Some funny Word magazine reader submissions to the theme "Feeble claims to fame."
I like the guy who said Andy Summers of The Police stopped him on the street to ask him where Sting lived. This was during the heyday of the band! Or this brush with Rick Wakeman of Yes, which I can so imagine happening:
"Rick Wakeman came into the bar of a pub in Hull (The Punch) looking for some heavy refreshment before playing the City Hall that night. He looked around and said "This is a shithole" and left."
My "feeble" submission? I've met more than a few famous musicians and newsmakers through work and music, but one in particular stands out because it was so unexpected:
I was walking into the Fresno State amphitheater for a Tom Petty concert back in the early 80s when I spied someone I thought I recognized hanging out by the sound board (the board was actually in the seating area a ways from the stage). Yep, that had to be Stan Lynch, the Heartbreakers drummer and a prime inspiration to my playing.
So, I get up my nerve and go over to this shaggy-haired guy and ask, "Hey, are you Stan Lynch?" He looks at me, looks at his buddies at the sound board, then says, "No. I'm his brother." I stare for a second, then reply, "Um, you look just like him. ... Anyway, I know this sounds weird but I thought you were him, so can you say 'hey' for me? I'm a drummer too and he really inspires me. Thanks."
I rejoin my friends and we resume walking closer to the stage. I walk about 20-30 yards when I feel a tap on my shoulder. It's Stan's "brother." "Hey, what's up?" I ask. "Hey, sorry I was a dickhead back there. I'm really Stan Lynch. I didn't mean to blow you off but I didn't want the girls around there to know."
I'm dumbstruck, shake his hand, and mumble a few words (I was a bit slow anyway from the pre-show beers with friends). At this point, he asks, "So, what exactly am I doing that inspires you?" That leads to a 5-minute conversation in the middle of an amphitheater where we talked about stuff like what drumsticks he used, how much he practiced, how he pulled off a particular fill in "Century City" and what kind of shoes he wore while playing (I asked because I preferred to play barefoot). We left with him smiling and saying, "Thanks for liking my playing."
Yeah, kinda sappy, but it was really cool. Most musicians are nice when you get time with them away from the cameras or the PR people or the groupies. I've had good conversations with Bryan Adams, John Waite and Charlie Sexton), and while I treasure moments from each of those, none stick with me like Lynch making the second effort to reach out and BS with a true fan.
So, what's your feeble claim to fame?