I think the title of this piece says it all, so let’s just get to the stories. If you don’t know these people, click on their names to see/hear one of the reasons why they’re famous.

Kenny G, musician (2007ish)

My family and I were out in Michigan, visiting my sister-in-law and her family.  The State Fair was in session, so we spent about half a day walking around and checking it out.  At one section of the fairgrounds was a baseball diamond and a few small bleachers; like the kind most little league games are played on.

There wasn’t really anybody else around, but for some reason we decided to get closer, just to make sure we weren’t missing some sort of attraction.  As we approached, we noticed a man sitting alone on one of the small bleachers.  His hair was unusually long and wavy.  His profile was punctuated by a distinctive nose.  It was a very unique look.

“That has to be Kenny G”. I said.

My daughter agreed.  My wife, who was a giant Kenny G fan, took a look for herself, and agreed.

Wow! Cool!

“Should we go meet him?” we wondered.

“I don’t know.  What would we say?  Maybe he’s sitting alone just because he can until somebody comes up and recognizes him.”, somebody said.

So we left, exploring on to the next part of the fair.

Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles Running Back (2025)

This was a very big fundraising event for a really beneficial Lancaster organization.  The special guest speaker for the evening was Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who had just won a Super Bowl with the team about 3 months earlier.  Barkley pitched in with one of the best seasons of any running back in NFL history.

My jazz quartet had been hired to play on stage during cocktail hour of the event.  Barkley was up right after us, as if we were his opening act.  

I knew the venue and knew that Barkley would most likely be passing us by just off stage as he entered and we were packing up.  I was ready.

That night, as expected, Barkley and his assistants came into the stage area, right beside where we were putting our gear away.  He stopped about 10 feet away from us and received some instructions from one of the event people.  Barkley looked serious, his mind presumably focused on what he was going to do when he took the stage.

I took few steps right up to him and put my hand out where he could see it.  Without paying attention, he reached for mine too.  I said something along the lines of “congratulations and thanks for a great season”.  It took most of my sentence but I think I startled him and he eventually made eye contact with me, saying “yeah, sure” as if he had just woken up.

If he has any recollection at all of our encounter, it’s probably of annoyance.

Cooper Dejean, Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Back (2026)

People usually throw up a few Eagles cheers (E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES) at Philly weddings, and this one was no different.  I hadn’t thought anything of it.  This wedding gig was in the heart of Center City at a place called The Union League.  It was a fun crowd and a big one, so when it was over, I packed up quickly and tried to make my way out before the elevators got clogged.

Too late!

I was waved into a super crowded elevator by some very happy and most likely intoxicated guests who swore they could make room for me.  Technically, they did; although I was crammed in up front with my nose almost touching the door.

“Where you going brother?”

“One.”

“Ha! We all are.”

We were on 2.  But instead of going down, we went up.

“Three? What the hell-who leaned against the buttons?”, somebody said.

The door opened. Instead of seeing the third floor, I saw the back of a tall, young man in a white shirt.  He had been as close to his side of the door as I was to mine. My nose was practically on his shirt! His hair had a familiar curl on the back of his head.  

“That curl… is he…” I thought.

He turned around and saw how packed the elevator was, deciding not to get in. Stepping back, he took a sip out of his beer bottle.

“…Yes-it is Cooper Dejean!”

The 2 seconds it took me to confirm his identity was long enough for the door to close again.  That was that.

“That was Cooper Dejean!”, I said out loud.

“Yeah,” came another voice. “He was at the wedding all night.”

Ray Charles, music legend (2001)

I had been looking forward to this gig for months! An orchestra of local professional musicians was going to back up Ray Charles for his concert at Franklin & Marshall College in my hometown of Lancaster, PA.  Not only was I going to play trumpet for Charles, I figured I would also get a chance to meet him when he was working with us during rehearsal that afternoon.

Naive.

Ray’s music director rehearsed us that afternoon while Charles himself rested up for the evening performance.  When showtime came, we were all crammed in to our places on the crowded stage. One of his assistants escorted him across the stage to the piano, where he/we put on an excellent show.

Before the last applause had ended, Charles was escorted off stage and I never saw him again.  Well, actually I did see him the next night on TV, performing the national anthem for a playoff baseball game on the west coast. 

Frankie Valli, Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee (2005ish??)

My Dad had a record album called Frankie & The Four Season’s Gold Vault of Hits.  Man, I played that thing out!  I knew it cover to cover.  So when I got called to play a single show gig backing up Valli and his Seasons, I was psyched!!

The show was at American Music Theater in Lancaster, PA.  I took that record album with me to the theater, hoping to have Valli sign it.  But rehearsal came, and we hadn’t seen him.  The musical director ran the session.

But afterwards, during break, we were all wandering around killing time before the show.  I saw Valli’s room right down the hall from ours; the door open.  I grabbed the vinyl and took a chance, knocking on the door and introducing myself.  The conversation was not long, but Valli was very nice, seemed down to earth, and he signed the record.

Yeah- this time I actually did meet somebody famous in proper fashion! 😁

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