luckily he caught his balance and gave me a ride home in his truck. Pretty cool as a 13 year old.

1994. Instead of Senior Ball, my friends and I decided to go to Disneyland. We stayed at the same hotel that the Oakland A's were staying in. Rickey Henderson, the all time greatest leadoff hitter in baseball, sat down next to me in the lobby and had a drink. I never talked to him but after he finished the drink, I took the glass and I am pretty sure it is still in a box in my parents attic. Some day I will pull it out and show the grandkids. Another story from that trip. I was in the elevator with my buddy Bryan, and 2 A's players were in there. One of them farted, and tried to blame the other one. It was pretty funny. Made me glad that when I grew up I could still be kind of a dork.

1997 or 98. I was working as a bus boy in Provo Utah for Los Hermanos Mexican Restaurant. In walked Michael Stipe, lead singer for R.E.M. I was a big fan of REM, so I recognized him instantly, as I figured everyone else would. So turns out he wasn't as big in Utah as California, and I was the only one who recognized him. I went and got his autograph. I said, um, your Michael Stipe right. He said yes. I asked, what are you doing in Provo, Utah. He said he was visiting his grandma. That was it. Seemed like kind of a shy,quiet guy.

Also in this time period, Steve Young at same restaurant. My good friend Caroline King served him, and she was much cooler than I would have been.



2006. This is my biggest celebrity sighting. I was in the Las Vegas Airport, and there was some buzz about a movie being shot at the end of the terminal. So I go check it out and lo and behold the best looking man on the planet, Brad Pitt. He was about 6 feet away and he was this little petite man. I was really surprised, he had the frame of a woman. Like a waif model. Anyway, I am completely comfortable in my heterosexuality to say he is one hot man. I say that because I remember being boggled as a youngster about how a girl can tell if a guy was good looking. Girls it is easy, but guys just look like guys. He was the first guy that I saw that I could tell what girls meant, when they thought a guy was good looking. I say that in the straightest way possible, really. I don't know if anyone out there is starting to wonder about me, but I am secure enough to say it. I remember thinking, if I looked like that guy, I know girls would think I was hot. Plain and simple. Thanks Brad.

This was the scene I saw, at the end he walks right towards me

I also met a Superbowl winning QB of the Redskins, Mark Rypien, at an amusement park in Virginia. I met some girl in Jumanji, and guy from Robin Hood, Men in Tights on my mission. Now that I think about it, my celebrity sightings are not super impressive. But it was fun remembering. If you read this, Tag, your it, Lets hear yours.

11 comments:

VA Andersons said...

Ben, you are pretty sexy.
Love,
Tyson
P.S. I feel completely safe in saying that.
P.S.S. My wife sang with Michael Jackson. Can anyone beat(it) that?

Emily said...

Can't believe that you saw Brad Pitt! I have heard that he has bad BO, did you find that to be true?!?! I am posting all my famous people sightings!

Lynn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lynn said...

Ttyson scares me... but I have to agree with him.

Ever see Ben eat turkey? I have pics.

I'd love to hear how B. got to sing with Michael Jackson.

Della Hill said...

I had a celeb sighting in the Las Vegas Airport too.
I was there on a layover and as I was walking to my flight to Pittsburg, I walked past Jerome Bettis (QB, Pittsburg Steelers) going the other way.
This was in March of '06, so it was right after the Steelers had won the Superbowl and Bettis had retired.
I knew he looked familiar as I walked past him, but I didn't realize who he was till he was past me. Then I just turned around and stared at his back with my mouth open.
I debated chasing him down for an autograph, but didn't want to embarrass him, or me, in the middle of the airport.
My other celeb sighting is better.
My husband, Chris has been a huge Steve Young fan since he was about 9.
Our old employer held an awards banquet a few years ago, (Oct. '03).
When we found out Steve Young was going to be there to introduce one of the award winners Chris almost had a heart attack.
We got to go and Chris video taped Steve Young from across the ballroom at the America Hotel in SLC.
Young even came to the table next to ours and signed autographs, but skipped us.
Afterwards we were in the lobby getting ready to go. My supervisor whispered to me to turn on the video camera.
Steve Young came out to the lobby and said "So who's Chris?"
My husband looked around for another Chris, but when no one stepped forward he nervously raised his hand.
Steve came over and gave him an autographed ball that said "To Chris, my main man".
Then he posed for pictures and signed a couple more autographs.
I got the whole thing on video and the ball is still displayed in a glass case in our family room.
It turned out that our supervisor, knowing what a fan Chris was, had set it up. Very cool.
Elizabeth Smart and her family were at the same banquet.
Her parents got an award and she and her sister played their harps.
I ran into her in the bathroom and said hello.
She really is a beautiful girl.
Love the family pics by the way.
-Della

Ben and Kimberly McEvoy said...

Kim here I have been trying to figure out any of my celebrity sightings . .I cant think of any. I know i have seen some but I do not know their names. The best I can come up with it a autograph from Mike Chapman- the tallest man I ever met (I was 5- the African American b-ball player for BYU in the late 80's), Robbie Bosco both our families were getting frozen yogurt for FHE. I met the entire BYU basketball team at a meet n greet for the 90-91 season, so reed boy, the incredibly cute Mike Smith and other, I have team photo's with everyones autograph.

I have hung out with Kenneth Cope and Liz Lemon Swindle (one of my BF mom's).

I went to a little social for some Egyptian friends and Merrill Bateman was there. I realize all mine are not celebrities . .but its all I got.

I will leave the sightings to Ben and the rest of the world.

really If I saw one I wouldn't know it.
thanks for the comments it is fun to read.

brittdave said...

I have to agree with Kim. I wouldn't know one if I saw them. Although I would probably recognize their face and try and figure out how I knew them. I do that all the time. I do remember one. I was with my husband in the Salt Lake airport and he saw Tony Danza walking by. He stopped turned around and went and talked with him for a second. It was after this that he had his ski accident I believe.

Salt H2O said...

ooh, so jealous.

My husband has a man crush on Brad Pitt. You're ok.

Jason said...

Here's what I got:
* Robert Redford
* Pamela Anderson
* Ben McEvoy
* Elliot Gould (shook hands)
* U2's Edge returned my "thumbs up"

Yup, that's all I got. I think Mr. McEvoy is my best sighting though.

Lynn said...

Hey Kim...

Kenneth Cope and I worked together at Astroworld in Houston way back when. I saw him at a fireside in Richmond a few years back and when I told him who I was, he gave me one of the biggest man-hugs I think I've ever had. Sheri and Rebecca were totally stoked, too.

He is really a funny dude and we had loads of fun together... except when we were playing basketball for church. Different wards = opponents on the court.

Greg Kite was also on his ward team at the time, and went on to play for the Boston Celtics.

No wonder we never won.

Wendy said...

I just read Emo's sightings and had to come check yours out. You're right you have seen an embarassing amount compared to her. JK! :) I've only seen 2 that I can think of at the moment - Dennis Rodman (yuck) at the Crab Shack in Orange County and Pierce Brosnan at the SLC airport.