Are you an autograph hound?

[agent2x4]

I don't see famous folks that often, but when I do, I leave them alone...I figure they could use the peace and quiet.

Last summer Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and their wives/gf's ate at a table 2 away from us during the PGA championship here in wisconsin. It was funny....no one approached them other than the "go get 'em Tiger, Phil, nonsense.

I also drank a shot with Bono in the early 80's in Hawaii, but I didn't know it was him until later! He was bellying up to the bar and so was I, we struck up a conversation while waiting for service. After I went back to the table, 2 girls came up gushing over the fact I "knew" Bono, and would I mind introducing them. I'd heard of him and U2 of course back then, but never knew what he really looked like.

If the event is for signing autographs, that doesn't count. Would you accost a celeb at a restaurant or on the street?

[Honga Man]

Originally Posted by agent2x4

Would you accost a celeb at a restaurant or on the street?

Never.

The only exception would be Les Paul's signature on a Gibson Les Paul guitar. That would be neat.

[teledude66]

the only time i did was at a car show when i was in high school, and Jay Youngblood and Ricky Steamboat (pro wrestlers) were walking around signing autographs so i just fell in and got one, other than that it has always been at an event setup for autographs, i always thought it kinda rude, and especially today with people trying to make a buck off someones signature....

[reverbbb]

Proudly YES!

I also am eager to get my photo with a celebrity.

I know there are those who are disgusted at the sight of folks like me. But I don't care. I have memories and photos to show for it. It is a pleasure in life that I enjoy.

I will say, that I try not to bother the folks that I encounter. I simply ask them for a photo op, and I have never been declined. Most folks will take a moment to oblige as long as you are not creating a scene. I have not bothered folks that I just saw on the street - only at scheduled appearances and such. I once saw Jerry Lewis on the escalator in a Dallas Neiman-Marcus store. He was delighted that I recognized him, but we did not speak.

There are also those times where I just wanted to chat, and they offered me an autograph. I never decline an offer like that.

I think that I listed on another forum all the photos, autographs and encounters that I have had. It was very extensive. So, yes, I am guilty as charged. But how many of you guys ever shook hands with "The Duke" - John Wayne?

[J-man]

Not really.. I have all the autographs of the Polyphonic spree though.

[jhundt]

I am not that excited by the cult of celebrity, but I know people who are, so I will try to get some signatures for them if I can.

Aerosmith was the hardest, back in 79-80 or so they were suffering from massive back-stage paranoia and excessive management/security syndrome, but I managed it somehow.

When I was a kid I got Pops Foster, but I think my brother has that now.

In my own personal collection I have the Damned, Eddie and the Hot Rods, Elvis Costello and the Attractions.

[GuitarJonz]

I got Bill Kirchen and Commander Cody to sign. Other tele masters that come around here occasionally that I'd like to have sign my tele include Arlen Roth and Jim Weider. BTW, I'd never intrude during dinner.

[reverbbb]

Originally Posted by GuitarJonz

BTW, I'd never intrude during dinner.

You got that right. I try to treat everyone with the same respect as I would want to receive. It would be (and has been) awkward if someone that you don't know wants to strike up a conversation while you are eating. But there are times when those conversations are nice, but I don't initiate them.

Just for the record, I don't gush and lust after celebrities. I just enjoy the opportunity when it presents itself.

[Rob Rent]

I was on a bill with Gatton in Baltimore once upon a time....and asked him to sign my guitar....he had never signed one before....as I was getting us a couple of beers from the cooler...I noticed he was using a pocket knife to scratch his name into the face of my mint condition Tele....I asked him about a marker instead...and he laughed and said it's "no good for the paint"..........I was also lost once outside of "Cut and Shoot", Texas....when we ran into a Shell station attendant who looked EXACTLY like Clapton....funnily enough, he had no idea who Eric Clapton was....the other guitar player in the band and I had this guy strap on a John's black Strat and we took a roll of pictures with him.....passed on the autograph though....proud of my choice both times....
......I've been on the bill with some of the guys I look up to and I usually get them to sign my guitar...

[J-man]

Originally Posted by jhundt

In my own personal collection I have the Damned, Eddie and the Hot Rods.

Well I spent an hour and a half talking to the guy who played bass in both those bands. 8)

He also played for a short time with UFO.

I didn't get his autograph but I did get some of his promotional beer mats if that's any help.

[Skully]

I find it demeaning to me and a bother to them. In L.A., we pretend like we don't see them.

Of course, the celebrities themselves are often very conflicted about being recognized. The probably got into the biz because, on some level, they desire the love and approval of the world. They most likely enjoy the perks that come with fame and even though the attention is a bother, they'd probably be devastated if nobody cared enough to bother them.

Last year, I was waitng in line at a department behind JoAnne Worley of "Laugh In" fame. In the early '90s, she used to go to some of the play openings I would and she'd always announce herself to the room (pre or post-performance) with a lound rendition that wacky laugh she did on the show. It was very "look at me!" Anway, another woman in line was talking and talking to her. Finally, she asked the inevitable "what are you doing now?" Worley mumbled something about rehearsing for a stage show back east. Naturally, the woman asked, if the show's back East, what are you doing here in L.A.? At that point, Worley mumbled something and made a quick get away.

[mark norwine]

I don't seek out autographs, and won't wait in lines at "signings"....and wouldn't even consider paying!

But if the opportunity presents itself *and* if it's someone that I really respect, then yes, I collect autographs.

I especially like getting authors whom I respect to sign the title pages of books they've written.

Two stand out, to me, as special, cherished mementos:

Alan Shepard signed my original first edition copy of "We Seven"

Jean Shepherd {different spelling, no relation} signed my first edition copy of "Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters."

Great men, great books....those mean a great deal to me....

mn

[gtrman911]

i don't ask for autographs. why would i ask someone else to sign their name? why do i care to have your/their signature? now, maybe if i wanted to forge a check, but... :P

the way i sees it, people should ask me for MY autograph b/c i'm such a stellar person.





seriously.

[red57strat]

Not really, although I have 2.

Harry Chapin- I saw him at a small place and was really moved.

Carl Yastrzemski- I worked at a company that was making a run of rings for him and he came in for a visit.
Being a Boston Red Sox fan I figured I'd ask.
He signed my time sheet.

[Dale Gribble]

I use to have great interest in this but it faded as my teenage years did. Albert Lee and Hag are the only John Hancocks that seem to interest me these days.

[Joel66]

I don't know if I am or not. I have a few autographs at my mom and dad's house in Michigan that I obtained when I was a kid.

• Al Kaline
  Willie Horton
  Franco Harris

Hmmm.....I'm almost 39 and they're still at mom and dad's house. Does that mean that, in their eyes, I'm still not responsible enough to have them in my possession??

Also at their house are all of my signed Jan and Dean albums. I'm glad I didn't have those sigs. here with me. I'd have lost them when I lost:

• Johnny Cash's signed promo pic when he was still on Sun
  A Wilburn Brother's signed pic. It was also signed on the back by Jimmy Skinner and some guy named Jerry Reed. His single at the time was Little Lovin' Liza when my folks saw him.
  
  my first Tele (a gift from my folks) that was signed by Marty Stuart
  
  an autographed pic of George Jones

As for the people that I'd like to sign my guitar:

• Hank Jr.
  Marty Stuart
  Ted Nugent
  Brent Mason
  Fuzzy
  Paul Stanley
  trag-o-caster
  Buck Owens
  Travis Tritt
  Joel Terry
  Dwight Yoakam
  Merle Haggard
  Chuck Berry
  Redd
  Bill Hullett
  Keith Richards

Sigs. I wish I could have:

• Luther Perkins
  Johnny Cash
  Waylon
  my Grandpa
  my uncle Billy (he taught me my first chord)
  Don Rich
  Stevie Ray

I saw Adam Ant in a truck-stop when I was a kid and got his autograph. I have no idea what happened to it though. When I lived in Nashville in '88, I think, I was shopping at the same clearance rack as Larry Gatlin. He signed the only piece of paper I had with me. It was a "Dear John" letter from my girlfriend.

Durn it all........I reckon I am an autograph hound.

Wait a sec......I was standing at the urinal at a club in Muscle Shoals, Al in '03. This guy asks if I had a light. I said sure and handed him my lighter. Turned out to be Darryl Singletary. I didn't ask him for autograph. Am I still an autograph hound??

Joel

[Skully]

I was standing at the urinal at a club in Muscle Shoals, Al in '03. This guy asks if I had a light. I said sure and handed him my lighter. Turned out to be Darryl Singletary. I didn't ask him for autograph. Am I still an autograph hound??

Good decision. Paul Newman stopped giving autographs because of people asking him while he was using the urinal.

[Joel66]

Originally Posted by Skully

Good decision. Paul Newman stopped giving autographs because of people asking him while he was using the urinal.

I didn't exactly have anything for him to sign. As it turned out though, after talking with Rhett Akins for 45 mins about KISS, Darryl and I proceeded to try and drink the bar out of their beer stock. So I still got a great memory....I think. (and a whopper of a hangover too)

Joel

[tlecstr]

I love autographs, but I only ask for them at appropriate times. I would never dream of interupting someone's meal with the family or friends.
As far as being approachable, Styx, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band were the coolest. My wife and I hung out back stage with both bands, and they were so cool to us.
A couple of years ago we opened for Dave Mason, and he was just the opposite, in a big hurry to get the heck out of Dodge. On the other hand, we opened for Walter Trout, and he is the nicest person that you would ever hope to meet. Even autographed a cd with a personal message. That's how they should be!

[geddins]

I've gotten exactly 2 autographs in my life...Charlie Waters and Cliff Harris were promoting their book last year, and I went and had them sign mine. It was an event for it, and I know that's why they were there.

Other than that I usually don't mess with them...at the James Burton Festival, I ran into Johnny A in the Hotel/Casino Lobby, and just spoke and nodded....I do admit that I came mighty close to saying "Hey, I'm looking forward to tonight" or something stupid, but thankfully I didn't :D :D .....

However, there are a few guys I would ask to sign in a minute if I came across them at the right time; I'd never approach someone out with their family or while eating.

[Coyote]

I don't have any autographs, but I think guitars look cool with them. I'd love to get my tele signed by Alan Jackson and/or Willie Nelson, my two favorite country music artists.

[Paul in Colorado]

I have a few, but I've gotten them at concerts and only once probably asked for an autograph at a bad time (Graham Nash with food poisoning, but he was still nice enough to stop and sign my CD).
Some that I have:
Bill Monroe
Grampa Jones
Bill Kreutzman
Roger McGuinn
Paul Kantner
David Crosby
Chris Hillman

In my Tele case I keep autographs from:
Bill Kirchen
John Jorgenson
Albert Lee
Paul Burlison

I'd like to have James Burton's autograph and wish I'd gotten Jerry Garcia's when I had the chance.

[teledude66]

there was a benefit for Katrina victims and all the bands signed a guitar which i spose was going to be auctioned or something it was kinda funny because it wasn't like they were stars or anything, just local pickers ...lol