Famous person Top Trumps

[Graham Breeze]

Very good. Been too long Graham since we had similar

You are too kind Andrew - I've think I've already mentioned when Joan Baez's manager asked if Miss Baez could have my window seat (Business Class, first row) on a flight to Seville so she didn't have to sit next to the aisle?

She thanked me very nicely and really was drop-dead-gorgeous in those days; but Bob Dylan dumped her so I suspect she was a bit high maintenance?

[Derby Tup]

So the obvious question is are you claiming Ms Baez, or her manager as a famous person?

[Graham Breeze]

So the obvious question is are you claiming Ms Baez, or her manager as a famous person?

Well DT, her manager didn't recognise me so clearly he was just a nobody.

(I must listen to some Joan Baez albums. She wote Diamonds and Rust about Dylan dumping her so perhaps she later wrote a song about meeting me?)

[Daletownrunner]

It’s no match for Rock legends and sandwich eating Cribbinses but I’m coming in with...all of the Grumbleweeds with a side order of Princess Margaret once looked at my sister in the North of Scotland.

[neilly]

1992, Rose Street Edinburgh. I was busking in the pouring rain, murdering No Woman No Cry, I think. A dodgy looking guy came up and started chatting, saying how good I was etc. This happens a lot in the busking world. ' You're pure brilliant by the way man', they're normally drunk or lonely. Anyway, it's pissing down and the guy offers to buy me a pint. He was about 40, smelling vaguely of drink and fags. He looked slightly dodgy but ' what the hell, free drink'. We went into a pub and he bought me several pints, had me playing my guitar and singing. I was quite enjoying the free drink' and fags- pre smoking ban days. After a couple of hours he asked me if I knew who he was. I told him I neither knew nor cared. He told me he was Jeff Lynne. Jeff who?? I said. Him off ELO he said. Still none the wiser I told him I'd never heard of ELO. He was getting a bit irate by this point and asked someone else if they knew who he was. They didn't either. He ended up taking his cheque book out to prove who he was and showed me a cheque he'd just written for £500 to Bono. I still wasn't impressed and he went away in a huff. His parting comments were that he could have made me a star! Obviously this was pre tinternet days so it took a few days for me to find out who he was. I found an old ELO record and checked him out. It was, indeed Jeff Lynne. Oh dear, my life could have been so much better.

[PeteS]

1992, Rose Street Edinburgh. I was busking in the pouring rain, murdering No Woman No Cry, I think. A dodgy looking guy came up and started chatting, saying how good I was etc. This happens a lot in the busking world. ' You're pure brilliant by the way man', they're normally drunk or lonely. Anyway, it's pissing down and the guy offers to buy me a pint. He was about 40, smelling vaguely of drink and fags. He looked slightly dodgy but ' what the hell, free drink'. We went into a pub and he bought me several pints, had me playing my guitar and singing. I was quite enjoying the free drink' and fags- pre smoking ban days. After a couple of hours he asked me if I knew who he was. I told him I neither knew nor cared. He told me he was Jeff Lynne. Jeff who?? I said. Him off ELO he said. Still none the wiser I told him I'd never heard of ELO. He was getting a bit irate by this point and asked someone else if they knew who he was. They didn't either. He ended up taking his cheque book out to prove who he was and showed me a cheque he'd just written for £500 to Bono. I still wasn't impressed and he went away in a huff. His parting comments were that he could have made me a star! Obviously this was pre tinternet days so it took a few days for me to find out who he was. I found an old ELO record and checked him out. It was, indeed Jeff Lynne. Oh dear, my life could have been so much better.

To be fair, I always thought Jeff was relatively anonymous compared to his Brum contemporaries. I think he could have walked down New Street in the 1990s and nobody would have noticed. Other locals Dave Hill or Roy Wood (who used to drink in one of my old locals) are another story of course....

In another rock and roll tale, I once nearly ended up in a fight with Ian Brown. I really didn't know who this new Mancunian band, the Stone Roses were at the time but they turned up to check out the Midlands' psychedelic scene at the Senseteria club at what was then the Hummingbird in Birmingham. I had just finished playing a gig there and no doubt fueled by quite a few pints of bravado (and some), took more than a little offence at their swagger and one thing lead to another. No fisticuffs ensued but it got heated enough to attract the attention of the door staff and we were both threatened with eviction. I think they left soon after taking most of our entourage with them.

[Wheeze]

Neilly, that is just such a bittersweet story. Thanks for telling it. To be fair, Jeff always courted anonymity. He was never without the huge aviator shades, shaggy hair and beard. Having grown up through 'peak ELO' I really dont think I'd recognise him out of context. I certainly could not describe his facial features. Do you still play?

[neilly]

To be fair we'd all had a fair amount to drink. He was very friendly but I genuinely didn't know him. I never really gave it much thought for a few days then mentioned it to a friend who showed me an LP.

I play a bit but only on my own now. Every now and then I get the urge to relive the past.

[wheezing donkey]

Received an aristocratic greeting from Sir Bradley Wiggins, one morning last summer. We were riding past his place and I said to my pal Ron, "I wonder if Sir Bradley is up and about?" Just then a small dog started yapping on the other side of the tall hedge. I commented to Ron, "Well at least his dog is up and about."
A voice from the other side of the hedge retorted, "Piss Off". I replied, "On your bike, Wiggo!" When we reached the open gate, the little dog proceeded to chase us, with Wiggo attempting to call it back and us encouraging it to chase us. Ron was shaking his head and giggling all the way to the coffee stop, "You just couldn't make that up, could you?"

[Graham Breeze]

Received an aristocratic greeting from Sir Bradley Wiggins, one morning last summer. We were riding past his place and I said to my pal Ron, "I wonder if Sir Bradley is up and about?" Just then a small dog started yapping on the other side of the tall hedge. I commented to Ron, "Well at least his dog is up and about."
A voice from the other side of the hedge retorted, "Piss Off". I replied, "On your bike, Wiggo!" When we reached the open gate, the little dog proceeded to chase us, with Wiggo attempting to call it back and us encouraging it to chase us. Ron was shaking his head and giggling all the way to the coffee stop, "You just couldn't make that up, could you?"

Well I don't like dogs and Wiggins even less - but I do like your story!