Most Famous Person you played with?

[hamerhead]

I haven't been green with envy since Matt posted his Watsons, so I'll throw this out there:

There is a shitload of talent on this board and I've heard a few great stories about some of the folks you've rubbed elbows with. What else ya got?

Me? Well this part of the midwest isn't a real celebrity hotspot. Les Paul came from here and Cheap Trick were regulars in Madison, but we aren't overburdened with megastars. I was roommates with founding member of The Buckinghams George Legros, which led to several solo recordings with him, as well as a number of impromptu jams with his band that featured the one-and-only Funky Drummer himself, Mr. Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown's drummer). He called Madison home, but would receive superstar treatment (limos, hotels, big shows) when visiting Japan. He and I shared a cocktail or 2 at the local bars and he was always the most down-to-earth person you'd ever want to meet. The opportunity to play with someone at that level can take your breath away. Fucking awesome.

The goat-roping band I was in contained a youngster named Kirstie Kraus, who went on to Nashville and is currently fighting her way up. Great pop songwriting chops and more drive than anyone I've ever met. We still get together when she's in town. Good kid.

And then there's the local legend Steve Swadley, one of my closest friends. If you were involved in the Madison-area music scene from the '60s through today, there's a good chance you know - or have heard of - my buddy Steve. Rock and Roll to the core, you won't meet a better human being.

Another roommate/ former high school bandmate was a member of Slave Raider, a Twin Cities/regional act that had some success and was a favorite of our own baloney-fryin' bud WyldBil. Apparently he wasn't in the band long enough to make it on their Wiki page(!), but there are photos to prove it.  He now lives in seclusion and is a bit of a dick.

 

So let's have some name-dropping here! Who have you guys worked with or shared a stage with or ?? Let's see the BIG names!! 

 

 

[kizanski]

I once had an albeit brief conversation with Luciano Pavarotti, and since he was a singer and I used my voice to speak with him, I consider that to be a collaboration.

[Saul Goodman]

Les Dudek, Kerry Livgren. 

[stobro]

This guy played keyboards in the band I was in back in high school, so we shared a few (tiny) stages:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurence_Hobgood

Later on, my band opened for the likes of Rare Earth, Joan Jett, and Wendy O. Williams and the Plasmatics, but we were never on stage at the same time.

[BadgerDave]

 In the late 70's I somehow talked my way into the guitarist chair with the Madison Area Technical College Jazz Ensemble and stayed for a couple of semesters.  Mostly because I kept my amp volume so low nobody could hear me.  Our bandleader was a highly talented player with connections in the old school big band circles.  He was able to book Woody Herman's band for a show at the school and, the day of, Woody came in early and played a song with us.  We did not speak.

Later in life, I worked with a law firm in Richmond, Virginia that represented local artists GWAR and Lamb of God.  I negotiated LoG's first record contract with Metal Blade and did a lot of corporate work for GWAR.  

Robin Zander hugged me once at a trade show.  I worked for the company that hired Cheap Trick to perform.

@Hamerhead is the only one who will recognize these names, but I hung with the Madison bar band crowd in the 80's: Swad, Gil Jevne, John Masino, Robby "Strange" Alexander, Rich Hayne (Little Vito), Mark Frederick and Matt Ahrens of "The And",  and, shortly before he passed, I had the honor and privilege of working on a soundtrack with Boyd Williamson (aka Zoid Asteroid Machine) of the Vers.  Those were the best of times.

 

Edited February 7 by BadgerDave
I'm an idiot

[beezerboy]

played a set with Jacob Peterson from Steve Miller band at a big Harley Davidson party about 10 years ago.  got to sit in on a jam with Carlos Santana and Neil just before Neil joined the band in 1970

[The Shark]

I played catch with Roberto Clemente as an 9 year old child.  Top that!

 

[Bennyboy-UK]

The only thing I can offer is,  making the introductions to Billy Rowe of Jet Boy and Rock 'n Roll Relics guitars with a contact of mine to get his first UK dealer... ahem, deal....

... the only other thing I can think of is my guitar teacher, Martin Goulding wrote on Guitar Player Magazine amongst others, and teaches mostly well known jobbing pros for top acts.

 

[Travis]

Back in 2011 I was out in Vegas for a 3 day work conference. The hired entertainment was a band that, after the opening ceremony, called up a small handful of people from the crowd of about 3,000-5,000 attendees and collaborated to write a song for the conference, to be played at the closing ceremonies. 

Long story short, I got chosen, I came up with the main riff, and then got on stage and played the song a couple days later at the close of the conference. The band leader was Angus Clark from Trans Siberian Orchestra/etc. and I played thru his rig for the song. 

Never was a Strat guy, but I played his that day…

[veatch]

I'm not cool or good enough to have any direct jamming experience with anyone of interest, aside from a number of the very cool jams with people on this board... 

That said, I have been "jam adjacent."

I auditioned with a band whose singer was John Cougar Melloncamp's cousin. I did get the call back, but I turned it down. (too far of a drive for my unreliable car at the time)

I played with a keyboard player who is John Patrucci's nephew.  I did ask - sadly, he didn't think I was as good as John...  Shocker. : )

As far as actually rubbing elbows, I've had sushi with Ty Tabor, played pinball with George Lynch, and when I was a busboy, served breakfast to BB King. 

None of this counts, but it's therapeutic to type out.  : )

Edited February 7 by veatch

[mathman]

I had a beer in a Gainesville restaurant with Dave Davies and Ray Davies of the Kinks after they had played a concert in Gainesville.  For some reason I don't remember why, we went to the bar of the hotel they happened to be staying in. Didn't know they were they but they were really nice.

Other than that,  I've played along with recordings of lots of great band members.... 

[Dutchman]

Back in the day David Allen Coe. Pat Severs of the Pirates of the Mississippi. Blaine Eits is one of my best friends. He's done a ton of work with the Nashville crowd. He worked with Red Volker just a while back. Here he is with this unknown! 

Edited February 8 by Dutchman

[stobro]

I forget to mention we also opened for Roadmaster in Indianapolis. Their bass player was Toby Myers, who went on to work with John Mellencamp. I did attend a few NAMM shows back in the early to mid '80s and managed to have a very brief chat with Ted Nugent. I also lingered for a bit next to John Entwistle and Steve Morse as they were demonstrating some products. And a security guard for EVH waved for me to clear a path as Eddie walked by. More indirect, my Dad was an occasional guest vocalist with the band that featured Bill Hall, the father of Bruce Hall from REO Speedwagon.

[beezerboy]

guess I could add Randy Holden from Blue Cheer and Lucifer. yeah, I;m old

[Stike]

A couple different occasions in the late 90s I got to play in a very unserious AC/DC tribute act with Audley Freed and Kelly Holland from Cry Of Love, I was not worthy.

I once got to sit in on a tune with The Supersuckers.

[Disturber]

I was working for one of the major music publishers for 15 years. Met and worked with many world wide celebrities, artists and songwriters, during those years. I was also running the recording studio, and had many international writers come in doing sessions. It was a great time, before Napster, Spotify etc. when the world was still buying albums.

The music biz is not the same now. Hardly any good bands coming to town anymore. Real music is dying. It's sad. But I got to live through it. And I am very grateful for the life I lived. The extremely talented people I've met and became friends with. Damn, we had some good fun back then.

[Biz Prof]

15 hours ago, Stike said:

A couple different occasions in the late 90s I got to play in a very unserious AC/DC tribute act with Audley Freed and Kelly Holland from Cry Of Love, I was not worthy.

I once got to sit in on a tune with The Supersuckers.

Damn, Audley is a monster player. RIP Kelly Holland. 

If you guys have never listened to "Brother" by Cry of Love, then you're missing out on one of the greatest rock albums of all time. It's really that good.

[Biz Prof]

I jammed once with Rick Derringer when my band opened for his in '94. The dude is a munchkin but has chops for days.

[cmatthes]

20 hours ago, Stike said:

A couple different occasions in the late 90s I got to play in a very unserious AC/DC tribute act with Audley Freed and Kelly Holland from Cry Of Love, I was not worthy.

I once got to sit in on a tune with The Supersuckers.

I got to watch Stike play with The Supersuckers, if that counts.

I’ve played in opening bands for several “name” artists/bands over the years, but only actually shared a stage once with G.E. Smith and maybe a few other names that might not be familiar to people outside of the Mid-Atlantic/Carolinas area (Cliff Hillis, the late Parthenon Huxley…maybe a few others).

I have managed to not stink up the stage too badly with a bunch of HFC’ers, and played in bands with the legendary Turdus and still play with Elduave.  

[BTMN]

Sang To Hot To Handle with Vinnie Moore on guitar at a Dean Owners event. 😎👍❤️🏁
 

 

Edited February 9 by BTMN

[tommy p]

I was in a band with Linni Disse, the guy who took Dave Hlubek's place when Molly Hatchet reformed as Gator Country.  Coincidentally Bruce Crump, MH's original drummer, lived about 10 minutes from me and played in the local scene.  He played with a lot of my friends but I never got the chance to jam with him.

I played one gig with a guy who was Christopher Cross's drummer before Cross got a record deal.  The drummer for Silent Rage, a hair metal band that had a video or two on MTV, tried out as a singer for a band I was in.  The Cheap Trick tribute band I was in recorded our demo at Bill Leverty's (Firehouse) home studio.  I had never listened to them at all until then so I streamed all their stuff on Spotify and I have to say Bill is/was a killer player.  He showed me some of his licks and practice routines but they were beyond me.

[mrjamiam]

While on Long Island for business, I walked onto a hotel elevator that Kenny Rogers had just walked out of.

[kizanski]

18 hours ago, cmatthes said:

I got to watch Stike play with The Supersuckers, if that counts.

I’ve played in opening bands for several “name” artists/bands over the years, but only actually shared a stage once with G.E. Smith and maybe a few other names that might not be familiar to people outside of the Mid-Atlantic/Carolinas area (Cliff Hillis, the late Parthenon Huxley…maybe a few others).

I have managed to not stink up the stage too badly with a bunch of HFC’ers, and played in bands with the legendary Turdus and still play with Elduave.  

Well, I've played with @Stike and @elduave, if that counts! (...and @edgar_allan_poe, of course).

Above: The first chambered Standard (2004, korina with ebony board) with custom Rio Grande pickups.

Below: 1972 Telecaster and the now infamous "Dad Jeans with White New Balance Sneekers" look. 

 

 

[Stike]

3 minutes ago, kizanski said:

Well, I've played with @Stike and @elduave, if that counts! (...and @edgar_allan_poe, of course).

 

 

Where's the GIF version of this? 😄

[kizanski]

Oh no... wait..  that's a Rechts.  I didn't make that one.

 

There it is!

Oh no.  I didn't make that one either.  That's not it.

Zoom zoom zoom!!

Or that one.

 

Ok, here it is.

 

Poe laughs at you.

 

Oh, here it is!!