DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Tailgate Forum Who would you like to meet?

Dawgs:

Tonight on 'Biography,' I watched a documentary on the life of Ray Charles, an amazing person and beloved musician/entertainer. It was a treat to see inside the life of a man who was so universally loved and revered by music lovers of all stripes, yet was virtually unknown by them as a man. Fascinating individual.

I had the supreme privilege to share the stage with Mr. Charles just a little more than a year before his death. It was a packed house, and every single person, both in the house and onstage had a wonderful time that evening. Ray was classic: he was charming, educational, entertaining, and classy from start to finish. Since watching that bio of him 2 hours ago, I've been awash in memories from that night. It really was special. After the concert, I got to shake his hand and tell him how much his music meant to me and my family over the years. I told him how My Parents would dance and sing to his records in the living room of our little house... and he just said, "It's been as much fun for me as it was for them, young man. That's what it's all about." Short little exchange, but it had me walking on air for days afterward. I shed a tear or two as well, wishing that My Parents could have shared that moment with me and Mr. Charles. They would have been walking on air, too.

My chosen career path has placed me in close proximity with many household names over the years, and I've long since stopped being star-struck for the most part. The list reads like a who's who of 20th c. musicians/entertainers: Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Al Jarreau, ELO, Sheena Easton, Bernadette Peters, Arturo Sandoval, David Sanborn, Nancy Wilson, Mary Wilson (of The Supremes), James Taylor, Robert Goulet (one of the few celebs that I absolutely hated), Yo-Yo Ma, Jamie Farr, Bob Hope,... the list goes on and on. 25+ years in The Biz will do that for a person. If I'd ever cared to compile one, I'd have one fatazz autograph book!

Well anyway, on this Bio, there were cut-ins from various people who were friends of Ray's One of them was Clint Eastwood, who is well-known to be a very devout and knowledgeable afficionado of Soul, Jazz and American Roots Music... and I thought to myself, "Now THERE'S a celebrity I'd love to hang with at a party into the wee hours." From every interview I've ever seen of him, he strikes me as the kind of guy who'd become a fast friend, if we ever met. Not because I'm on an equal 'cool' level with him (perish the thought...) but because we have so many tastes and interests in common. Which got me to thinking: "Who have you not met, that you'd like to meet?"

I decided to list the first 5 that popped into my head. Not necessarily the Top Five, mind you- just the first 5.

Here they are, and why.... in no particular order of preference. (I reserve the right to pop in later with other candidates. You should feel free to do so, as well.)

1. Clint Eastwood: for reasons stated above. We'd talk into the night about Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and the state of modern Jazz today.

2. Wynton Marsalis: a walking, breathing encyclopædia of musical knowledge, from Palestrina to the latest in bleeding-edge Jazz virtuosi... not to mention that he's one of the smokingest trumpet players to ever walk the Earth... from ANY generation.

3. Jamie Foxx: Smart, funny, mutli-talented... and a deep thinker. There's more going on with him than the media generally portrays. An evening with him would be spent in laughter, raucous bawdy banter, and deep Human insight. "Rags-to-riches" folks always bring with them the bulk of their life's experiences and a touch of their roots. We 'poor folk' have to stick together, knowhatimean?

4.Stephen Hawking: One of the most brilliant minds of the past 3 generations. I'd simply sit and listen to him speak without saying a word... except to maybe 'seed the conversation' with a question or two. Hawking is 'star-stuck material' for me. Label me a 'fanboy'... I don't care.

5. Harlan Ellison: An absolute animal, with an imagination that puts my worst socio-pathological ramblings to shame. Brash, opinionated, harsh, confrontational... we'd probably end up rolling on the floor before the night was through, but I'd come back for more- every time I had the chance. More than 30 years ago, his writings exploded the way I perceived fiction- and changed forever the way I evaluated contemporary writing.

So.. there you have it: Clemdawg's First Five dinner party guests. We might have a grilled-out barbecue, a catered 5- course meal from a local chef or pot-luck in the backyard.... but I'd gladly wlcome any of these people into my life and home for an evening of back & forth.

Only 2 rules to follow in this thread:

1. The celebrity must be still living (so you could actually interact with them)
2. You must tell us why you'd like to meet them.

So, Dawgs... who would you like to hang with for a night... and why?

(Dang... this could be fun....)

hmmm...ill play


1. Bob Barker...the man is simply captivating and reading his book he seems to be one of the most genuine, honestly good people out there. His book everything just seems so positive and so wonderful, and ive never seen anyone in any facet let people be themselves better than he. i think it would be amazing.

2. Alex Trebek...I love Jeopardy and it just seems as though Alex would be very worthwhile to be around. and it makes me wonder if he is as well rounded and versed as he seems on the show. the guy has to be, hes traveled so many places for filming and done so many things. I would love to just listen to the man talk...for as long as he wants.

3. Emma Stone...shes near my age, attractive in that way that doesnt say look at me im slutty, and she seems to have a direct line to my funny bone. She...from everything ive seen of her, seems like a genuinely interesting person, not like a lindsay lohan, snooki, paris hilton, hayden panitierre (for that matter id wanna meet her just to ask her what happened to the kickass adorable girl that was in Remember the Titans and Joe Somebody, yea horrible movie but she was kinda an awesome kid in that movie), kim kardashian wasteland of conversational uselessness. i feel like you could actually have a conversation with the girl.

4. Colin Cowherd...strange choice i know...but i rarely disagree with the man and i love sports. To sit down and talk with Colin about sports would be awesome. i think SVP (scott van pelt) could easily replace him on this list though. I truly enjoy SVP.

5. Nolan Richardson...hes a man with perspective, the ability to captivate, and stories. Hes accomplished so much through the sport of basketball, which i am fully invested in, and accomplished so much on the stage of life that it would be amazing just to meet the man.


runnersup...

Clint Eastwood, Michelle Beadle, Bobby Knight, Bob Hurley, Danny Hurley, Ray Allen (my favorite player of all time), Muggsy Bogues (my other favorite), Bill Murray, Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd

Let's see ......

George W Bush: Man, to get a chance to sit down with a President of the United States would be amazing. There would be so much to talk about ..... things I agreed with him about, and decisions I disagreed with greatly.

William Shatner: He's done so much in the acting field that it's amazing. He has surpassed the accomplishments of so many with so much more talent that it's amazing. He seems like a "normal" guy on top of all of that.

Dan Aykroyd: Again, a funny and talented guy who never seems to have lost touch with the fact that he's a man who's been been blessed in his life. Plus, he was one of John Belushi's best friends, so that should yield some fun stories.

Jack Nicholson: Wow ..... such a body of work ...... such a range of roles and personalities ........ plus, he gets all the chicks ...so maybe he'd share?

Tony Blair: He was the leader of Britain, and one of our staunchest allies in a time of crisis and war. I figure that if he could get along so well with Bush, then we should get along quite well as well.

Nancy Pelosi - to see if she could look me in the eye and tell me she sincerely believed that Obamacare and the bailouts were good for this country.

Any surviving WWII vet - to hear their stories and thank them one last time before they're all gone.

Ann Coulter - not necessarily for the politics, but I just love that scathing sense of humor.

Somebody on death row that is able to have an intelligent conversation.

Carmen Elektra - just to stare and drool.

Too many musicians and actors to narrow it down....my absolute favorites are no longer with us.

Top 5 to a party to hang out... hmmmmmm.. I'll stick to folks that are alive and well because if I could go into the past the list would become too long...

1. Willie Mays.

2. Cal Ripken.

3. Morgan Freeman

4. Faith Hill

5. JC Watts

Wow, that was a lot harder than I thought... I could come up with a list of 20 and be happy with any 5..

First and foremost, at the head of the table would be whoever that young 2ndLt is in charge of the lead platoon on the ground in Afghanistan,...remind everyone invited what we all really need to care about.

Neil Peart -- I am an amateur drummer and he wouldn't get away without a lesson,...has had some bad luck in his personal life that he has recovered from brilliantly. Alternate here -- Alex Van Halen.

The Wood Brothers -- these guys were in stock car racing before I was born. Have always been good Ford men. Alternate, Richard Petty.

Warren Buffet -- give up the secret,...Bill Gates otherwise.

Bill Belichick -- what was it like being a puppet when you were better than that,...Bill Cowher, the alternate.

John Glenn -- retired Marine officer and politician. Alternate, John McCain. (Have already had the privilege of meeting Admiral James Stockdale and General Colin Powell.)

Other candidates,....Sarah Palin, Al Pacino, Dorothy Hamill, Heather Locklear, Mark Farner/Don Brewer/Mel Schacher (Grand Funk), Caroline Kennedy, Jim Tressel, Dick Winters (Band of Brothers), Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, Terry Bradshaw & Joe Montanta, Jerry Rice, Jim Brown & Paul Warfield, Dick Schafrath, Bernie Kosar,....Sam Rutigliano would be a hoot.

Archie Griffin,...Hillary Clinton,...Laura Bush,...

It would be nice to get Osama Bin Laden there -- suppose he wouldn't last long. That young 2nd Lt could do the honors,....

Wow, it's a difficult idea once you start trying to think about it.


1. Nicholas Negropronte - Co-Founder & Chariman Emeritus of M.I.T.'s Media Lab. I read one of his books ('Being Digital') on the future of computing years ago and have since viewed him as one of the Sages of modern technology.

2. Gwyneth Paltrow - Aside from thinking that she is one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen, she's also an incredible actress and from her interviews seems like a genuinely nice, humble person.

3. Weird Al Yankovic - good musician, great sense of comedy.

4. Robin Williams - To spend a night in conversation with that mind would be a trip.

5. General Colin Powell - Absolutely one of the most compelling men of my lifetime.

Dick Cheney -- the man has been responsible for so much death and destruction; I'd like to know how he justifies that to himself, if he justifies that to himself, etc., etc.

Bill Murray -- very enigmatic, very bright, very talented

Nick Hornby -- one of my favorite modern authors.

Tank Man -- I imagine the guy is dead, but no one can confirm or deny this accurately, so he makes the list. I imagine there'd be a language barrier problem, though.

Howard Stern -- can't say I've listened to a second of his programming in almost a decade, but the guy reinvented an entire medium, is a brilliant interviewer and is tirelessly dedicated to his craft ... would love to pick his brain.

That was off the top of my head ... I'll probably want to change that list in two minutes

No particular order here.

Halle Berry/ Jennifer Anniston: I'd really like to ask either of these two beauties just what the heck their problem is! Quit getting involved with guys who think theyre prettier than you and grab an old scrub like me who would worship at your feet!

George H.W. Bush: Love to talk to him about his WWII service and the Desert Storm days.

Art Donovan: I spent about a half hour once talking to him at the HOF and left wanting so much more! What a guy!

He doesnt qualify as he just passed but who in their right mind wouldnt want to spend an evening with coach John Wooden!

1. Jack White - my favorite musician and someone who's guitar style is similar to my own. I would meet him in a sound proof room. He would be behind the guitar and the mic and I would play rhythm guitar. We would jam on acoustics until the wee hours of the morning. We would consume lots of wine and create the next great blues song. lol.

2. Bill Simmons - i would love to meet Bill Simmons and talk about how so many people nowadays are complete haters that its ridiculous. we would also sit and watch jersey shore together. haha

3. Ringo Starr or Paul McCartney - just to talk to them would be an honor

4. Jim Tressel - i would meet with him so he could give me some pointers in life. he oozes wisdom and i would love to soak some of that up

5. any person from a foreign country - my wild card pick. i would love to just talk to anyone from a foreign country. i want to know about their culture, their way of life, the things they eat, the things they do for fun, etc. my girlfriend's step mom is from thailand and i ask her so many questions every time i see her. their viewpoint is different from our american view point and it gives me an opportunity to put the shoe on the other foot

Cameron Diaz has said pretty much that she would go out with anyone who has the nerve to ask her ..... so she might be fun to meet.

1) Clint Eastwood. I would just love to sit and talk with him. Seems like such an interesting guy. And I love his movies. Plus, I love to hear background stories on things like that.

2) Rickey Henderson. A hero of mine since I can remember loving sports. I just think it would be so neat to meet someone you've loved for so long.

3) Smokey Robinson. I would have put Norman Whitfield here, but he died in 2008. Smokey was right in the mix of Motown Records, and I would love to hear all the stories there.

4) Any of the living Presidents. I'd be more than willing to put politics aside just to talk to the extremely select few group of men who can claim they truly had an impact on the world. I just can't imagine how fascinating that would be.

5) Dick Cheney, just so I can kick him in the nuts.

5) (serious) A tough one, but I'd love to sit and talk with Bernie Kosar. Not only is he from my hometown, but you can just tell the guy's knowledge of football is encyclopedic. Just to sit with him and watch a few Browns games and hear his analysis.

*Edit* It's too bad this thread wasn't around a few months ago. My absolute no. 1 would have been Dick Winters of "Band of Brothers" fame.

Michio Kaku - Theoretical Physicist: If I were smart enough, I'd be him. Since I'm not, I get to be a big fan. Everything about black holes, neutrino's, supernovae, gravity, spacetime, & anything related to Einstein facinates me to no end.

Anthony Kiedis - Red Hot Chili Peppers: Between them and Jane's Addiction, they alternate as my favorite band. I've seen quite a few talking pieces with him and he seems like a nice chat. To me, their music is what Rock N' Roll is all about....women. I've liked them since I first heard their stuff in 1988. My wife said they're coming out with a new album. We'll see...

Tony Kornheiser - ESPNs PTI and Radio: A guy that's been around a long time and can talk up any sport. From his shows, he seems like a decent enough guy (that can be said for any name in this thread I guess). I find him funny too.

Stan Lee - Creator of Spider-man and countless other comic book stars: Dude is a living legend, 'nuff said.

And for my 5th, I'l wrap it up with some of you guys/gals. I read your ideas and opinions almost every day. Heck, there are times when some of you actually read my posts and maybe respond (:p). Purp, DC, Peen, Daman, GM, PitDawg, Arch, Ytown, FloridaFan, Jules, DawgMichelle, BFS79, Ammo, Turk, Spergon FTWynn, DP17, Top, BpG, KashDawg, Clem, Beerdowner (again), Shep, BrownsBabe, cfrs15, Lyuokdea (since you're a theoretical physicist too) & all the others I don't currently have their names running through my head. Cristy and OnB, I guess you too. It would be nice to sit around a big table, open a few bottles of wine, break bread, and just talk. Not trying to kiss ass or anything....but it's the reason I come back so often.

You supply the wine and bread, and I'm there!!!

Antonin Scolia...the guy is brilliant.

Gladys Knight....I love that gal.

Donald Trump...I would love to sit and talk to that guy.

Reba McEntire....brilliant person spun up in good down home common sense.

Paul McCartney...he was a Beatle, enough said.

Quote:

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Wow, that was a lot harder than I thought... I could come up with a list of 20 and be happy with any 5..

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That's why you get to throw another party, and drop 5 more in this list, DC....

Ive met some on here but you need to get a group together and fly out to vegas for a DT get together.

As for who I would like to meet.....
My Great Great Grandfather if he was still here.
Clint Eastwood, Tom Mirranda, John Kruk , and Stephen King.

Alright, another party for me:

1) George Lucas. Involvement with Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Also, I'd have to just ask him "what the hell were you thinking with the Star Wars Christmas Special?"

2) Seth Macfarlane (creator of Family Guy). I love that show and would love to just sit and laugh with him.

3) Doc Hammer and Jackson Publick (creators of the Venture Brothers). Same as no. 2.

4) Matt Groening. I'd love to talk with him about the Simpsons, but I would also really love to talk with him about Futurama. A great great show.

5) Nelson Demille. His books are phenomenal. If he's as funny and sarcastic as his characters, I think it would be great to tip a few back with him.

oh man...

i completely neglected my favorite...Woody Harrelson. Like Emma he has just a direct line to my funny bone. Zombieland and White Men Can't Jump are two of my favorite movies...but White Men Cant Jump IS my very favorite movie of all time.

He is just hilarious, and from what ive read an interesting guy...kind of a hippy and whatnot but would be so fun to talk to him about all of his stories and whatnot. Woody is phenomenal.

I'm gonna add #6 to my list ......

Steven Wright (the comedian) I just want to see if he really talks in deadpan all the time ......

My list:

1. Any living President. I would just be fascinated and I'm not a truly political person.

2. Paul McCartney. Peen, you and I could team up for a lunch with him. I love the Beatles and would love to hear about his process and just talk to him about his experiences.

3. Chef Michael Symon. I'd love to talk to him about his creative process and how he represents Cleveland so well. Plus, I could just sit there and listen to him laugh. Great laugh!

4. Marlee Matlin. I'd love to discuss her life with her and what it's like to be a deaf actress in Hollywood. And an Oscar winner.

5. Robin Williams. The man just cracks me up.

I'd team with you any day.

My G. G. G. G. grandfather - I would like to know who he is and who his parents are and in general find out where our family got our Surname. I have been working on my family tree for 4-1/2 years now and I know who my G. G. G. grandfather is, when he was born and I know he was born in Pennsylvania but beyond that I can not find any record of who his parents were. Every other part of my tree I have been able to trace my ancestors back to the first generation in America except my Surname ancestors.

Terry Goodkind - American Author known for his Sword of Truth series. I would love to sit down and pick his brain on what inspired him to write his novels. I am in the process of going through his series a second time anticipating his next book being released this summer.

deadspin did a thing a few years back where readers submitted their stories about run-ins with athletes. there were some good ones, the kruk one was my absolute favorite.

was 99-2000'ish, right before the eagles became good, last game of the year, vet stadium, and they are getting crushed by the rams, who were the greatest show on turf at the time. apparently some idiot decked out in rams gear was a little too loud for the fans up in the top level of the stadium. people were swearing and yelling at him, and out of nowhere a full cup of pop comes flying and hits the guy, getting it all over him and his jersey, face, everything. fans loved it. security saw what happened and took the guy away, it was none other than john kruk. security let him ham it up a bit too.

i can't look at the guy without laughing every time i see him on tv.

The story I love is when my cuz..3rd. cuz Jim Thome had a bet at the allstar game for a large pizza and a case of beer. The bet was for who would hit the longest homerun.

David Bowie: aside from loving his music, he's extremely intellectual and an absolutely magnetic personality. I'm sure he's got some incredible road stories. Came across his episode of Vh1 Storytellers back in the day and couldn't turn away.

Mikhail Gorbachev: I'd love to pick the brain of the man who, more than any other one person, was responsible for the collapse of one of the two truly great superpowers of the 20th century. Plus, I could put all those years of studying Russian to use.

John Paul Stevens: the last of the Supreme Court Justices of the old school. While I don't agree with all of his views, his unmitigated passion for the law practically leaps out of his opinions, even at age 90. He served through three Chief Justices, seven Presidents, and a litany of landmark cases. Hard to imagine a better living veteran of the Court to speak with.

Harrison Ford: the one pure "star struck" choice on my list. The man is Indiana Jones and Han Solo and the President of the United States. I think that's enough to qualify anyone.

Neil deGrasse Tyson: honestly, this spot belongs to the incomparable Carl Sagan, who sadly is not eligible for this list due to his untimely passing. But if anyone is a worthy successor to the man who embodied the mind of a scientist, the wondering heart of a child, and the tongue of an orator, it is Dr. deGrasse Tyson.

Bob Weir... He's not Jerry Garcia but he stood at his side every show for 30 years. Would love to hear the stories he could tell about being 22 during the summer of love and being in the biggest band in the scene.
Frank Oz... Jim Henson's #2 but an amazing talent in his own regard.
Bill Bryson... My favorite author/storyteller.
John Bell... Lead singer/rythem guitarist for one of my favorite bands, Widespread Panic. He's been on the road for 25 years... I can only imagine the stuff he's seen.
George Lucus... Creator of Star Wars...He's got some explaining to do for Jar Jar Binks.

runners up... H. R. Giger and Brian Froud. Two amazing artists that influenced my life. Giger is the talent behind the look of the Alien movies. Froud is the creator of artwork that shapes the way we all invision elves, fairies, and gnomes. The Dark Crystal was heavily Brian Frouds artistic vision. Though Jim Henson created the world we saw.

Shoot, my dead guys list is a hell of a lot longer than my alive guys list.

For right now, lets put the alive list at one.. Shania Twain. All I want is 20 minutes worth of time to do all my begging, pleading, kneeling and proposing lol...

In no particular order.

1) Any of the surviving Doors members. Ray, John or Robbie. Just to talk to them about Jim mostly. I know it would probably bore them since they've been talking about him since he passed but it is what it is.

2) Nicole Kidman. I am just in awe of her beauty. (And I'm a brunette fan, she's that beautiful).

3) Sylvester Stallone. I've always been a fan of Sly. Seems like a down to earth person to bs with.

4) Matt Dillon. Growing up I always thought he was the coolest person. He looked tough. Me and him seem like we would click if we had a conversation. Love all of his movies. Great actor. The Outsiders is my all time fav.

5) Keith Richards. Too easy. To get drunk as hell with him just to say you did.

j/c,...I forgot to list Mike Krzyzewski.

Ben Roethlisberger.

So I could punch him.

1. The current pope
I'm not roman catholic but I'd love to meet the man and just have a good discussion with him.

2. Marty Sklar
He has been one of the main driving forces for creativity in theme parks. He has been responsible for many of the wondrous attractions at all Walt Disney Theme Parks across the globe.

3. Neil Armstrong
Who wouldn't want to meet the first man to walk on the moon? I'd love to hear about his days as a test pilot too.

4.-? The members of Pink Floyd from Dark Side of The Moon all the way up to The Wall
Some of my favorite albums come from this band. I'd love to just talk with all of the members as to what motivated them to write these pieces and how were they able to do it.

I would like to meet the Dalai Lama. Very interesting figure and someone I greatly admire. Would love to just sit and talk with him about a number of things.

The second person I would love to meet is Warren Buffett. A self-made man who has kept his feet grounded.

I would also love to meet and talk with major philosophers of the day such as Putnam, Nagel, Searle, or Parfit.

Lastly, I would love to meet any of the living presidents. A job that only 43 men have held in United States history would give some pretty interesting insight.

That is an incredible experience Clem. My son is an aspiring musician (trombonist [still in high school]), and that is just too cool. It would be nice if he can one day claim the same as you, but for him to do what he loves is incredible in itself. (unlike his old man)


I realize the impossibility of my first choice but I would have given anything to be able to sit down at the same table with RONALD REAGAN.

NEIL ARMSTRONG. (or actually any astronaut)

And not to sound hokey . . . ANY VETERAN OF IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN.
My brother served as a medic in Iraq and I just idolize him and his peers. I would like nothing more than to be able to just give a heartfelt thank you.

TOM CLANCY